Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival 2010

What social, economic and political environments create the mindset of a Jihadist, especially an American one? American Jihadist is a look at militant Islam through the eyes of an American who fought for it. Isa Abdullah Ali, aka Clevin Raphael Holt, is intriguing because he grew up in the ghettos of America’s capitol and was surrounded by physical and psychological violence from the very beginning. American Jihadist looks at what role violence and a lack of hope for the future play in the development of radicalism. The film reaches beyond easy labels to grasp the nuances behind one man’s decision to fight for his religion.