The Exorcist, A Samuel Huntington Movie

The Exorcist
"The power of the christ compels you!" (QuickTime movie)

As the only Hollywood movie that begins with Islamic call to worship Allah, The Exorcist (1973) is a unique film and worthy to watch, even after 31 years. It is even more interesting to see it now, when you know that the story begins in Iraq, shown as the birthplace of Evil, and ends in Washington DC, as the battlefield of Christianity and Evil -who is resurrected in the Islamic world. The last shot of the movie ends with the Evil still alive inside a seemingly innocent girl, passing through the beautiful George Town streets. The final shot is accompanied with the Islamic Azaan again, in the middle of George Town, reminding the viewer about the presence of the Evil, and relating it to the 'false religion.'
Written by William Peter Blatty(a Catholic) and directed by William Friedkin(a Jewish filmmaker), the movie is a good example of how a political ideology can be created by a seemingly neutral entertainment industry. What is unbelievable to me is that during all these 31 years no film critic has ever mentioned the anti-Islamic connotations of the movie. To realize how strange it is just imagine if there was any reference to anything Jewish in the scene presenting the demon. Such a thing not only couldn't be ignored for a minute (not for thirty one years), but the movie probably would have been immediately listed as a dreadful anti-semitic propaganda.

The Exorcist

The Exorcist

The ten minutes opening to the movie is shot in the city Mosul, Iraq. Beginning with an Islamic Azaan, the movie shows an old priest (played by one of my favorite actors, Max Von Sydow) unearthing a demon-like statue, representing a creature whose comeback to the world is accompanied by the unnerving sounds of snarling dogs: the Evil comes to the world again in this exotic far land that doesn't have anything to do with pre-evil happy life we see in the "Christian" Washington DC. In a series of preceding shots we see the priest passing praying muslims. Later on, we see him confronting the demon statue, symbolizing the battle between Christianity and the unearthed Evil. The Exorcist story, the fight between Christianity and the Evil begins here, in Iraq.
To me, The Exorcist is not a simple horror story of a little girl possessed by a demon, but a nightmarish part of a bigger mythology created by Hollywood cinema. This ready-to-digest mythologic system describes the world as a place for the confrontation of God and Satan. According to this mythology (which can be seen in any major horror, science fiction, adventure, or disaster movie) America is the main battlefield between these two, and American people have a pre-defined duty to save the world by supporting a superhero whose power comes from a divine force (yes,... no democratic institution is involved in this process). In all these 'good-fights-evil' movies the hero himself has never decided to be a hero. He is always chosen by the devine to carry a 'mission' for eradicating the Evil, and saving the world. As you see, we have a lot of sprituality here, a mixture of religion and imperialism to describe everyone's role in the New World Order.

A prequel to the original story, Exorcist: The Beginning was released two days ago and it became an immediate box office success. I haven't seen the movie yet, but according to what I have read in the news, similar to Exorcist II, the origin of the Evil in the recent movie has been moved to somewhere in the North Africa. What is not changed though, is the main pattern in the story: God fighting against Evil, America fighting against the unknown world.
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P.S. Evidently, marketing Hollywood mythology to the world has been very successful. It has been even sold to the land of mythologies, Mesopotamia. Read the news here:
American troops launch 'Exorcist' tour at ancient temple

Comments

  1. "Learn to respect other religions." What are you on about Jack? - Isn't this what CK is saying

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  2. well, since the director is Jewish and the writer is catholic, they needed other religion to blame and to be evil... i liked the movie but i hated the fact that made islam an evil religion... soo ignorance and never know how to respect other religion... i have no idea why the hell there was a priest digging in Iraq...??

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    Replies
    1. It was ironic because Islam is the only religion that defies all other worship except God Himself. Islam abolished all statues and idol worship which is wrong! Despite that they think it is evil then its their set minds that are not ready to see the truth.

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  3. What was the necessity of the azaan in the beginning and end of the movie exactly? What does it signify? could anyone explain precisely.

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  4. I have always wondered about the same. I wait for the day when someone from Afghanistan creates a movie which is about a marriage ceremony site bombed by usa forces (who mistook it for something else) and its aftermath with lot of emotions and superb camere work and astounding hype! But...I bet it still won't attract even one percent of attention movies like "schindler's list" and "life is beautiful" got...

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  5. ha! just done with watching The Exorcist. I too wondered the same that why did they have the "World's most disturbing" movie begins with azaan and ends with the one! Now, after readin your blog, I got to understand the point of it and why it is being promoted so much so for the last 31 years!! I love Jesus Christ and Moses (Peace be upon them) but depicting Islam as the evil is not going to work. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his ideologies is an integral part of my life and I cannot, I can never ever ever part with him.

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  6. Bismillah brothers and sisters bieng a muslim when i finished watching this movie, i was forced to think why the Azan was used in the begining and at the end of the movie! bieng a horror movie and just for entertainment did it have a messege showing Islam an evil religion. My brothers i respect every religion and i think this is a sin in all religions to point out any religion as an evil one! our religion firstly tells us to respect every other person and every religion out there in this world because just like we cannot bear any wrong said things about our religion they cannot too! and as far as evil and good , its what you do and its what you think! its what a human does that makes him evil and not the religion that is evil! i suppose every religion has the same messege to believe in God and his presence as the supreme commander of the whole universe and no matter human or among the unseen! thank you all.

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  7. Peace be on all of u.

    Brother's, here the question ariise on azaan. take it in positive way , even though watever the filim maker's intention.. the azaan clearly says its meaning.. Allah is great there is no god but Allah. Prophet muhammed PBUH is the messenger of god. Come to prayer come to sucess...there is no god but ALLAH....So if some one has to look into it they are openly invited to learn about this...

    Thanks
    May god shows you right path.

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  8. I think the reason for the "AZAN" in the begining and the end of the movie is simply that the "Azan" words are the most powerfull and effective words to say in an exorcism to kick out a devil....................
    "the exorcism" movie was not about which religion is correct,but it was about an "EXORCISM".
    I expect that the movie makers had made an research and studies about the exorcism in most religions and realized this fact.

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  9. I am muslim and I believe Islam with all my heart. I have many experiences cured the people that got possesed. One of the way to cured them was by 'azan'.By watching this movie,if the mother come to us,ask for our help,the priest dont have to die cause it just take at least an hour or a week.to be cure(with God will).

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  10. You are stupid. Islam is not satanic. Christianity is not original thats why islam was brought by the last prophet!
    Christianity has so many superstitious and so many un Godly beliefs that islam had to be brought. After Jesus was taken by God Paul started the four sects of Christianity teaching them different things. Teaching them that jesus is God!!! The biggest evil of Satan is to take humanity away from worship of God and direct it to other mortal beings! LLike jesus in Christianity who was a prophet and a human being with miracles, not God Himself! Islam is much much more logical than Christianity in several ways. You people had a distorted belief that christ died for ur sins so u can do anything now and will reach to heaven!! This notion has been answered in Quran. Allah states that no bearer will bear the brunt of anyone else's burden at the day of resurrection and judgement! That makes sense and it is logical unlike christianity's stupid distorted and self forged beliefs.
    The biggest issue is the bible present today cannot be called a word of God! You read a translated version and it has been 'revised' by humans again and again unlike Quran. Quran is a miracle even after 1400 years it is still EXACTLY the same! There hasn't been an alteration of a single letter of arabic... Please open up your eyes and try to do brain storming based on LOGICS which God has bestowed you with. Don't shut your mind. Quran is thr most scientifically accurate book unlike the bible that caused galileo's trials as being opposed to bible and defaming all religion!
    Quran 1400 years ago mentions that the universe was formed and everything is still moving away!!!
    Quran mentions that all planets revolve around the sun much much before this was taken as a fact by the scientific world...bible on the other hand has wrong 'facts'...if bible had been in its original form with each word from God Himself there would be no scientific discrepancy. These scientific discrepancies in bible have caused so many people to turn away from religion all together. Quran invites ALL humans and Jinns irrespective of their initial religion to guidance using their BRAINS! so wake up and try to decide with the help of facts.

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  11. Well said....Also it doesn't make any sense to me why would satan have people NOT WORSHIP ANYTHING BESIDES GOD ALONE??? It doesn't sound like satan's purpose.
    Also satan is a demon himself not an angel! He is made of fire and thats why he was so proud not to bow before humans.
    But satan has apparantly caused Christians to believe he is an angel of light! And causes a fabricated story about why he was driven out of heaven. He was a proud guy thats why he cant stand humanity being sent to heaven. He wants to falsify God by proving that humans are also self centered and bad like him. And God has permitted him to do his efforts untill judgement day after which a very few select people of God will be delivered. This belief is logical and explains why satan holds a grudge against humans but Christian belief about satan is concoted by satan himself who calls himself as an angel! Angels never dis obey God they don't have free will. Only humans and demons(jinns) have free will. Thats why satan turned against God. If he were an angel he would not turn against Allah.

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  12. Offcourse there cant be a correlation as you said. How can azan which calls man to worship the one and only God, the God of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, be even remotely related to evil. If Christians think that then they are unknowingly blaspheming their own religion!

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  13. I'd never seen this film before and have actually just stopped watching it only a few minutes in. As a Catholic who believes strongly in ecumenism and respects the power and beauty of other faiths, I was horrified when I heard the Azaan in the opening seconds of the film. I am surprised that I'd never heard this movie alluded to as anti-Islamic. Most Christians I know would be angry to hear a beloved prayer associated with demonic forces in such a way. I know that it might be easy to counter these thoughts with an allusion to the violence of radical Islamic extremists, but I think that's missing the point. It just bothers me that that beautiful call to prayer, which so many devout and loving people respond to, was disrespected so casually.

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  14. The Muslim call to prayer indeed features at both the very begging as well as (somewhat less prominently) at the very end of the movie. Having not read the book the movie is based on I cannot comment if the same is true there. If the call is only a feature of the movie then its director William Fiedkin is the best person to ask about the intent of using Azan in the movie (
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Friedkin).
    Otherwise we can only speculate and in doing so can either fuel the fires of divisions further or try to push for a more peaceful coexistence.
    I for one choose the second option and to that end would like to remind us that Islam (and its holly book Kuran) indeed see the Christians and Jews as the people of the book and allies in the fight against against the evil all of us as human beings have ability to 'host' form time to time.

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  15. The holy book of Islam was certainly sent by Almighty. Just imagine how much amazing a book would be if it is authored by Almighty. Undoubtedly it is the substantial book ever created. Furthermore, this book contains valued information answering essential questions with humans in mind, like why we were created and what happens after death.

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