Myriam François: From Hollywood Actress to Truth Activist
You wouldn’t mind watching the current episode of the Arab Podcast twice to fully absorb the stories Myriam François has shared. You can see how her humanitarian feelings have flourished and brightened.
We decided to have her as a guest on our podcast based on her recent clear solidarity with Gaza in TV interviews, though this solidarity was a journey for François that didn’t start with the recent war, not at all.
‘I Prefer Grey Areas’
When asked about her childhood dreams, François said that her dream was to become a Hollywood star, a dream that came true earlier when she was younger. However, a voice inside her kept urging that she wanted to show the world the reflection of her own self, not the reflection of others. Actresses indeed reflect only others, so there must be other spots to stand on.
Wholeheartedly searching for her path, François found guidance in Islam after reading the Quran following the September 11 attacks. From there, François chose to become a journalist who reveals what’s really happening in this world.
The grey area was François’s comfort zone, after she realized that she doesn’t really feel she’s British. London felt like a grey area to François as it has varieties of nationalities, and a man wouldn’t be judged by race or religion, which was such a relief to her. Therefore, she feels more French regarding belonging.
François and Palestine
With a smile on her face, François narrates her “spiritual journey” to ALQUDS to be more in touch with real Islam, and more connected to her new Islamic identity in a region of Islamic majority. She found what she was looking for, plus some extra unwelcome spices, which was facing the fact that this holy spiritual land is heavily occupied.
François sensed the stench of racism and bias in all forms there. As a first impression while wearing a hijab there, most people thought she was either Palestinian or Lebanese, from both the Palestinians and Israelis. That misidentification of her real nationality led her to see the dark side of the Israeli occupation. She was treated poorly when mistaken for a Palestinian woman but received better services and healthcare after revealing her French identity through her passport.
I highly recommend listening to François’s stories by her. I believe her facial expressions are really part of the story.
Basic Facts American Leaders Keep Neglecting:
When Adnan asked Miryam about one of the stories she would not forget while in Morocco, she told an interesting story when she attended a religious event (Christian-Jewish) that was held by George Bush Junior. Among the attendees was one of the Muslim imams, who openly asked George Bush Jr. about the absence of the Islamic religion within the event. George Bush’s answer was that this was due to the similarity between Christian and Jewish beliefs. The Imam then asked, “What do Christians and Jews have in common that Muslims do not?” Bush Junior gave a “naive” answer: “Jesus Christ.”
It is obvious to any student of religions, as François says, that “Jesus Christ” is what the Christian and Islamic religions share, but Judaism does not. But this “deliberate” ignorance, as François says, is what is unfairly re-arranging the shape of the world, especially the Middle East region, which has been subjected to much devastation due to bias and arrogance by successive American presidents for decades. Iraq is the best evidence for this, but not the only one.
As I told you before, I don’t want to spoil many interesting stories by writing them here. Because François’s face tells a lot.
I hope you enjoy the entire episode.
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