Building the Border Mosque
Our call to pray beyond borders started with a humble gathering in Friendship Park on the US/ Mexico border of San Diego and Tijuana in April of 2019. A group of Muslims and Christians gathered to pray together in parallel ceremonies on each side of one of the world's most militarized international borders. The sea met below us, just past the reach of the fence, as did our hearts connected by a love for God and a deep desire to transform the humanitarian crisis that surrounds us.
From this original gathering, we believe we have opened up one of the most important Christian / Muslim relationships in the world. While we have invited in other faith groups and we pray that others join us in this call, the core groups have been Muslim and Christian leaders. Together our faith communities make up more than 50% of humanity as the two largest religious groups on this earth. We know of no other place on this earth where Muslim and Christian services take place together, we invite you to join us and connect with our friends and family in the Border Church and Border Mosque.
A Prayer Beyond Borders - Short & Feature Film
At our first Border Mosque/ Border Church service we commissioned a binational film crew with 15 members to shoot the service on both sides of the border with a team also crossing with the Muslim community into Tijuana. The direction from the filmmaker’s was clear in attempting to capture the “God’s eye view” of the Border where no barrier exists. We did this through film making focused on the spiritual nature of the service through close up shots of the participants, and the contrasts on both sides of the border with central drone shots that allowed the camera to pass over the border.
This turned into our film, “A Prayer Beyond Borders” which screened at international film festivals, and at the border wall in Tijuana and was distributed by MoveOn, and MPower Change. The film produces critical narrative interventions by featuring authentic Muslim and Christian voices in unison focused on justice and the immigration issues at the border, while also featuring Latina Muslims throughout the film.
From this original gathering, we believe we have opened up one of the most important Christian / Muslim relationships in the world.
The Stories Behind the Film
This panel brings together the core voices in the film, A Prayer Beyond Borders. The panel is moderated by Dustin Craun, the Executive Producer of the film with Rev. John Fanistel, Imam Wesley Lebron, Sonia Garcia & Mayte Guittierez from the Latina Muslim Foundation, and Imam Taha Hassane of the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Building the Vision
In this short video, the executive producer and director of the feature film, “A Prayer Beyond Borders,” talks about building the vision of the film.