BY ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — Director, comedian and actor Omar Regan, 40, is bringing his film, “American Sharia” to Dearborn for its U.S. debut.
The film will premiere at on Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.
“American Sharia” is an action-packed comedy set in Detroit surrounding an officer and his profiling of every Muslim as a terrorist.
The officer goes on an arrest frenzy causing community activists to take to the streets and rally the community to stand up for their rights.
The chief of police aims to gain the trust of the Muslim community in order get re-elected; however, an attorney is standing in the way with a discrimination law suit against the police officer and the Detroit Police Department.
The chief calls on his most unreliable detective, Mohammed, played by Omar Regan and partners him with a Middle Eastern sharia law fanatic, Detective Abdul, played by Baba Ali.
The chief wants the two men to speak Arabic to the Muslims, but complications ensue in his plan for re-election.
The film plays off the 9/11 terrorist attacks and tension between citizens and police officers across the country.
“I started creating the movie in 2012,” Regan said. “The film was shot on location throughout Detroit, Dearborn and Dearborn Heights.”
Regan was born in Detroit and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting and directing in 1999.
“I directed the entire film,” he said. “I wanted to make sure my vision got across as clear as possible.”
Regan’s love for travel and movies encouraged him to get him create films and start Halalwood Entertainment.
“My motive for this film is to bring everyone with me and introduce them to the 1.6 billion Muslims around the world that no one seems to know exist, but are always seen in malls, parks, workplaces and are even your neighbors,” Regan’s biography reads on his website. “Muslims and Islam on the big screen, is being repetitiously told from one story line and I have a mission to tell stories by Muslims that everyone can enjoy and relate to.”
Tickets and VIP packages for the film premiere are available at halalywood.com for $25 and $45, respectively.
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected].)