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On a Wing and a Prayer

An American Muslim Learns To Fly

On a Wing and a Prayer: An American Muslim Learns to Fly follows Monem Salam as he enrolls in an open-minded flying school, where he soon draws the attention of the FBI, which confirms his family's fears.

Monem is a portfolio manager, the son of a Pakistani commercial pilot. You might have come across Monem in financial media, where he's appeared on CNBC and been profiled in Businessweek.

His wife Iman's family is Palestinian and although initially dubious about the marriage, now accepts the cultural differences. With three young children, Iman's prankish student days are behind her. She's happy to find time to cultivate her inner domestic diva, wisecracking about her entertaining skills and her husband's flight plans. Monem's "green" decision to commute by scooter only heightens his likeability. These modern-day Americans cast off stereotypes and refuse to succumb to victimhood despite being denied privileges afforded most other Americans. This gently funny film follows Monem as he works towards his goal, engaging his wife, family and community in the process.

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What Others Say About the Film

My students were both amused and saddened by On A Wing and a Prayer: An American Muslim Learns to Fly. Amused because the film presented the subject with a touch of humor, and saddened by the difficulty the family has in freely exercising their religion despite the promise of the First Amendment.

Dennis Perreault

On a Wing and a Prayer: An American Muslim Learns to Fly helps remove some of the clichés about the alleged strangeness of Muslims and points to their successful assimilation into American life.

Dr. Paul Mojzes

Students were engaged in a discussion about racism in general and in the workplace [after watching On a Wing and a Prayer: An American Muslim Learns to Fly].

Joe Menendez

On a Wing and a Prayer: An American Muslim Learns to Fly showed my students that Americans are Americans and their religion, culture, and families can all coexist. Overall, the students loved the sincerity and look at one of our millions of Americans that call themselves Muslims.

Chris Murray

The extensive credits of Executive Producers Alex Kronemer and Michael Wolfe span over 10 years of film making and include: Enemy of the Reich; Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World; Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think; Allah Made Me Funny; On a Wing and A Prayer: An American Muslim Learns to Fly; Talking Through Walls; Prince Among Slaves; Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain; and Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet.

This film was produced and directed by Rob Gardner, whose credits include Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land; Islam: Empire of Faith; Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think; Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain; and Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire.

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