Love is a verb is a documentary by Terry Spencer Hesser exploring the ordinary lives and stories of people in Hizmet, a social movement inspired by the Islamic scholar and teacher, Fethullah Gülen, and geared towards serving all people regardless of their faith and religion through dialogue, education and relief work. The documentary was narrated by Hollywood actress Ashley Judd and produced by Global Vision Productions.
At a time when terrorist groups command world attention through their brutal acts that they claim to be committing in the name of Islam, we believe it is most timely to explore the works and activities of ordinary people in Hizmet (literally meaning ‘service’) whose source of inspiration is Islam yet whose aims, values, practices and activities are not just entirely different but diametrically opposed to those of the murderous terrorists mentioned above. As Hizmet grows in over 160 countries through dialogue, education and relief work, seeing the movement through the lens of Terry Spencer is an opportunity for anyone interested in exploring the human-stories around a faith-inspired (in motivation) yet faith-neutral (in activities and inclusiveness) movement growing worldwide.
Terry Spencer Hesser is a published novelist, biographer, produced playwright, award-winning screenwriter and recipient of three Emmy Awards. She has been telling stories in print, on television, and on the stage for three decades, and has worked with people as diverse as Audrey Hepburn, Oprah Winfrey, and R. Kelly while doing so. From documentaries on the Art Institute of Chicago, Golden Gloves Boxing and the life of Chicago Tribune czar Robert McCormick to the architects who carved their imprints on the city’s distinctive skyline, she is thrilled and privileged to have spent her career writing about and filming the Windy City. Her novel “Kissing Doorknobs” was an American Library Association top ten pick and was translated into many languages.
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