‘IN GOD’S NAME’ includes extraordinary footage of 12 of the world’s most influential religious leaders, including Pope Benedict XVI, head of the Roman Catholic Church, Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, Yona Metzger, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel and the Dalai Lama, all featured in a single broadcast for the first time.

Jules and Gedeon Naudet made this film in response to their quest for the ‘meaning of life’ after they were caught in the collapse of the World Trade Center on 11th September, 2001.

New York – A major television program, ‘In God’s Name’, addressing some of the most challenging and profound questions of our time, will be broadcast on Sunday, Dec 23rd between 9pm to 11pm (EST and PST) and 8pm-10pm (CST and MST) on the CBS television network in the USA. It will feature 12 spiritual leaders, including the head of the highest Sikh temporal seat, Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Amritsar, Panjab, Singh Sahib Giani Joginder Singh.

UNITED SIKHS assisted in the making of the Sikh religious segment in the 2-hour documentary which shows the importance of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the supreme temporal authority for over 25 million Sikhs, through an interview with Singh Sahib Giani Joginder Singh, by acclaimed French filmmakers, Jules and Gedeon Naudet. The documentary features the early morning prakash at Sri Darbar Sahib, Palki Sewa, Hukamnama, Ardas, Langar followed by a personal interview of Singh Sahib at the Akal Takhat Sahib.

“IN GOD’S NAME” includes extraordinary footage of 12 of the world’s most influential religious leaders, including Pope Benedict XVI, head of the Roman Catholic Church, Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, Yona Metzger, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel and the Dalai Lama, all featured in a single broadcast for the first time.

Gedeon Brothers with the Jathedar Akal Takhat

“UNITED SIKHS feels privileged to have contributed in a documentary that creates awareness of the Sikh way of life and importance of the supreme Sikh institution, Sri Akal Takhat, to the world” said Kuldip Singh, Director UNITED SIKHS, who flew down to Amritsar, to assist the film crew.

“IN GOD’S NAME, explores the complex questions of our time through the intimate thoughts and beliefs of 12 of the world’s most influential spiritual leaders. These diverse and powerful voices offer provocative, compelling and enlightening perspective on myriad issues in our post-9/11 world, including the rise of terrorism, fanaticism, intolerance and war”.

Congregation having Langar at Darbar Sahib

Jules and Gedeon Naudet made this film in response to their quest for the ‘meaning of life’ after they were caught in the collapse of the World Trade Center on 11th September, 2001. Jules was shooting inside when the South Tower fell. “On Sept. 11, we faced death and thought we had lost each other,” said Jules Naudet. “This harrowing experience was the first step in a journey that would take us around the world searching for answers to the meaning of life.” The brothers’ quest took them to Egypt, England, India, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Russia and the Vatican, as well as Illinois and South Carolina.

“We chose these 12 leaders because of the vast number of believers — more than four billion — that their faiths represent,” said Gedeon Naudet. “We also wanted to explore the diversity of spirituality in our world today.”

A press note from CBS quotes “The program marks the first time that this distinct group of leaders has appeared in one broadcast. These spiritual beacons speak out about violence and hatred and reveal their own thoughts about faith, peace, unity, tolerance and hope. Viewers will see them in intimate settings, including their homes and personal places of worship. Ultimately, through the eyes of these 12 very different religious figures, the filmmakers discover the common ground among believers around the world.”

The 12 leaders featured in this special are:

• Singh Sahib, Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar of the Akal Takht
• Pope Benedict XVI, head of the Roman Catholic Church
• Alexei II, Patriarch of Moscow and head of the Russian Orthodox Church
• The Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso), spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists
• Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, a prominent Shi’ite Muslim leader
• Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and President of the Lutheran World Federation
• Michihisa Kitashirakawa, Jingu Daiguji (High Priest) of the Shinto Grand Shrine of Ise
• Yona Metzger, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel
• Dr. Frank Page, President of the Southern Baptist Convention
• Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi), a Hindu spiritual leader
• Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, Sheikh of Al-Azhar and a prominent Sunni Muslim leader
• Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England

IN GOD’S NAME is produced by filmmakers Jules and Gedeon Naudet and CBS News’ Susan Zirinsky, who last collaborated as the executive producers of the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning film “9/11” for the Network. Mark Koops of Reveille, which represents the Naudets, serves as an executive producer. Also for CBS News, Nancy Kramer and Peter Schweitzer are the senior producers on the project, Mead Stone, Mike Vele and Basil Pappas are the producer-editors, Susan Mallie is the producer and Sarah Prior is the associate producer.

The Naudet brothers are negotiating a global release of the documentary and UNITED SIKHS will publish details of the global screening times and networks in due course.

Click the link to view 6.40 minutes of video stream of Documentary: http://cbsmediagroupftp.com/clips06/inthename_STREAM.wmv

Read more on: http://www.cbspressexpress.com/div.php/cbs_entertainment/original?id=2424&dpid=59

Issued by

Mejindarpal Kaur
Director
UNITED SIKHS
Ph: 1-646 315 3909
Email: contact@unitedsikhs.org