I'd Rather Be Dead Than Silent

Battling for the Soul of Islam

For decades, Islamic scholar and human rights advocate Khaled Abou El Fadl has challenged the forces seeking to answer that question for the world—from Wahhabism and the Saudi regime to extremists who weaponize religion and Americans who view Islam itself as the enemy.

His refusal to stay silent has brought threats, vilification, and nearly cost him his life. Beside him is his wife, Grace Song, who has shared the danger, sacrifice, and deeply personal consequences of that fight. Surrounded by a private library of nearly half a million books, Khaled wages a battle not against Islam, but for it—for a faith rooted in pluralism, democracy, beauty, justice, and human dignity. Filmed over several years, I’d Rather Be Dead Than Silent is an intimate character story about marriage, courage, and the price of speaking truth to power while battling for the soul of one of the world’s great religions.

Tina Mascara is a Los Angeles–based filmmaker whose work spans narrative and documentary film. She co-directed Chris & Don: A Love Story, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, was released theatrically by Zeitgeist Films, and received nominations from the Gotham Awards and GLAAD Media Awards. She also co-directed Monk With a Camera, which premiered at IDFA and was released theatrically by Kino Lorber. Her recent documentaries include I’d Rather Be Dead Than Silent, Face to Face: Don Bachardy, and the short documentary The White Painted House. Her films often focus on artists, outsiders, and individuals whose lives are shaped by conviction, creativity, and the courage to live on their own terms.