About the film

After 9/11, fear and Islamophobia spikes in America. Into this storm steps Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl — Islamic jurist, human rights advocate, and one of the fiercest critics of Wahhabism and the Saudi regime. His refusal to stay silent makes him a lightning rod: vilified, threatened, and nearly killed for his words. Surrounded by a private library of half a million books — some banned for centuries — Khaled fights for an Islam rooted in pluralism, democracy, and justice. At his side is Grace Song, his wife and partner, who shares in the danger and the defiance. Together they confront assassination attempts, smear campaigns, and the loneliness of standing against power. I’d Rather Be Dead Than Silent is a visceral portrait of courage under siege — a film that dares to ask what silence costs in an age of rising hate.