Among the Believers (2015)

Directed by

Hemal Trivedi

Genre

documentary film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 24m

Rating

7.0 of 10 from 21 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This documentary looks at political and religious conflict in Pakistan by focusing on the Red Mosque and its madrasa network. It follows the mosque's leader, Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi, as he explains his views on jihad and shows the filmmakers around his schools.

informativesoberobservationalseriouseducationalthoughtfulunflinchingslow-paced

What happens

Among the Believers is a 2015 documentary film directed by Hemal Trivedi and Mohammed Ali Naqvi and produced by Jonathan Goodman Levitt and Hemal Trivedi. The executive producer was Whitney Burton Dow and co-producers were Naziha Ali and Syed Musharaf Shah. The film had its US premiere at Tribeca Film Festival on April 17, 2015 and was pitched at the 2013 MeetMarket as part of Sheffield Doc/Fest. After its theatrical release, it aired on television on World Channel's Doc World. The documentary examines the increasing political and religious turmoil in Pakistan since the war on terror, with specific attention to the Red Mosque (Lal Masjid) and its network of madrasas. The Red Mosque's madrasas are live-in Islamic seminaries which admit youths. The struggle between militant Islamist forces and secular forces are seen to play out in the country's educational system. The Soviet–Afghan War and the Siege of the Red Mosque are depicted as well. The main focus of the film is the head of the Red Mosque, Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi. Abdul Aziz takes the filmmakers on a tour of his madrasas in Islamabad and the countryside. He explains his point of view, and why he advocates jihad in favor of instituting Sharia law as Pakistan's main law. Abdul Aziz also explains key events in his life and the history of his organization. As a counterpoint, the film features noted nuclear physicist and civil activist Pervez Hoodbhoy, who provides broader context on the history presented by Abdul Aziz. The film also tracks the lives of two adolescent students in madrasas run by the Red Mosque (named Talha and Zarina), and a village chief (Tariq) who creates a school centered around academics rather than religious education. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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