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The Rock Star and the Mullahs
Thursday, July 17, 2003
Salman Ahmad is the charismatic lead guitarist for the popular Pakistani rock group, Junoon. Inspired by the ancient Sufi tradition, the band's music and lyrics reflect the moderate, liberal side of Islam. He has also become a Special Representative for UNAIDS, and he and the group have publicly advocated the cause of peace with India. But a coalition of fundamentalist Islamic parties has made recent gains in Pakistani elections, and Junoon's high profile places them in conflict with the hardliners. WIDE ANGLE follows Salman Ahmed as he journeys to the tolerant, ancient city of Lahore and the fundamentalist stronghold of Peshawar to reveal the internal religious and political conflicts of nuclear-armed Pakistan. The mullahs want to ban the music but Junoon's fans, among them Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, have made Salman a rock idol. From this trip emerges a rich portrait of modern day Pakistan, a pivotal nation in the war against terror.
 Watch a preview video
Producer Angus Macqueen has produced and directed some of the most prestigious documentaries on British television over the past decade. His films include DEATH OF YUGOSLAVIA (winner of the BAFTA and Columbia Journalism Awards), THE SECOND RUSSIAN REVOLUTION, THE HAND OF STALIN, DANCING FOR DOLLARS, and many others. He also directed "The Empty ATM" about the Argentine economic crisis for WIDE ANGLE's first season.
Director Ruhi Hamid recently filmed and directed a two-part series for Channel 4, WOMEN AND ISLAM, which examines the status of women's lives in several Muslim countries. Specializing in working alone in hostile regions of the world, Hamid has filmed and directed numerous documentaries for British television. Her Channel 4 series LAHORE LAW was nominated for the Grierson Award for Best Documentary.
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