Among the Believers

A unique, disturbing glance inside the Red Mosque movement, a network of schools in Pakistan that is a breeding ground for radical, militant Islam. The recipe is very simple: offer free education and meals in a poverty-stricken country. The schools’ curriculum consists of memorizing the Koran. “At this age, children are malleable,” explains the network’s leader Abdul Aziz Ghazi during a tour of one of the schools, where young girls are required to wear black burkas. Aziz’s interpretation of the Koran boils down to jihad against the infidels, and he sees it as his mission to introduce Islamic law. The children in his rapidly growing movement are basically soldiers, like Talha, an insecure boy who risks being converted into an Islamic fighter. Aziz is opposed by village head Tariq, whose school fights a brave battle against poverty and ignorance. Tariq also finds support in religion, but his values are the opposite of Aziz’s as he believes in tolerance, understanding and striving for knowledge. Zarina is one of his pupils and she flourishes. In the meantime, tensions in Pakistan are mounting.