The Red Mosque

In the summer of 2007, the Red Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, was the site of a confrontation between fundamentalist Islamic students and the Pakistani authorities. The then president Musharraf wanted to eradicate fundamentalism in this hotbed, where students had ties with Islamic resistance movements that wanted to enforce the implementation of the Islamic law, the shariah, in Pakistan. Some members of these groups also had ties with Osama bin Laden and Al Qaida.
Musharraf's measures had an adverse effect, as it raised great indignation over the fact the Pakistani army acted so brutally against their own people; there were numerous casualties, including many women. They were waiting for the soldiers in burkas and carrying Kalashnikovs. The confrontation spurred a wave of aggression and reprisals.
The filmmaker had great difficulties gathering footage as filming is not appreciated everywhere in Pakistan. The result is a collection of fragments, alternated by inserted texts that summarise the events and backgrounds. The film also introduces scholars and intellectuals who condemn Musharraf's actions as an illegal act and a strategic miscalculation. Once again, proves how complex the issues surrounding fundamentalism in Islamic countries are.