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KARACHI: After slapping a ban on the feature film Maalik a day ago, the federal government has now banned a documentary film Among the Believers directed by Mohammad Ali Naqvi.
Ironically, the documentary has been screened in 20 countries and has already bagged 12 awards.
The documentary focuses on the Lal Masjid situation and apart from following Maulana Abdul Aziz and his network for five years it also contains those never-shared-before stories of people who stood up against extremist ideology.
The reason the Central Board of Film Censors has given in its notification for the ban is that Among the Believers “projects the negative image of Pakistan in the context of ongoing fight against extremism terrorism”.
Talking to Dawn, Mr Naqvi said, “The documentary premiered last year at the Tribeca Film Festival. It took us six years to make it. It focuses on two children studying at the Red Mosque who in a way signify the microcosmic representation of the ideological divide that we have.
"The film was to be premiered in Pakistan at a festival in Islamabad on April 29. The festival organisers needed to seek clearance from the authorities which they did not get. When one of our representatives asked them, they said it’s banned in the whole country.
“It is deeply distressing for me, because the film has been screened in 20 countries, and I wanted to screen it in my home country,” said Mr Naqvi.
Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2016
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Comments (79) Closed
Apr 30, 2016 06:54am
Now the government adds more to the negative image of this God forsaken country by banning the film. Our inadequate rulers can only feel important by banning this and banning that - petty actions of petty men.
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Apr 30, 2016 07:11am
In the subcontinent we still believe in segregation of sexes and banning movies. These are outdated practices in more advanced parts of the world. We need to mature to be able to absorb all information and keep that which works for us for the better.
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Apr 30, 2016 07:18am
Good steps by the government.
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Apr 30, 2016 07:39am
Appreciated;
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Apr 30, 2016 07:39am
No sectarianism please !!!
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Apr 30, 2016 07:44am
Its screening outside first clearly indicates intentions.
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Apr 30, 2016 08:28am
Put it on Youtube !
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Apr 30, 2016 08:39am
May be someone else is looking for an Oscar.
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Apr 30, 2016 09:06am
If one try to hide from countryman it becomes more popular in country.
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Apr 30, 2016 09:15am
Afraid to see the truth
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Apr 30, 2016 09:19am
@Shaukat Ali Khan Documentaries are mostly for festivals which are organized worldwide.
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Apr 30, 2016 09:25am
Another Oscar wisher. I wonder what are we projecting, who are we?
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Apr 30, 2016 09:26am
By negative image, you mean demonstraring reality? Lets face it Pakistan is no fairytale. Theres a darkside to this country that needs to be exposed badly so that people living in denial can see whats actually going on. May be then, we as a nation could accept and realize our flaws which in my view is one of the main catalyst to achieve success and harmony as a nation among ourselves.
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Apr 30, 2016 09:38am
It has been shown in more than 20 countries now what fun to hide it from natives.
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Apr 30, 2016 09:54am
What's the point in hiding? The truth comes out one way or the other. What's more important is to correct the path of the Pak ship.
Mullah's are hell bent upon destroying the country, the question is what is Pak ready to do to tackle this problem head on? If remain unchecked then the Pak future remains bleak.
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Apr 30, 2016 09:55am
YouTube please
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Apr 30, 2016 09:57am
For go long you will ban th reality, truth eventually will prevail. It's better we allow ourselves to see our hatred our ugliness and reform ourselves, than we find this out on resurrection day. Choice is ours.
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Apr 30, 2016 10:15am
Hats of to dawn and their guts for highligting this!!
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Apr 30, 2016 10:38am
Good decision. Just a generalizing and stereotyping propaganda packaged as a documentary based on a few students' accounts (out of hundreds and thousands who have studied there).
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Apr 30, 2016 10:39am
"My film banned because it shows "Anti-State" elements - ironic statement as the groups are allowed to roam freely " - Mohammad Naqvi
When will our country and government learn that brushing dust under the carpet is exactly the reason why we are in the position we are today.
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Apr 30, 2016 11:04am
Ban Central Board of Film Censors... its a useless body.
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Apr 30, 2016 11:18am
@Shaukat Ali Khan I think the filmmaker made a good decision otherwise our Pakistani authorities might have never let it get out. It's reactionary paranoid idiots like you who give Pakistan a bad name, not independent movies which focus on controversial issues that need to be discussed more openly.
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Apr 30, 2016 11:49am
Ban on this documentary is nice decision as this spreads the negative impact of Madrassas and our country too.
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Apr 30, 2016 12:02pm
Better show truth and face it in order to mature. Simple as that.
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Apr 30, 2016 12:05pm
what is happening here.. why is this current Govt. bent on banning everything ... From parliament speeches on Panama Leaks to Cyber Crime Bill (where i can get years in jail for posting a funny meme of a politician) to banning Maalik and now this documentary ... this is ridiculous ... we should talk more of this ... we cant afford to go back to the banned years of 80s ...
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Apr 30, 2016 12:11pm
There are few screenings here and there in NYC and Brussels, how will that reach wider audience? As far as I know there isn't a DVD released yet. Also dropped a mail to the producer to have few screenings in Delhi/Mumbai/Tokyo/Shanghai among Asian countries. Merely showing in the US and Belgium will tantamount to nothing.
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Apr 30, 2016 12:18pm
simple put on youtube that is best
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Apr 30, 2016 12:18pm
Documentary seems to be interesting
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Apr 30, 2016 12:21pm
All such works which project negative image of Pakistan are promptly rewarded abroad.
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Apr 30, 2016 12:22pm
Why is this intolerance and timidity ?
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Apr 30, 2016 12:30pm
This is the truth; I am of Pakistani extraction and have watched it. Please let this be shown to the Pakistani people.
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Apr 30, 2016 12:39pm
@Imran One does not have to be judgmental.
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Apr 30, 2016 12:44pm
@Muhammad Toseef be proactive, may be it gives a positive image and, why not a realistic image?
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Apr 30, 2016 12:44pm
In this documentary, Aziz speaks himself. What will be the benefit by hiding the truth?
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Apr 30, 2016 12:44pm
@Hassan Mr. Naqvi please try to do some for national interest.
you should required to make a film showing to world that RAW working in our country to destabilize also mention role of Iran.
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Apr 30, 2016 12:54pm
When flood comes and touches no bunds work. It is simply grotesquie to ban.
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Apr 30, 2016 12:55pm
Why face the truth when we can just pretend it doesn't exist?
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Apr 30, 2016 01:21pm
@Khanra i like your honesty.
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Apr 30, 2016 01:23pm
@Shaukat Ali Khan
I'm sorry, we can't face the truth; but how long?
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Apr 30, 2016 01:34pm
So only cheap comedies will be allowed to be show cased in cinemas. Message received.
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Apr 30, 2016 01:46pm
Since the film projects a bad image of Pakistan wouldn't it make more sense to ban it OUTSIDE the country?
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Apr 30, 2016 02:06pm
@Ali S
Well said. I like your style Ali!
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Apr 30, 2016 02:08pm
This is unethical, there should be freedom of expression.
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Apr 30, 2016 02:11pm
@Muhammad Toseef the everyday bomb blast give a good image of Pakistan. We are hiding the reality. many madrassas are spreading hatred in Pakistan.
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Apr 30, 2016 02:12pm
Pakistan first
Good decision by government
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Apr 30, 2016 02:27pm
Good job!
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Apr 30, 2016 02:42pm
its foolish to ban this it will be on you tube with all of Pakistan watching in minutes.
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Apr 30, 2016 02:46pm
One should not remain in denial face problem upfront.
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Apr 30, 2016 02:47pm
Though I am not a fan of Maulana Aziz or the CM of Sindh, but any film that displays negatively about Pakistan must be banned. But our film makers and writers have found a tried and tested way to get international publicity and awards. The stories that they come up with are at best half truths.
Try making such a film anywhere else from UAE to USA that depicts their country, major religion , people in govt or culture negatively and you'd end up in jail.
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Apr 30, 2016 02:51pm
@Basit Ali huh? I thought youtube is banned in pak
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Apr 30, 2016 02:52pm
As usual...Closing the stable door after horse has bolted... We never learn from past mistakes !!
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Apr 30, 2016 03:04pm
By banning it, the government has inadvertently provided publicity for this movie. Now everyone would be curious to know what's in the movie that irked the government?
Good job NS.
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Apr 30, 2016 03:04pm
excited to see on You tube..
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Apr 30, 2016 03:21pm
@Zafari all these foreign awards hungry NGOed film makers are dramas in themselves. Instead why don't they spend their own money, time, resources, intelligence (I don't mean spying) in their own neighborhoods and groom those not so lucky children. At least there will be some sense of real achievement. Copying a story from newspapers or interviewing a girl thrown in river to highlight what? It is your society where leaks such as Panama are being told by outsiders. Why did ypu not know? Why is that happening. Does anybody dare or care?
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Apr 30, 2016 03:22pm
@Muhammad Toseef, Sitting abroad we already know about this stuff more than the Pakistanis.
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Apr 30, 2016 03:23pm
Freedom of expression seems at stake. However without looking into, i must not decide who is right or wrong and not to take sides.
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Apr 30, 2016 03:35pm
@Zafari Not true, Michael Moore makes controversial documentaries which are viewed negatively by the ultra-patriotic Americans and he was not arrested and neither his movies banned.
We are adopting the Ultra-communist mindset of the Chinese where banning any criticism is considered our government's sovereign right. Wake up, we have relatives raping their niece and nephews in this country. Our children are begging and getting raped on the streets. Until you accept the hard truth, our children will continue to suffer. When will you accept that Pakistan is in shambles and not the utopia you thought it was.
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Apr 30, 2016 03:39pm
Instead of banning Red Mosque (Lal Masjid) authorities have banned the documentary.
No wonder, why we are in such a mess.
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Apr 30, 2016 03:48pm
Ban, Ban Ban!
What the ......... Man! ;-)
Peak of intolerance!
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Apr 30, 2016 04:05pm
Where were these people when Musharraf tried to clean it
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Apr 30, 2016 04:09pm
Banning films does not help. We are all, or should be capable of indpendent thought. A film can be one sided and we must look for the other side of the story befor emaking up our minds.
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Apr 30, 2016 04:13pm
They can not ban the man... so they ban the Docu.
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Apr 30, 2016 04:19pm
Anything that creates rift and disharmony in the already polarised community in Pakistan must be avoided. The government should say it straight instead of using the image thing.
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Apr 30, 2016 04:19pm
Still living in the stone age....or more like an ostrich...head buried in sand pretending all is well.
Sad state of affairs Pakistan
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Apr 30, 2016 04:24pm
@Muhammad Toseef Would you think that by burying your head in sand will make the evil go getup man and face the hard realities and do some thing to change them banning the documentary is no solution to this evil this will tarnish the reputation of Pakistan as if we are supporting such madrassahas
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Apr 30, 2016 04:43pm
@Realist oh come on its documentary not a some movie written by some one acted by someone. try to see the reality , there is a difference between fiction and non fiction world.
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Apr 30, 2016 04:52pm
There must be something that scares the government if army can finish the hardened criminals of N waziristan they surely tackle the Lal Masjid trouble,
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Apr 30, 2016 04:54pm
@Zafari
Have you heard of American filmmaker Michael Moore? He is highly critical of US policies and their double standards. He has never been to jail.
We must face the facts head on, and resolve them. We can run from problems but cannot hide. Denial is destroying our society.
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Apr 30, 2016 04:54pm
Because they cannot ban AbdulAziz
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Apr 30, 2016 05:01pm
@Hassan
Sorry, I said to Zafari what you had already told him so eloquently! I sent my comments before seeing yours.
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Apr 30, 2016 05:06pm
Show this documentary outside
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Apr 30, 2016 05:52pm
I am always encouraged to see on Dawn site so many Pakistanis who are balanced in their views, tolerant, broad minded, forward thinking, and so on. But, a very small minority of fanatics and bigots is damaging Pakistan's name at home and abroad. The government does not have the backbone to get tough with these people. Gen. Raheel Shareef is the only bright ray of hope, and long may he shine over our country in one way or another.
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May 01, 2016 07:15am
to save democracy, you have ban things and pervent facts of panama leaks from reaching public.
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May 01, 2016 03:31pm
both sides are extremists..one side want to make muslims out of already real muslims.. the other side wants to make the country secular to let every unethical activity happen without legal interruption!!
Is there any moderate guy to hold the situation like the General Raheel, a wise guy?
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May 01, 2016 07:16pm
No amount of documentary films or supervision would eliminate the Jehadi inspiration of students. Because that specific training is not given in the classes. That is taught in “one- to- one method,” maybe just once or twice a week, just for a few minutes, outside the classrooms, after or before madrassah hours, This is the best way to get full attention of the student, and teacher can teach in particular student's intellectual level.
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May 01, 2016 09:31pm
Let us ban the movie industry. Will solve the two main problems - First, Hard Core fundamentalist will be delighted, Second the other remaining Patriots will be pleased to shun the Bollywood crap floating around in our country. Because these movies does nothing except polluting the heads of our young Boys and GIRLS who are supposed to be pious and under cover all the times.
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May 01, 2016 09:45pm
Ostriches invented a mechanism for coping with unpalatable facts- They bury their heads in the sand and believe that it does not exist.
Some Nations have adopted the same strategy.
The strategy does not work- Either for the Ostriches or for Nations.
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May 01, 2016 11:24pm
Notice to film maker!
Any true documentary dealing with extremism is not permitted in Pakistan!
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May 02, 2016 08:43pm
The censorship laws in the country need to be revisited and revised. I just hope the PML-N does not do it, their mentality was reflected in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill.
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