The Rock Star and the Mullahs

Angus Macqueen
2003-12-15

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0 min

Salman Ahmad is the charismatic lead singer for the popular Pakistani rock group, Junoon. Following the ancient Sufi tradition, the band's music and lyrics reflect the moderate, liberal side of Islam. Salman has also become UNICEF's chosen spokesman for AIDS prevention, 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 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 the Islamic world. 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.