October 26, 2008: "Fighting for religion through documentary" by Brian Peter, The Spectrum, University at Buffalo

Students who gathered in Clemens Hall Wednesday evening were offered a rare look into an often misunderstood person in the community: the American Muslim. The UB Intercultural and Diversity Center, along with the Asian Studies Program, introduced independent filmmaker Mara Ahmed and her documentary The Muslims I Know.

Much of the film is devoted to having Muslims, mostly those living in the Rochester area, share their values and beliefs on America and the Islamic extremists that they say so badly misrepresent them. Ahmed, a former financial analyst, also interviewed non-Muslims who voiced their questions and concerns about the Muslim community. "It was important to have a dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims," Ahmed said.

According to Ahmed, who financed much of the film, the main purpose of the project was to change the unfair perception Muslims, especially those living in America. She believes much of that perception is due to slanted reporting by the media aiming to garner ratings through fear. "Sometimes I think after the death of communism...we needed this kind of huge monster," Ahmed said. "We were very confused for a while because for a while there was no monster, and now I feel that it is Islam."

The beginning of the film examines many of the images Ahmed sees as examples of the media depicting Muslims as one homogenous group�men with rifles parading through the streets, a woman wearing a burqa concealed head to toe except for her eyes, and Osama bin Laden. Many American Muslims who speak in the film are concerned by these images, feeling that the media lumped together all Muslims as terrorists or supporters of terrorism. Ahmed said she was troubled that the media rarely mentioned that most Muslim organizations released statements denouncing the attacks on Sept. 11.

According to Ahmed, the film tries to combat this idea by including Muslims engaging in everyday activities that are often not included in the media. Scenes of a family sitting at a dinner table, a girl on a swingset at a playground, and boys playing football embraced classic slices of Americana to show the audience that these people could be their neighbors, the filmmaker said. Muslims in the film expressed concern that Americans misunderstood the wearing of burqas and other traditional Islamic garb by Muslim women as a notion that the women are repressed. Ahmed interviewed Muslim women who explained that Muslim women differ in what they wear as their own personal interpretation of a provision in the Quran to dress moderately.

The film was followed by a round of applause and a lengthy discussion. "I saw some aspects of Muslim life I wasn't used to," said Amanda Kaczmarek, a junior linguistics major. "I definitely agree there should be more dialogue." Some of those in the audience were critical of parts of the film. "There are Muslims who disagree with U.S. foreign policy who are very religious, but are also not extremists," said Sam Fleming, a sophomore Asian studies major. "I think [the film] didn't go into that issue." Fleming was alluding to the fact that most Muslims interviewed were of high socioeconomic status, spoke fluent English, and wholeheartedly embraced American values.

Ahmed acknowledged that this was deliberate and admitted that not all types of Muslims were represented in the documentary. She sought to use the film as a starting point for Muslims and non-Muslims in America to connect, converse, and better understand each other. Ahmed believes a few things need to happen before the inaccurate portrayal of Muslims can be broken. She said that Americans need to do their own research and go out of their way to seek information from actual Muslims, not TV pundits.

Ahmed also called on Muslims to do their part. "Every Muslim in America should be an ambassador for their religion," Ahmed said. A list of screenings for The Muslims I Know can be found at www.themuslimsiknow.com.

October 9, 2008: 'Muslims' film dispels stereotypes by Nancy O'Donnell, Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, NY

Claim to fame: Pakistani-born Mara Ahmed wrote, directed, edited and financed a 54-minute documentary, The Muslims I Know.

Other iterations: Pittsford artist, homemaker, former economics analyst, wife to physician Aitezaz from an arranged marriage, mother of Gibran (age 13) and daughter Nermeen (8).

How Sept. 11 coverage inspired the movie: We were watching TV, and I turned to Aitezaz and asked, "Where are Muslims like us?"...There's huge diversity in the Muslim community. I wanted to make a film as dialogue, showcasing the lives of Pakistani-American immigrants, having them answer questions non-Muslim Americans have asked.

Immediate success: Three hundred people attended the Dryden Theatre premiere.

On Islam: I tell my kids that Islam is a religion of peace, that moderation in all things is what Islam teaches - the opposite of extremism, in fact. I also tell them that charity is a basic tenet of Islam. Without it, we cannot be good Muslims or good human beings. Honesty, justice, equality all are emphasized by Islam.

On Sept. 11: It was so scary, so surreal. Aitezaz was working in a hospital in Brooklyn Heights. We were living right across the George Washington Bridge in New Jersey, and he couldn't get back when the bridges and tunnels were sealed. He finally rented a car and drove up through upstate New York and then back down. He got home at 3 a.m.

On Sept. 11 hitting home: My son was called a terrorist when he was in the seventh grade. He was peeling off the plastic from a bottle of Snapple and stuffing it inside. [A classmate] asked him, 'Are you making a bomb? Stop making a bomb. You should go to Saudi Arabia!'

On being a teenager in Pakistan: I was very critical of the Pakistani government. I saw how [military leaders] used Islam to control the people.

First career: Marketing pharmaceuticals for ICI, Imperial Chemical Industries, originally the British East India Co.

On what led to her career change: Art classes at Nazareth. A teacher encouraged me to enter my collages in a student exhibit, and I won first prize. It was a total reaffirmation that [art] was what I was meant to do.

On making choices: I am known to make extremely bold decisions - doing an MBA instead of going to medical school (both my sisters are doctors), deciding to move to Karachi and live on my own, marrying someone I had only known for a few hours, moving to the U.S. after marriage, quitting a great job with lots of potential in finance to go back to school and study art, deciding to make a movie.

Next project: I would like to preserve the personal stories of people who migrated across the border - in both directions - during the partitioning of India in 1947. I want the film to emphasize how Muslims and Hindus were once neighbors, friends and colleagues and lived in peace for many centuries before they became divided.

On what we all can do: Be aware of racial/religious profiling. It can start by stopping people with a certain name at airports, but as we all know from history, profiling is a slippery slope. Everyone's rights should be equally protected under the law. Go beyond the propaganda and get to know Muslims first-hand.

August-September, 2008: "Women to Watch", HerRochester

Occupation: Filmmaker (producer, director, writer), artist and senior financial analyst (in my past life).

Community activities: Member of Rochester Against War, Women in Film and Television Rochester and interested in interfaith dialogue and social activism.

My favorite thing to do in Rochester: Java's on Gibbs Street, Starry Nites, Geva Theatre, Little Theatre, California Rollin, Park Avenue, Highfalls Film Festival and the Jazz Festival.

Biggest challenge I've overcome and how I did it: To make a film I thought needed to be made and then proceed to make it from scratch after just two weeklong workshops in filmmaking.

One thing I've always wanted to do but never have: Write and stage a multimedia play including performance art, music, video and dialogue.

Something people don't know about me: When I'm really mentally exhausted, I can actually watch TV.

The one thing I can't live without: The Internet.

The song that best describes my life: "It's a Beautiful Day" by U2.

Favorite guilty meal: Pad thai and really good tiramisu.

Favorite artist or musician: Robert Rauschenberg and Amy Winehouse

Actress I'd like to portray me in a movie about my life: Cate Blanchett (although we don't look anything like each other, I like her passion and intensity).

June 6, 2008: "Filmmakers' lenses don't even blink" by Jack Garner, Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, NY

Let's celebrate two movies by local filmmakers that are tackling important topics too often ignored elsewhere. Each film spotlights an underappreciated and misunderstood segment of our society:
The Muslims I Know by Mara Ahmed examines the lives and attitudes of the many moderate Muslims who are our neighbors, fellow workers, physicians and classmates.

American Harvest by Angelo Mancuso follows the migrant worker population as it works its way up the East Coast each season, making itself responsible for much of the food on our table.
In The Muslims I Know, Ahmed melds a series of insightful interviews, conducted largely in this area, with a good mix of archival footage. Home movies that reflect a family-next-door existence stand in marked contrast to news and propaganda footage of the Islamic extremists who, unfortunately, get the lion’s share of attention in our media.

Though she has an extensive education in a variety of fields, Ahmed was trained as a filmmaker at Visual Studies Workshop and at Rochester Institute of Technology, and worked two years compiling this important, eye-opening film about the realities of Islamic life and belief. The result is colorful and well-shot by veteran local cinematographer Thom Marini. It also features an appealing background blend of Pakistani, Islamic and Western music.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to see her hourlong film, and hope it achieves broad exposure, for it’s just the antidote we all need to the narrow-minded attitudes of the West in the post-9/11 era.
The Muslims I Know will have its world premiere at 1 p.m. Sunday at the George Eastman House’s Dryden Theatre, followed by a discussion with the filmmaker and some of the interview subjects. Admission is $10.

Mancuso’s American Harvest has had area screenings, including one at the recent Rochester High Falls International Film Festival, but now it’s earned a regular opening slot for at least a week at the Little Theatre. Mancuso, who has long been active locally as a writer, filmmaker and critic, brings considerable passion to his feature-length documentary. The film examines the undeniable importance of migrant labor to farming in America, and it raises important questions about the current hot-button topic of illegal immigration.

American Harvest opens tonight. Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. screening will be followed by a conversation with Mancuso; Jim Allen, head of the New York Apple Association Inc.; and Sister Janet Korn, social justice awareness coordinator for Catholic Charities.

June 4, 2008: "FILM: The Muslims I Know" by Dayna Papaleo, City Newspaper, Rochester, NY

I hate to blow the ending of a movie, but the Muslims that local filmmaker Mara Ahmed knows are pretty much like the people of faith that you know, cherishing family, tradition, knowledge, and peace. The difference is that your Christian, Jewish, and Druid pals haven’t been subjected to intense scrutiny for most of this young century, so Ahmed’s reflective, graceful debut picks up where the press repeatedly leaves off, depicting what’s known as the moderate Muslim. In “The Muslims I Know,” Ahmed weaves vivid images of her Pakistani culture through dialogue with a cross-section of Rochester’s Muslim community about their experiences, as well as perspectives from scholars on the teachings of Islam. Ahmed also speaks to non-Muslims about their often biased preconceptions, in large part due to the American media because, as summed up by a sharp young man named Ibrahim, “Terrorism sells.”

“The Muslims I Know” has its world premiere at the George Eastman House’s Dryden Theatre, 900 East Avenue, on Sunday, June 8, at 1 p.m. Tickets cost $10, and are available at the door, or in advance at all Wegmans locations. Visit themuslimsiknow.com for further details.

March 14, 2008: "The Muslims I Know" by Andrew Rees, RIT Reporter

When Mara Ahmed moved to the United States from Pakistan with her husband in 1993, the world was a different place. Terms like “Muslim Extremist” and “Islamic Jihad” barely registered in the minds of Americans. However, after the events of September 11, 2001, these words became irrevocably embedded in the American consciousness.

Ahmed, who grew up in Lahore, Pakistan, is a Muslim woman living in Rochester, and has two master’s degrees to her name. Until 2003, she was a financial analyst working at a prominent Rochester company. That year she decided to quit her job and begin pursuing her love of the arts. She considers herself a moderate Muslim.

When America declared war on terror in 2001, Ahmed and other Muslims like her felt the weight of the media bias towards her people. Muslims were being portrayed as violent extremists bent on jihad. Seeing this misrepresentation, she immediately felt the need to do something about it. A documentary, in her mind, was the only option. She needed to show the world a different side of Muslims. She calls her documentary, The Muslims I Know.

She began taking classes at RIT in 2006 to help her take on this project. In collaboration with RIT film students and faculty, she began building her project from the ground up. Ahmed started by interviewing non-Muslims to get their take on the people of Islam. She asked them, “If you could ask a Muslim person anything, what would it be?”

The responses gave her a strong base to move forward, to help combat the negative image of Muslims.

Ahmed’s film focuses primarily on a series of interviews, using the questions from non-Muslims, with Rochester area Muslims of Pakistani origins. These interviews attempt to break down the stereotypes associated with Muslims and help address how non-Muslims view the culture. “You can’t just talk about Muslims as if it’s one thing, so I didn’t want to make that same mistake, and say, ‘I represent all Muslims’… so I kept it very narrow in that sense.”

The interviews take place in coffee shops and living rooms, giving the viewer the feeling that they’re actively involved in the conversation. Subjects range from college-aged students raised in the States to middle aged men who came to seek the ‘American Dream.’

Ahmed’s homeland, Pakistan, takes a lead role in the film. In 1947, when the British Empire left the Indian subcontinent , Pakistan was formed, as a primarily Muslim country, in an effort to ease communal tensions between Muslims and Hindus. Some Pakistanis regard religion similarly to some Americans, using it as a political tool, rather than as a basis for a fundamentalist government.

Pakistan’s recent history has seen extremes of democracy and dictatorship. The military dictatorship of General Zia that ruled in the 1980s was supported by the United States, and was only toppled after Zia was killed accidentally when his airplane crashed. He was replaced by a series of democratically elected leaders, including the recently assassinated Benazir Bhutto. This came to an end when then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was deposed in a military coup by President Musharraf. Musharraf, who has cooperated with the United States in the war on terror, is supported by the current U.S. administration. Recently, Pakistan held democratic elections, during which the parties of Bhutto and Sharif received the majority vote. Only about 3% of the vote, according to Ahmed, was given to any strictly religious party.

Ahmed’s take on American foreign policy in the Pakistani region comes through strongly in her work. She points out that America has taken a hypocritical stance when it comes to the support of democratic movements. During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the late 1970s and 1980s, America supported a military dictatorship in order to stem the Soviet advance. However, when the Soviets withdrew from the region, American interests shifted away. When the region regained prominence during the War on Terror, American support fell on another Pakistani military dictatorship, despite what Ahmed calls a “grass roots” movement for democracy.

She also tries to enlighten the viewer about Islam itself. Ahmed’s interviews with local scholars and experts cover the basic tenets of Islam. These tenets do not call for violence, as many point out, but rather for peace and brotherhood.

In a description of the film, she writes, “[It] answers the question: ‘Where are the moderate Muslims?’ This question is asked by the media. The silence (and therefore culpability) of the moderates is still a hot button issue seven years after September 11, 2001.” She continues, “The Muslims I Know attempts to redress this imbalance by giving mainstream Muslims a voice and a face—something not often seen in American media.”

Throughout the film, the segues between interview subjects are done with footage of Lahore, Pakistan, Ahmed’s hometown in the Punjab province. Scenes of the ancient city of Lahore are filled with energy and color, set to exotic traditional Pakistani music. She says, “I have scenes from a wedding in Lahore…[and] scenes from the streets of Lahore…to kind of show people where we come from.”

The film was self-financed, as Ahmed drew upon friends and local artists to help out with filming. She hopes to start showing the film at festivals, and hopes that one day it will be shown on televisions. “I just try to screen it as much as I can, wherever I can, however I can.” In addition to a number of RIT students who were involved in the production of the film, Ahmed has also screened the first half of the film at the School of Film and Animation. The Muslims I Know is currently in post-production, and when it’s finished, Ahmed wants to show the film on campus. She hopes that the film will stir interest in the subject, and perhaps, as she writes, “deconstruct...stereotypes by showcasing first generation Pakistani Americans.”