Ummah Films Uses Jokes, Not Jihad to Spread The Real Message of Muslims

In the space of a year, Baba Ali from Ummah Films has arguably become the Muslim world's first Internet celebrity with his edgy video blog, which has been watched by millions worldwide. The Reminder videos consist of a close cropped young American Muslim speaking feverishly and comically into a webcam about the anomalies and quirks of Muslim life in the West. His videos have been translated into a host of different languages, including Russian, French, Indonesian, German and Dutch.

My goal with 'The Reminder' was to dispel the misconceptions among not only non-Muslims, but with Muslims as well

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) August 16, 2007 -- Humor is a powerful emotion, and using it is indeed an art form. That's exactly what the year's most promising start-up film company, Ummah Films, has accomplished, taking a lighthearted approach toward Muslim-based entertainment.

Baba Ali

Taking the Internet by storm, Ummah Films' first video blog series, "The Reminder," has been a major success with more than two million page views on YouTube alone. Season One and Two of "The Reminder," which can be found at ummahfilms.com, has been praised as creative, witty and thought-provoking, sending a powerful message that reaches all races and religions.

"My goal with 'The Reminder' was to dispel the misconceptions among not only non-Muslims, but with Muslims as well," said Baba Ali, writer-producer of the series. "'The Reminder' combines comedy with a serious subject matter in a way that reaches out to the hearts and minds of people who want to know the truth about Islam."

Ali's innovative idea for Ummah Films was spawned by the tragic events of September 11. Immediately following the terrorist strike, Muslims worldwide condemned the attacks as both evil and contrary to the true teachings of Islam. Ali felt it was imperative that Ummah Films do its part to educate the public, but decided on an alternative approach that, while edgy, maintains the proper amount of respectability that upholds the fundamental tenants of Islam.

"It's unfortunate that the religion of Islam was associated with 9-11 since Islam completely condemns any form of terrorism and extremism," said Ali, creator of the hit board game Mecca to Medina. "It has been estimated that five to eight million Muslims live in the United States. If Islam taught terrorism, you would see Muslims all over the local news committing acts of violence. Instead, the reality is the exact opposite because Islam is a religion peace, not terrorism."

In the same style as Comedy Central's John Stewart or HBO's Bill Maher, Ali cuts through the muck of grandstanding and politicizing issues by simply telling it like it is. But instead of mocking Muslims or Islam, Ummah Films uses a comical approach that hits the mark with almost every viewer, without using any offensive material.

The sharp-witted videos remain Islamically permissible while taking a realistic look at the everyday issues Muslims are confronted with, including being a Muslim teen in America, Muslim weddings, being Muslim while flying and one of the most popular episodes, Culture vs. Islam.

"In my opinion, Islam is the most misunderstood religion around," said Ali. "Not just by non-Muslims, but by Muslims as well. Although many Muslims are born into a Muslim family, often times they are not taught Islam properly and that, of course, can lead to problems. I hope my movie shorts can play at least some part in restoring Islam's credibility so people can focus on its positive message."

Ummah Films
Ummah Films' Videos

Contact:
info @ ummahfilms.com

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