Witness

Inside the Red Mosque

Rageh Omaar’s special on the Red Mosque in running for prestigious award.

Watch part two                    Watch part three                     Watch part four

Producer: Farah Durrani 

In the days leading up to the storming of the Red Mosque, Rageh Omaar gained exclusive access to the site.

He and his team were the last TV crew inside the mosque before the siege began and filmed the last interview with Abdul Rashid Ghazi, one of the mosque’s leaders, before his death.

With the prospects of violent conflict growing more ominous by the day, Rageh asked him about his meeting with Osama Bin Laden and his religious and political awakening after the assassination of his father.

The film also offers unique access to the Jamia Hafsa madrasa, the religious seminary for women attached to the Red Mosque.

Two days into the filming, clashes erupted at the mosque between students and security forces.

A week later, an estimated 100 people were dead.

This special edition of Witness has now been nominated for a prestigious Emmy award, the TV equivalent of the Oscars.