THE DOMESTIC CRUSADERS

The Domestic Crusaders focuses on one day in the life of a modern Pakistani-American family of six eclectic, unique members, who convene at the family house to celebrate the twenty-first birthday of the youngest child.

With a background of 9-11 and the scapegoating of Muslim Americans, the tensions and sparks fly among the three generations, culminating in an intense family battle as each "crusader" struggles to assert and impose their respective voices and opinions, while still attempting to maintain and understand that unifying thread that makes them part of the same family.

The three generations of the family include: the grandfather, Hakim, a retired, Pakistani army official who harbors a terrible secret; Salman, his son, a middle-aged corporate engineer trying to maintain his pride and self-respect; Khulsoom, Salman's wife, longing for her homeland and wishing to impart her traditions, values, and morals to her American-born children; Salahuddin, the eldest child, stubbornly clinging to his ideals of success, as well as his anger and resentment towards his father; Fatima, the middle child, passionately advocating her Islamic identity, while rejecting the traditional stereotypes and biases of her mother; Ghafur, the youngest, the golden child abandoning his family's expectations in order to discover his own path. These individuals are "The Domestic Crusaders"!

Cast

Wajahat Ali: The Playwright

Carla Blank: The Director

Ishmael Reed: The Producer

Saqib Mausoof: The Grandfather

Atif Hussain Naqvi: The Youngest Son

Kashif Naqvi: The Eldest Son

Shahab Riazi: The Father

Sadiya Shaikh: The Daughter

Nidhi Singh: Voice of the Media

Vidhu Singh: The Mother