Ali Ardekani’s film “Flying While Muslim” won the Comedy category of the One Nation, Many Voices online film contest. Ardekani, also known as “Baba Ali” is the first ever Muslim video blogger. His entry pits Muslims and non-Muslims against an inconvenient experience everyone can relate to: going through airport security.

Ardekani, 33, first came to America as a 4-year-old on vacation with his family, but ended up staying for good as the revolution broke out in Iran, his home. He is an information technology (IT) consultant who moonlights as a Muslim “Dear Abby” — albeit a much younger, hipper version — through his popular video blog, “Ask Baba Ali.” Mixing humor, satire and sincerity, he addresses questions from his viewers as if he were a friend, an older brother and mentor. The series quickly became a YouTube sensation, drawing over 1 million viewers in just 14 weeks.

His videos are about humanizing Muslims as normal people who have to go through the same — if not more difficult — challenges that people of faith go through in life. He plans on using his prize money to invest in more film equipment in preparation of a feature film.

Posted March 10, 2008