The film itself focuses on an Afghani family living in Queens, before and after the historical catastrophe. Federal agents abduct a friend of this family investigating money transfers to an uncle in Afghanistan during the reign of the Taliban. The son makes it his mission in life to release him. This situation is intensified by having to watch out for hate crimes carried out by angry commoners as a false sense of retaliatory attack for 9/11. What makes this setting all the more wild is that events depicted have been interpolated from a true story. The motion picture thus analyzes the effectiveness of profiling when it comes to terrorism, the validity of the "enemy combatant" claim when denying right to trial, and other pressing moral issues that will continue to be debated long after the now global conflict subsides.—Allan Mazinni

The film is based on a true experience set in post 9-11 New York. Rather than focusing on the actual terror attacks and political rhetoric, the film examines the hate crimes that ensued as a chain reaction. Al Qarem puts the spotlight on a family's subsequent victimization as a result of the historical tragedy. The family itself, already torn on the issue of immigration and its causes, is thrown into further disarray by the chaos that engulfed such a cosmopolitan city.—Mazzini, Quichua

An Afghan family's friend becomes a victim of an FBI agent who lost a brother in 9/11 attacks. Qarem wants to help his friend Nasir, but his family becomes a victim of commoners upset about 9/11 attacks. One tragedy follows another and he finds himself a murderer of three FBI agents and lost in Afghanistan believing in nothing.—Affandy Yacoob