The Five Television Commercials

The central component of the Shared Values Initiative was five television commercials. A "slice-of-life" format was used. Each contained a testimonial, which showed happy, prosperous American Muslims in various personal and professional roles. All of the spots featured actual American Muslims actively practicing their religion and commenting positively on the tolerance Americans have for the Muslim faith. A brief description of each is below.

• "Baker" profiles an average day in a busy family-run bakery/restaurant in Toledo, Ohio, owned by an American-Muslim family. The commercial highlights the interaction between the Muslim owners and their non-Muslim American clientele.
  
  Watch The Commercial:
  Windows Media (10.5Mb) 
  Quicktime (11.1Mb) 
  Running Time: 2 minutes, 2 seconds.
• "Doctor" showcases the accomplishments of Dr. Elias Zerhouni, whom President George W. Bush had named as Director of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Zerhouni, born in Algeria, describes his life as a successful government official and respected American Muslim. During the spot, Dr. Zerhouni is shown shaking hands and speaking with President Bush.
  
  Watch The Commercial:
  Windows Media (10.5Mb) 
  Quicktime (9.6Mb) 
  Running Time: 2 minutes, 4 seconds.
• "School Teacher" features Rawai Ismail working as a public school teacher in Toledo, Ohio. The spot shows her wearing a hijab while teaching elementary school children and later holding Saturday Koran classes in her home.
  
  Watch The Commercial:
  Windows Media (10.6Mb) 
  Quicktime (10.7Mb) 
  Running Time: 2 minutes, 8 seconds.
• "Journalist" follows an Indonesian journalism student at the University of Missouri through a typical day as a reporter for the school's television newscast, as a college student and as a practicing Muslim.
  
  Watch The Commercial:
  Windows Media (10.6Mb) 
  Quicktime (9.6Mb) 
  Running Time: 2 minutes, 7 seconds.
• "Firefighter" focuses on two New York City employees: a young firefighter who shares his experiences since September 11th and a chaplain who explains how he helps city employees. In the spot, the young firefighter describes the closeness he feels to both his Muslim and non-Muslim coworkers and the neighborhood.
  
  Watch The Commercial:
  Windows Media (5.5Mb) 
  Quicktime (4.5Mb) 
  Running Time: 1 minutes, 11 seconds.

At the end of the commercials, the viewer is presented with the line, "Presented by the Council of American Muslims for Understanding." The frame then dissolves to a final frame of solid black and the words, "And the American People."