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The stunning visual legacy of Islams greatest architect...The genius of Mimar Sinans classic Ottoman style is illustrated in this profile of his life and work. His magnificent mosques and palaces, bridges and hundreds of public buildings have influenced architecture through the ages.
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Depending on your point of view Syria is either a rogue state run by an authoritarian regime, or a champion of the Arab cause. But what's not in dispute is that the war in neighboring Lebanon has drastically altered the balance of power in this region and radicalized opinion in Syria.
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They transfix their bodies to reach mystic ecstacy. Influenced by Asian Shamanism and Christian monasticism, these Muslim monks have created a dance, Sama, during which each participant seeks complete union with God
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Part 1 chronicles the discovery of oil in Persia in 1908; the tumultuous claims placed on Middle East territories and conclude with the British being sent home from Iran in the 1950s. This episode explores the sphere of interest, power politics, oil's role in both World Wars, American influence, the Saudi empire, the exile of Britain, and the Shaw's rise to power and the start of turmoil between the nations of the Middle East.
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Part 2 profiles the history of Middle East oil beginning in the early 1970's. It chronicles the oil embargo and the resulting rise in import prices as foreign leaders attempt to negotiate. Tensions in the Middle East begin to heighten as conflicting groups become more violent with each other and foreign powers. Assassinations, hostage situations and torture are tearing the region apart. American female soldiers fighting in the Gulf War sparks interests in women's rights in Saudi Arabia. Fundamentalist groups react to this and become even more oppressive and aggressive.
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This video investigates the phenomenon of rising Islamic fundamentalism in many forms and in many countries. In three parts, it considers the history and nature of the movement as seen by both supporters and dissidents. Is the Koran obsolete? Is Islamic fundamentalism merely a subversive political force masquerading as a religious move "back to the basics"? Terrorists, imams, writers, doctors, students, government officials, holy warriors, activists of every hue, victims of assassination attempts and analysts offer wide-ranging perspectives on this menacing "jihad."
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HAMAS VICTORY investigates the appeal of an officially terrorist organization both in the isolated, more traditionally Islamic oriented Gaza Strip, and in the secularized West Bank. The earlier Palestinian popular support of Yassir Arafat's "Fatah" movement has declined as its corruption and scandals punctuated the failure to achieve peace and prosperity, much less totally expel the Israelis - portrayed as alien and brutal occupiers.
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Italian Cathedrals is a visual portrait of two cathedrals; one in Venice and one in Florence. Learn about the architecture, art, interior design, and inspiration each has on it's city.
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Director Dominique Walker takes the viewer on a journey through the world of Islamic converts to discover what it's really like for a white British woman to become a Muslim.
Amena is Dominique's first contact. Amena is a feisty Yorkshire woman living in Sheffield and married to a Yemani with two young sons. She knows many similar converts in the city. Through Amena we meet Amy, a young Welsh student who has recently converted and feels it's time to tell her parents. The third character is Jan, who joined the Sufis, a branch of Islam which enjoys a more liberal interpretation of the Qu'ran.
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Mauritania is on the west coast of Africa; 12 year old Hakim lives in a tent and walks a half mile to school. Islam is the official religion of Mauritania. Both Arabic and French are spoken. Boys and girls must share the same classroom because of lack of space but they sit on opposite sides of the room.
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The Ottomans continued the theme of borrowing from, or adapting the work of their Byzantine predecessors. The two dominating buildings of historic Istanbul are the Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia. The latter is a converted Christian cathedral, still containing the images of Jesus and Mary alongside the motifs of the early caliphs. The man mainly responsible for the conversion was the pre-eminent architect of Islam, Sinan. He was lucky enough to win the patronage of Suleiman the Magnificent, one of the richest and the most powerful of Ottoman rulers.
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Filmed in Turkey, Lebanon and Iran, this episode profiles the origins and history of Islam by analyzing the teachings of the Koran. The most sacred book in Islam, the Koran serves as a guiding principle and dictates a Muslim's daily life. Among other topics profiled: Jihad, architecture of some important Mosques and selected history of Islam's relationship to Christianity.
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In this episode discover the Silk Road, the iconic trading route between Europe and Asia continues its renaissance through the teachings of Allah in Central Asia. Uzbekistan stood at the crossroads of Eastern and Western Civilization and developed into a Muslim Society. Discover the Silk Road's past and follow its majestic history
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The Endless Challenge focuses on ancient Persia, a vast empire that stretched across western Asia into Europe and Africa. The blending of cultures in ancient Persia left a number of artifacts that show how prolific writing systems came to be. The program centers on how the century-long task of deciphering these writing systems produced a greater understanding of ancient Persia and its influences long after, even on Western civilizations.
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Islamic societies are generally known for their restrictions on women's rights and freedoms; for example, polygamy, honor killings and the enforcement of wearing the Hijab and Chador. Since all cultural traits are created because of social needs in the region, is it right for outsiders to judge this practice? How do people currently living in the region accept these customs? What do today's Islamic women think of these traditions? What is the image of Islamic women in this ever-changing world?
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During the Middle Ages, Fez, once the crown jewel of Moroccan civilization, was the core of Islamic Culture and education. At the Mosquee Qaraouiyne University some of the great scientists, mathematicians and mullahs studied and subsequently awakened Europe out of the darkness of the middle ages with their discoveries and inventions. Today, Fez is a bustling city with roads so narrow that donkeys are the only method of transportation.
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In 711 A.D. the Moroccan Islamic army crossed the strait of Gibraltar and reached Tarifa, a port at the edge of the European continent, and began a rule of more than 800 years. Those years of Islamic rule left unique traces of its culture in the Andalusia region of Spain. Now, Southern Spain has a complex history having absorbed the influences from not only Islam but from the Romans and Christianity. Cordoba became a symbolic city mixing the various influences and now has a culture unique to Spain. Does that cultural development continue today?
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Cairo displays the glories of two of the great Islamic regimes - the Shi'ite Fatimids who swept in from the North African desert, and the Mamluks, slave soldiers who overthrew their masters to set up their own Sunni dynasty. Both have left behind impressive evidence of their strength. The program introduces a colorful cast of characters. The rebel governor Ibn Tulun spent all his tax takings on building one of the earliest and finest mosques, named after him, instead of passing the money on to his masters in Baghdad; the caliph Hakim won widespread Shi'ite admiration despite his cruel and despotic rule.
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Looks at the achievements of the first Islamic dynasty, the Umayyads, who established their capital at Damascus. Their regime spread throughout greater Syria, and they left a rich architectural heritage. This includes two of the great surviving Islamic buildings, the Great Mosque of Damascus and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The program emphasises how the early Islamic builders and architects used ideas and materials inherited from their Byzantine predecessors.
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