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Islamic Art

Islamic Art


GLORIES OF ISLAMIC ART PART 1: UNMAYYADS AND THEIR CAPITAL DAMASCUS

Presenter: Akbar Ahmed

The first program in the series 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 - for instance columns and capitals are clearly "borrowed" from earlier buildings and earlier ages. In just the same way, Islam inherited a strong Christian tradition in the Middle East and adapted Christian tenets and beliefs within their new faith. Christianity may have been to a large extent superseded in the Middle East - it was still respected. For instance, in the middle of the prayer hall of the Damascus mosque stands the burial shrine of St. John the Baptist. Umayyad achievement is seen also in Spain, where the family's descendants ruled long after they had lost power in Syria. In Spain too they left the great legacy of Andalusia - al-Andalus. Akbar Ahmed goes on to talk about the influence of Salah-al-Din, Saladin, the revered warrior who defeated the Crusaders. He is remembered in the region as much for his piety and integrity as his prowess in battle. Saladin and his successors started their own regime, the Ayyubids, which left its own architectural influence on the face of the region. This program does not just deal with mosque or religious architecture. At Jericho we see the remains of one of the Arab conquerors' luxurious desert palaces, with its famous gazelle mosaic that has become an icon of Islamic visual art. From the Ayyubid period we see the mighty citadel of Aleppo, only really conquered by Tamerlane himself.

Item no.: ST00160944
Format: DVD
Duration: 45 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2007
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Price: USD 195.00

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GLORIES OF ISLAMIC ART PART 2: TWO ISLAMIC REGIMES IN CAIRO

Presenter: Akbar Ahmed

This episode moves on to Cairo, the cockpit of the early Islamic struggles between Sunni and Shi'a faiths. 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 programme introduces a colourful 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 them on to his masters in Baghdad; the caliph Hakim won widespread Shi'ite admiration despite his cruel and despotic rule. This included whimsical decrees such as ordering his subjects to wear summer clothes in winter and vice versa. In contrast Sultan Hassan was a little known ruler whose reign ended in a pathetic inter-Mamluk squabble. Even his body was lost in the fighting - yet he left behind a magnificent mosque complex, the design of which has influenced modern Chicago. One building was specially holy to both lines of Islam - albeit at different times. This was the Al-Azhar Mosque, built by the Fatimids but today a pillar of Sunni orthodoxy. But Al-Azhar in many ways transcends these divisions - it is renowned throughout Islam as the world's oldest university. It is still regarded as a major guardian of religious knowledge and wisdom, whose opinions are respected all over. This introduces a main theme of the programme - how Islam, for centuries, has held a special respect for knowledge and learning - "ilm" in Arabic. Professor Ahmed argues that it was when this respect for learning was weakened, so was the force of the whole religion. He finds cause for optimism in the huge modern library built at Alexandria, on the site of the old Hellenic library. It is a magnificent building where the most sophisticated computer data-banks go sit near precious manuscripts of medieval poets. Cairo was also a centre for glassware and ceramics. The city's influence spread throughout - even modern Sicily displays evidence of the time when the Fatimids ruled the island.

Item no.: BE00160945
Format: DVD
Duration: 45 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2007
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Price: USD 195.00

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GLORIES OF ISLAMIC ART: PART 3 - THE OTTOMANS AND THEIR CAPITAL ISTANBUL

Presenter: Akbar Ahmed

The final programme of the three deals with the last great Islamic dynasty, the Ottomans, and their great capital at Istanbul. 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, among the richest and the most powerful of Ottoman rulers. Sinan built and built¡K through all the Islamic world. He was the main developer and exponent of the cascading domes which glorify traditional Turkish religious architecture. But Sinan's mark was not just on religious buildings. He designed the harem, the secretive inner court buildings within the beautiful Topkapi Palace. The palace itself shows off the marvellous and colourful Iznik tilework - the trademark of the Islamic middle ages. This episode also looks at calligraphy, the peculiarly Islamic artform which grew out of the careful copying of the word of God. Akbar Ahmed also considers Sufism, a warm and attractive branch of Islam which focuses on meditation, inner strength and religious passion. There is something of a revival of Sufism in Turkey; in Istanbul the dances of the whirling dervishes often first bring this gentle and thoughtful movement to the tourist's attention. The influence of Sufism can be found too in modern Turkish painting: some of today's artists are trying to reconcile traditional religious themes with difficult concepts such as homo-eroticism.

Item no.: WY00160946
Format: DVD
Duration: 45 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2007
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Price: USD 195.00

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INSIDE ISLAM PART 1: THE KORAN, THE SOUND THAT CALLS ALLAH

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.

Item no.: AG00161047
Format: DVD
Duration: 48 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2007
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Price: USD 195.00

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INSIDE ISLAM PART 2: BLUE ISLAM ON THE SILK ROAD

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.

Item no.: MD00161044
Format: DVD
Duration: 48 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2007
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Price: USD 195.00

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INSIDE ISLAM PART 3: WINDS OF CHANGE AND CHADOR

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?

Item no.: NR00161048
Format: DVD
Duration: 48 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2007
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Price: USD 195.00

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INSIDE ISLAM PART 4: FEZ, SCENT OF MEDIEVAL ISLAM

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 awaked 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.

Item no.: KK00161045
Format: DVD
Duration: 48 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2007
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Price: USD 195.00

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INSIDE ISLAM PART 5: LIGHT OF ALLAH SHINING THROUGHOUT EUROPE, ANDALUCIA

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, which 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?

Item no.: YJ00161046
Format: DVD
Duration: 48 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2007
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Price: USD 195.00

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TEAM FOR PEACE, A

Touching, passionate and provocative, A Team for Peace follows the riveting journey of a group of preadolescent soccer players, half Palestinian, half Israeli, put together to play on an all star team, The Peace Team, and compete in the world's largest international youth soccer tournament.

Behind the concept of the team is the powerful force of Johann Olav Koss, one of the greatest winter Olympians ever, and founder of children's charity, Right to Play, which promotes conflict resolution through sport in more than twenty impoverished countries. Can mutual respect and understanding be discovered on the soccer pitch? More importantly, can it be translated to off-field life in the tinder box of the Middle East? A Team for Peace is a true hero's journey as we watch to see if the children can overcome centuries of hate and emotionally documented personal tragedies in search of a peaceful future together.

Item no.: TT00160950
Format: DVD
Duration: 45 minutes
Audience: Intermediate, Senior High
Copyright: 2007
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Price: USD 195.00

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TRUTH, LIES, AND INTELLIGENCE

Truth, Lies, and Intelligence is a powerful, hard-hitting documentary chronicling the intelligence fraud and the devastating chain of events culminating in the invasion of Iraq led by America, Australia and Britain,chronicling the inside journey from 9/ll to the bombing of Baghdad. After scores of interviews with senior intelligence analysts, Iraqi refugees, Arab leaders, insurgent bombers and ordinary citizens - can there only be one conclusion? That the devastating chain of events culminating in the invasion, conquest and occupation of Iraq was a war based on a litany of lies and intelligence fraud.

Item no.: PY00160952
Format: DVD
Duration: 52 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2007
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Price: USD 225.00

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HAMAS VICTORY

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. Beginning with its' (ironically) Israeli supported development by the Muslim Brotherhood imported decades ago from Egypt and climaxing in its' unanticipated sweep of democratic elections, this emerging force was born of a deep and furious hatred of Israel and its' Western supporters. Can the West hope that it will become more pragmatic and recognize the need to negotiate with Israel? HAMAS hints at the answers in the words of those who supported it.

Item no.: MT00160883
Format: DVD
Duration: 22 minutes
Audience: Senior High, College
Copyright: 2006
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Price: USD 195.00

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MIDDLE EAST: THE ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE - THE ROAD TO JENIN

How does propaganda create myths? Did a massacre at Jenin take place during the tumultuous events of April, 2002? THE ROAD TO JENIN interweaves candid Palestinian and Israeli interviews with archival footage to recount in gripping details the key events of the Jenin battle. This film documents the action in the Jenin refugee camp in 2002. This area was a center of terrorist activities that produced more than half of the suicide bombers against Israeli civilians. There were claims that there was a "massacre." Official Palestinian media at first claimed 500, then 700 Palestinians killed and buried in mass graves. The United Nations and other international organizations concluded there were 56 Palestinians killed, 40 of whom were fighters.

Item no.: ZH00160665
Format: DVD
Duration: 52 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2005
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Price: USD 195.00

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ON THE TRAIL OF BIN LADEN

Years after the 9/11 terror attacks, Osama Bin Laden, public enemy number one, is still not in American hands. This film helps us understand how the most wanted man on the planet was able to slip through the net of Western powers. Retrace the trail taken by the leader of Al Qaeda since October 2001, the beginning of the American offensive.

The film begins in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, a city where Bin Laden had set up his headquarters, and leads us into the mountains of Tora Bora.

The Al Qaeda leader had also been reported in several Pakistani cities: Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and, above all, in the tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The film also shows that the Pakistani authorities continue to use double talk and don't hesitate to protect not only the Taliban but also certain members of Al Qaeda.

In this film we see people close to Bin Laden and Mullah Omar confirming that the two most wanted men of the day are still alive and are continuing to plan terrorist operations.

Item no.: TB00160554
Format: DVD
Duration: 52 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2004
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Price: USD 195.00

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PALESTINE

This documentary examines the ways in which the history of Palestine has been shaped by the governments of other countries. After failing to provide either the homeland promised to the Jews or the independent and unified nation promised to the Arabs during World War 1, Britain in 1948 abandoned its Palestinian mandate and left the United Nations to cope with the seemingly insoluble Arab-Jewish dilemma. The Americans, despite commitments to Israel, decided during the Cold War to also recognize the interests of the Arab oil-producing nations. Conflict in the Middle East was always seen in context of the larger global confrontation.

After the Jewish leader David Ben Gurions proclamation of the independent state of Israel on May 14,1948, Palestine became the rallying cry of opposition to Israel. After the 1948 war Palestine for the Arabs ceased to be a place and became an ideal for which men, women, and children are still willing to die. PALESTINE unsparingly uncovers the factors, personages, and events which have led to the ceaseless crisis of today.

Item no.: ET00160570
Format: DVD
Duration: 52 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 2002
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Price: USD 195.00

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I LOVE SCHOOL: MY SCHOOL IN ISRAEL

Yael attends religious school where boys and girls pray separately as they learn the duties of Judaism, as taught in the Torah.

Item no.: HR00160513
Format: DVD
Duration: 13 minutes
Audience: Elementary, Intermediate
Copyright: 1998
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Price: USD 149.00

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I LOVE SCHOOL: MY SCHOOL IN LEBANON

Zena is 11 years old and loves history. Today the 30 members of her 6th grade class begin with French and then study Lebanese crafts.

Item no.: PK00160515
Format: DVD
Duration: 13 minutes
Audience: Elementary, Intermediate
Copyright: 1998
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Price: USD 149.00

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I LOVE SCHOOL: MY SCHOOL IN MAURITANIA

Mauritania is on the west coast of Africa; 12 year old Hakim lives in a tent and walks a half mile to school. Isam is the offical religion of Maurintania. 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.

Item no.: FY00160516
Format: DVD
Duration: 13 minutes
Audience: Elementary, Intermediate
Copyright: 1998
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Price: USD 149.00

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FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION, THE

This program investigates the phenomenon of rising Islamic fundamentalism in many forms and in many countries. In three parts, it cnsiders the history and nature of the movement as seen by both supporters and dissidnets. Is the Quoran 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.

Item no.: SJ00160294
Format: DVD
Duration: 65 minutes
Audience: College
Copyright: 1995
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Price: USD 195.00

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TOLERANCE DEDICATED TO MAWLANA JALAL-AL DIN-RUMI

Mawlana-Jalal-al-din-Rumi emerged in the 13th century as an apostle of tolerance long before the development of Renaissance humanism and many centuries prior to the European Enlightenment. His was a light of spirituality thrusting from the darkness of the Medieval Age towards a new type of humanism.

His teachings encompassed the ideas of tolerance, urging human beings to respect each other's faiths, ideals, orientations, cultural values, and developing the ability to get along despite divisions of nationality and religion. Directed by Fehmi Gerceker, narrated by Vanessa Redgrave. This film was shot in Kenya, Istanbul, Washington D.C, Bonn and Paris

Item no.: JU00161381
Format: DVD
Duration: 30 minutes
Audience: College
Copyright: 1995
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Price: USD 195.00

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MIDDLE EAST: FROM THE END OF THE OTOMAN EMPIRE TO THE SUEZ CANA

Since the beginning of the century the Middle East has been engulfed in tragic confrontation.

The fall of the Ottoman Empire, the French and British domination , the two world wars, the birth of Israel, the Suez Crisis, the years of American and Russian imperialism, the Arab-Israeli conflicts and the Palestine issue are some of the major events which took place before the Gulf War broke out. To all this must be added the exceptional development in oil production and the major role it plays in the world's economics.

Item no.: MT00160289
Format: DVD
Duration: 60 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 1994
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Price: USD 495.00

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MIDDLE EAST: FROM THE SUEZ CANAL TO THE GULF WAR

Since the beginning of the century the Middle East has been engulfed in tragic confrontation.

The fall of the Ottoman Empire, the French and British domination , the two world wars, the birth of Israel, the Suez Crisis, the years of American and Russian imperialism, the Arab-Israeli conflicts and the Palestine issue are some of the major events which took place before the Gulf War broke out. To all this must be added the exceptional development in oil production and the major role it plays in the world's economics.

Item no.: CN00160290
Format: DVD
Duration: 60 minutes
Audience: Senior High - College
Copyright: 1994
StdBkNo.:
Price: USD 495.00

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