Rating: 
Summary: Some good p.r. for the islamists
Review: This is ridiculous, nothing about the aggressiveness of the Muslim faith is mentioned but there is all praise for it. Look what the Muslims did here to India, destroyed all of the temples in Northern India and forcefully converted millions not mentioning the countless rapes and murders. Islam is to be analytically studied not praised.
Rating: 
Summary: Serves a vital function...
Review: It is true that this documentary does not go deep into the darker areas of Islamic history. This does not necessarily work against this film. If you want that view of history, there are multitudes of media that approach Islam from that angle. It's far too easy and far too common. All religions have a dark side and too lean too heavily on the dark side is to do the religion an injustice. In this video these are mentioned in passing, if at all.What this film does so eloquently and mesmerizingly so is to point out the beauty, the power and the good this faith has to offer. There is a long history that is neglected, especially in the West, when it comes to Islam's role in the history of the world, including that of the ascent of the West after the Dark Ages. Without Islam it is possible to argue that the works of many a Greek philosopher would have been lost, that modern medicine would look a lot different and that our knowledge of mathematics and science would not have advanced as it had. The video does not necessarily gloss over the negatives but merely accentuates, perhaps to an extreme, the positives. It is a beautiful even poetic account of Islam's attraction. It flows nicely and Ben Kingsley does a great job narrating. I would critique the choice of scholars. The scholars themselves are fine but there is a lack of non-Western scholars. I wondered also how many of these scholars are actually practicing Muslims. In that sense there is a truism that this documentary skims the surface. But it works and, in a Western world so afraid of Islam, it serves a necessary purpose. This film makes a nice balance to all the other works that attack the faith and its followers. The other aspect of this film that is enlightening is that it does not linger in the early years of the community. In other words, most of it is post-Muhammad. This in and of itself is quite a revelation as the vast majority of Islam's spread (and its misrepresenation of being spread by the sword) came after Muhammad had died. He did not live to see it spread so far and so fast. Why not five stars? It's just a little too prettified. I believe someone seeking to study the depths of Islam needs to go further into its history. This is a great place to start. But, as with any faith tradition, there's a lot more.
Rating:
Summary: Questioning Islamic History is Not Anti-Islamic
Review: A number of reviewers have voiced concerns about historical inaccuracies (lies) in this video, only to be promptly criticised by promoters of this video with phrases like "narrow minded", "hateful ignorant bile", etc. What the promoters do not realize is that to criticize actions by Muslims--and the video's portrayal of those actions--is not condemning the Islamic faith. It is simply seeking the truth, even if that truth shows Muslims in a negative light on occasion, something the video refuses to do. All civilizations, Islam included, have committed atrocities against humanity. Documentaries about Western civilizations have no trouble pointing out their crimes alongside their good points. That is the problem with this video. The video absolutely refuses to say a negative word about Islamic civilization. What's more, in building up Islamic civilization, the video constantly tries to belittle Christian European civilization. At times, the video even lies in order to make Islam look good. For example, the video tells us that Muslims invented cataract surgery: In fact, cataract surgery was practiced by both the Romans and the Indians long centuries before Muhammed was even born. The video portrays Europe as backwards during the Medieval times, yet it fails to mention that the two most important inventions of the day, the horseshoe and the horse collar (for farming), both came out of Europe, not Islam. And while the Christian Crusades are vehemently condemned in a full three and a half minute diatribe, not a word is said to question the atrocities committed by Muslims both before and after the Crusades. When the video finally gives us one detailed account of Muslim aggression, the siege of Constantinople, not a single word is said to question the Muslim atrocities that took place. In fact, the atrocities are not even mentioned. All we hear is a glorious account of Muslim triumph. The fact that the city was looted and the inhabitants raped, murdered, and tortured for three days is curiously absent from this video. The fact that the survivors were sold into slavery is curiously absent from this video. Why? An Islamic scholar recently said, "Between fear and political correctness, it's not possible to say anything other than sugary nonsense about Islam". For fear of being called anti-Islamic, or worse yet receiving the Salman Rushdie treatment, scholars are no longer free to do serious research and present facts. They are now required to disguise cold hard facts with "sugary nonsense" so as not to offend Muslims who equate every act committed by Muslims with Islam itself. If any Muslim did anything, it was a good thing or there was a good reason. And if anybody questions anything in this video, they are anti-Islamic and narrow-minded. Sure. Though you'll never hear it in this video, I've got news for you, Muslims have committed quite a few terrible atrocities throughout their history. Muslims were the aggressors during Medival times, but as a result of the Crusades and the Reconquista, Muslims became the defenders instead. But you'll never learn that in this video. In order to make Islam look good,this video ignores so many bad things that Muslims have done that it's worthless. Turn off the volume and just look at the pretty pictures. PBS has produced some great documentaries in the past, unfortunately, this isn't one of them. Look elsewhere for accurate history. You'll get nothing but sugary nonsense here.
Rating:
Summary: Why should we be hatred of each other?
Review: I believe in every religion there is a sense of forgiveness.
What is really wrong is to incite hatred among us all who happens to be descended from the same prophet, Adam.What the DVD had done is to potray the beauty of Islam which I believe the part of how the religions should be practised. If just because of the minority extremists in Islam that the viewer from America (Revisionist History)want to condemn the whole teaching of Islam & the whole world of muslims, then he can be classified as a narrow minded person.
Why? Because every religion followers including Christians & Jews had made mistakes along the course of history but does that means we should be hatred of the Christian religion or Judaism for that matter.Compared to what happens to Bosnia? Does that means we should say all Christians are similar to criminals in Serbia? No we don't!In my country, people of different races & religions are able to coexist in harmony together because we practise religious tolerence eventhough Islam is the main religions. In fact, non-muslims are more wealthy and have equal political power with muslims .Compared the facts with some of the muslims living as minority in parts this world then the truth should come out.
Rating: 
Summary: islam empire of faith
Review: As a professor this is the second best production i have ever seen, viewer be aware this is made directed and produced by Americans so what you'll get is an American perspective on the religion. It is the best American production I have ever seen because it tells the viwer the history instead of flying by over a 1000years in time in a few minutes and than spending hours on the events of 9/11 and its relation with the religion. It is important for the viewer to know that the actions of a handfull of people from any religion do not own or tell the whole history of any religion the same is true in this case. I also recommend the message the story of islam, the lion in the desert, earth, the hajj abc night line, and for all interested to read the koran. This was really excellent I only wished it was longer.
Rating:
Summary: Revisionist History
Review: This presentation is a great public relations campaign, but unfortunately it has little to do with the truth or history. PBS whitewashes the truth of Islamic history. For example, mention is made of the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, but no mention is made of the thousands of other churches that were destroyed by Muslims prior to the Crusades or of the advances of the Turks against Christian cities in all of Asia Minor which ultimately led to the Crusades. Apparently PBS would have us think that Pope Urban II urged a Crusade to the Holy Land for absolutely no reason at all. Never mind that access to the Holy Land by Christian pilgrims was cut off by the new Muslim rulers of Jerusalem. As if that weren't bad enough, massacres by Crusaders is discussed, but there is no discussion of the massacres of Christians and Jews by Muslims during this rather lengthy period of history. Further, the Muslims were apparently so respectful of Jews and Christians that they kept turning their churches/synagogues into mosques (notably the Hagia Sofia and the Al Aqsa mosque, although these are not the only examples). Further, while the beautiful Arabic calligraphy inside the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem is displayed, there is absolutely no translation or discussion of its content, which is decidedly disrespectful to both Christianity and Judaism. If you want to learn about Islamic history, don't waste your time with this DVD. One reviewer from Malaysia asks me: "If just because of the minority extremists in Islam that the viewer from America (Revisionist History)want to condemn the whole teaching of Islam & the whole world of muslims, then he can be classified as a narrow minded person." I would answer thus, I neither condem the whole teaching of Islam nor the whole world of Muslims. But I do condemn blatantly inaccurate portrayals of history that reflect highly selective facts, thereby ignoring all warts and faults in what can only be said to be a historical whitewash. And that is exactly what this PBS offering has done. This documentary is not about Islam in Malaysia. It is about Islam as it arose in the Arabian peninsula and the Islamic empire as it was ruled at various times by Arabians, Persians, Egyptians, Seljuk & later Ottoman Turks.
Rating: 
Summary: plodding, vacuous
Review: Slow, not a lot of content, many gratuitious images of people racing around on horseback. The whole thing could have been compressed greatly, and cost much less to make, if they hadn't been so preoccupied with dressing people up in an attempt to recreate action. I really wanted a nice overview of Islam and couldn't stand sitting through all the dross.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST SEE
Review: An eye opener. I've watched it so many times and learned something new every time I watched it. Order it and you won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: On Time and in V. Good condition!
Review: This tap is one of my favorites. It is comprehensive, Objective, and Entertaining. The arrival of the Tap was with in one week. The condition of this Used Tap was Very Good!
All in all I give a 4.5 rating of this product and shipping.
Rating:
Summary: Islam
Review: This movie was very easy to understand and follow. You get to learn more about the history of Islam and the story of Mahammad and his struggles thourgh life. I recommend this for anyone who wants to learn about any religion or is planning on majoring in it in college.
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