Al Jazeera Documentary

A European settler state in the heart of Palestine, ruled by religious zealots, fueled by Western arms. A divided Muslim world fights back. Sound familiar? We’re in 1099, when the First Crusade conquered Jerusalem and subjugated its native population. Just 88 years later, it was lost to Saladin’s newly united Muslim army. Why did the Crusaders fail to build an everlasting kingdom, and will Zionism meet the same fate?

as traditional religious frameworks lose influence in parts of the West, what is taking their place?

Sugar is sweet, seductive, addictive - but built on human suffering. This feature-length reveals how an enticing luxury became the engine of a global system powered by slavery, exploitation and environmental destruction, a legacy still shaping the world today. From the 19th-century slave plantations to modern refineries in the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Reunion, India, South Africa and Europe, the series traces how sugar fuelled colonial empires, drove some of the worst aspects of international trade and commerce, and left deep social and ecological scars that are still present in labour abuses and exhausted landscapes today. Combining powerful testimony, rare archival material, expert interviews, and on-the-ground reporting, the series exposes the true cost of our centuries-long obsession with sugar, while at the same time spotlighting communities fighting to reclaim land, dignity and fair means of production. The series asks a crucial question: have we ever really escaped the bitter curse behind the world’s sweetest commodity?

Dr. John Esposito explores Islam's influence on the US with Soraya Salam. They discuss a variety of topics ranging from the reasons behind Dr. Esposito's passionate interest in Islam, his time advising US President Joe Biden when he was a senator, the Muslim origins of some of the most common traditions in Europe and the US, and the globalisation of islamophobia.Dr. John Esposito is a distinguished university professor at Georgetown University. He's a founding director of the Al-Waleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. He's also authored over 50 books on religion, Islam, and Islamophobia.

Dr. Dalia Fahmy discusses what is it like to be a Muslim in the US, with Sami Zeidan. What form of discrimination are Muslims facing? How is islamophobia being used for political gain? And is there a role for Muslims to play to combat islamophobia?.Dr. Dalia Fahmy is an associate professor of political science at Long Island university. She is well published on the effects of Islamophobia on US foreign policy and American identity in politics. She is also a prominent personality speaking out against prejudice and islamophobia in the US and beyond.

Former Catholic nun and author Karen Armstrong shares her perspective on Islam from her years of research with Al Jazeera's Samantha Johnson. Karen Armstrong is a renown religious historian and best-selling author whose work has been translated into 45 languages. Armstrong has been described as one of the most intelligent contemporary defenders of religion.

Women have been targets of abuse just as much as men. Islamophobia raised its ugly head in race riots in Britain in August 2024 and attacks on Muslims and mosques in the United Kingdom have increased since October 7, 2023.In this film, 'My Hijab, My Choice', based completely on their own testimonies, five British Muslim women share their experiences in frank and often emotional, intimate interviews. They challenge Western perceptions of the hijab as a symbol of female oppression and describe it as a powerful expression of commitment to their faith, which defines them as strong, independent women. The women describe the struggle they say they face for dignity and respect in British society where they’re often insulted, attacked and discriminated against, particularly in the jobs market. This film is an exploration of why many Muslim women choose to wear the hijab and also a snapshot of British attitudes to Islam and discrimination in the UK today.

By the early 19th century, a vast majority of the world's nations had been colonised by European powers. The empire-building and resource-driven exploitation of states and their populations continues to influence the world today - from language, religion, and cultural beliefs to legal and economic systems. In certain countries, colonial practices included slavery, genocide and the creation of political and ethnic divisions that remain to this day. Others have argued that Western colonisation, in some instances, benefited colonised populations with rule of law and infrastructure building.

On March 8, 2014, 239 passengers and crew members disappeared from radar on board a Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Nine years on, why is the disappearance of MH370 still a mystery?

In recent years, thousands of African-Americans have made the decision to “return home” to the African continent. But why? Many say they want to escape the racial pressure pot of the United States, while some want to connect to the land of their ancestors. For others, countries like Ghana wooed them with an easy immigration process and the promise of a better life. "I want people to understand that they have options and alternatives. Most black people in America don't know that these options exist; they think they have to suffer because there's nowhere else to go. But no, there are other places," says Muhammida el-Muhajir, a digital marketer who moved to Ghana from New York City.