Library Journal-Rezension

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the U.S. War on Terror, there has been a rush to understand Islam and what has driven its followers to wage war on the West under its banner. Both Decoding the Past: Secrets of the Koran and Islam: What the West Needs To Know use passages from the Koran to provide an introductory understanding of the religion. Each program includes scholars addressing both the founding of Islam and its developments through the present. Divided into two parts, Decoding the Past begins with an introduction to the Koran as the foundation of Islam and is here described as revelations brought to Muhammad by God. These are the same revelations told to Christians and Jews but are now being presented to the Arab people for the first time in their own language. This part considers the struggles of early Muslims in Mecca and the expansion of the religion in Medina. It was in Medina that Muhammad's revelations focused on rules and legislation. The second part of the documentary focuses on the spread of Islam through the Middle East and northern Africa and into Europe and its decline from the Golden Age to its current standing among the world's religions. Islam: What the West Needs To Know examines the development of Islam through passages from the Koran and interprets these passages in the context of the West's current experience with Islamic fundamentalists. This film sees Islam as a violent religion that is based on a system of rules and laws as much as a religion focused on personal actions. The experts here-including author Robert Spencer, historian and political analyst Serge Trifkovic, and lecturer Bat Ye'or-argue that Islam is founded on an expansion of the religion at any expense, even outright deception. Throughout the film, there is an underlying belief that political correctness in the West coupled with the mantra that Islam is a religion of peace will not allow for an honest discussion of the threat of fundamentalism. The audio and visual quality of both documentaries are outstanding. Islam examines its subject via a clear argument that it can be a religion of violence. It is recommended for public and academic libraries that aim to develop an inclusive collection representing all views of Islam in the modern world. Decoding the Past is highly recommended for all public and academic collections. An excellent documentary, it is an objective examination of Islam. The only negative is the inclusion of the commercial breaks from the History Channel broadcast.-Michael LaMagna, Cabrini Coll. Lib., Radnor, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.