"Islam: Empire of Faith": An Evaluation
             In the wake of the tragedies of September 11, 2001, millions of Americans found themselves questioning the meaning and nature of a 1,400 year old religion practiced by nearly a quarter of the world's people. Producer/director Robert Gardner's Islam: Empire of Faith, offers a much-needed, unbiased, historically accurate overview of the rise of Islam, a religious faith viewed with "much fear and misunderstanding" in the West.
             Actor, Ben Kingsley narrates this three hour documentary about the political history of one of the world's greatest religious and cultural philosophies. Showcasing rare Islamic Art and Architecture, the history of Islam is explained in the greater context of world history to demonstrate its far-reaching influence. Members of both the U.S. Congress and Buckingham Palace have used this program to further their understanding of this fascinating religion.
             "Islam: Empire of Faith consists of many credible articles regarding this usually misunderstood religion. There are four main topics/categories on the homepage: Faith, Culture, Innovation, and Profiles. Each topic leads you to an array of informational resources, which are portrayed true and accurate. Under each topic/category there are approximately three to five subcategories which give greater detail to the topic at hand. The website is organized in a neat easy to navigate way. The website begins with the very basic history of Islam, which will then lead to an in depth look. It is very easy to understand and comprehend. On the main page there are also six additional links. These links contain information about the site itself, Timeline, Special Features, About the Film, Educational Resources, and a link to shop PBS items including this documentary.
             One aspect of the site that I very much enjoyed is under the "Special Features" section; you can actually view clips from this document
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