DUBAI - The final episode of the largest-ever Western television production on the history of Islam was aired this week amid positive critical acclaim from scholars and some of Europe's most influential media.
The three-part documentary, entitled Morgenland (German for Orient), explores the 1,400 year-old history of the Islamic faith, from its beginnings in the early 7th century CE to today.
It seeks to educate viewers about the actual meaning of the religion by using an impartial, objective approach, and thus rectifying the often distorted image with which Islam is associated by many in Western countries.
The three episodes, each 45 minutes long, were filmed over a period of two years in 11 different countries, nine of which in the Islamic World.
More than 50 actors were cast for the re-enactment of scenes depicting pivotal moments in the history of Islamic civilisation, including achievements in science and major battles during the early era of Islam.
With overall production cost exceeding AED 5 million, Morgenland is one of the most expensive documentaries in recent television history.
"One of the reasons we engaged in this project is because we want to understand what is happening behind the scenes," explained Daniel Gerlach, author and executive director of the report, who also publishes Zenith, Germany's leading special interest magazine on the Islamic world.
"At the time I began my university course in Islamic studies back in 1998, the media here in Germany were concentrating on wars and terrorism without depicting daily lives in the region or shedding light on the origins of conflicts," he added.
He said that the perception of the Islamic world in much of the West is still largely shaped by veiled women, the chopping off of hands, or suicide bombers. But in reality, this world is very different; it is full of surprises, highly complex, and multi-faceted, with more than 1.3 billion followers on three continents.
"With Morgenland we want to provide an undistorted image of the diversity of today's Muslim world," he said.
During the seven-day filming in cooperation with the UAE National Media Council and bridge: media in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai, the ZDF team interviewed the Ruler of Sharjah, Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, who both feature prominently in the documentary.
The Ruler of Sharjah pointed out that today's Muslim societies were on a path of modernisation, a path that had already started during the time of Prophet Muhammad.
Nahyan bin Mubarak added that "the only way to eradicate extremism and violence - or ignorance - is through education. Truly, it can only be done through education. There is no other way."
A number of sequences shot in the UAE are shown in the documentary, with pictures of Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Mosque used as an emblematic symbol for Islamic civilisation between scenes.
Similarly, Sharjah University and the Dubai skyline are pictured as symbols of education and economic progress in the Islamic world, respectively.
On the role of women in contemporary Islamic societies, Morgenland counters prevailing Western prejudices, according to which the discrimination of women is inherent to Islamic faith.
"The Quran does stipulate that women cover their hair, a custom that was common in Arabia since ancient times, especially among high-born women. But a veil covering a woman's face or her entire body is not mentioned anywhere," the documentary states.
Gerlach also interviewed Dr. Rawda Abdullah Al-Mutawa, Chairperson of the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council.
"Today, some women fully cover their faces, but this is a wrong interpretation of Quranic suras," said Al-Mutawa.
Among the other personalities interviewed for the documentary were Mahmoud Hamzi Zaqzouq, Egypt's Minister of Religion; Hans Kung, a leading Christian theologian; Aga Khan IV, the spiritual leader of Shiite Ismaili Muslims; and Reza Aslan, one of the foremost American intellectuals on Islam.
In the final scene, the documentary summarises its quintessential message, quoting as a successful example the UAE.
"Oil and entrepreneurial spirit have made countries like the United Arab Emirates immensely rich. Its rulers invest both in universities and in grand mosques. The future of the rest of the Islamic world will depend on whether it will succeed, like the UAE did, in combining tradition and modernity, rather than leaving the world cultural heritage of Islam to fanatics."
Morgenland had a cumulative audience rate in excess of 9.3 million for the three episodes, with an average market share of 13% in Germany alone.
It gained critical acclaim from leading Western Islamic scholars and commentators in European media. ZDF is planning to release an extended, English language version of the documentary this summer.
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