Aan Korb: BBC Documentaries

Syria

MAPSyrian Women DiariesSyrian Women DiariesSyrian women tell their stories of revolt and war. Filmed over a period of seven months in 2012, mostly by the women themselves, with small cameras, because it’s extremely dangerous for crews to operate in Syria2014-02-19T13:12:41Z2014-02-19T13:16:27ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2

Syrian women tell their stories of revolt and war. Filmed over a period of seven months in 2012, mostly by the women themselves, with small cameras, because it’s extremely dangerous for crews to operate in Syria. Overseen by Lina Sinjab, the BBC Correspondent in Damascus, MAPSyrian Women DiariesSyrian Women DiariesSyrian women tell their stories of revolt and war. Filmed over a period of seven months in 2012, mostly by the women themselves, with small cameras, because it’s extremely dangerous for crews to operate in Syria2014-02-19T13:12:41Z2014-02-19T13:16:27ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2 provides moving and personal insights into the lives of women in Syria’s conflict. The women, like many in Syria, risk their lives for others, for ideas and hopes that are bigger than themselves. Their stories are personal and moving. Shot in the dark, in the shadows, and hidden for their safety, these women reveal to us what the news never does. They tell us simply what women do and think and feel in times of conflict. From inside their homes, from the safety of their bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens they show us another side of a brutal and shocking conflict that is led out there, by fighting men.

MAP Reporting for Bashar Reporting for BasharThe Syrian government funded TV station Al-Ikhbaria has been accused of delivering propaganda for the government. BBC Arabic gains unprecedented access to show a very different perspective from inside the regime’s TV station.2014-02-13T16:06:52Z2014-02-14T10:59:09ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2

The Syrian government funded TV station Al-Ikhbaria has been accused of delivering propaganda for the government. BBC Arabic gains unprecedented access to show a very different perspective from inside the regime’s TV station. At the very heart of Damascus, opposite the Chief of Staff headquarters, crippled by car bombs in September, stands a building with a shiny blue façade and topped by towers of satellite dishes. In front a big screen proudly emits the building’s produce – the world according to Syrian state TV, engaged in the ‘media war’ that the Syrian government considers it is locked in with the hostile outside world. The newest and youngest weapon in this war is the Syrian News Channel, orMAP Reporting for Bashar Reporting for BasharThe Syrian government funded TV station Al-Ikhbaria has been accused of delivering propaganda for the government. BBC Arabic gains unprecedented access to show a very different perspective from inside the regime’s TV station.2014-02-13T16:06:52Z2014-02-14T10:59:09ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2, a satellite channel that, they say, is the answer to such hostile voices as Al Jazeera, Al Arabia… and many staff there said, the BBC.

MAPIran's Secret ArmyIran's Secret Army The BBC investigates the clandestine role of Iran in Syria's civil war. Rare access to secret footage of military advisors from Iran's Revolutionary Guard, shows training and fighting alongside Syria's pro-government militias near Aleppo 2014-02-19T12:58:19Z2014-02-19T13:04:30ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2

The MAPIran's Secret ArmyIran's Secret Army The BBC investigates the clandestine role of Iran in Syria's civil war. Rare access to secret footage of military advisors from Iran's Revolutionary Guard, shows training and fighting alongside Syria's pro-government militias near Aleppo 2014-02-19T12:58:19Z2014-02-19T13:04:30ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2 the clandestine role of Iran in Syria's civil war. Rare access to secret footage of military advisors from Iran's Revolutionary Guard, shows training and fighting alongside Syria's pro-government militias near Aleppo. This film provides a dramatic insight into Tehran's support for the Assad regime on the ground. MAPIran's Secret ArmyIran's Secret Army The BBC investigates the clandestine role of Iran in Syria's civil war. Rare access to secret footage of military advisors from Iran's Revolutionary Guard, shows training and fighting alongside Syria's pro-government militias near Aleppo 2014-02-19T12:58:19Z2014-02-19T13:04:30ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2is largely based on footage taken by Iranian filmmaker Hadi Baghbani, who died doing his job in northern Syria, on 19th August 2013.

MAPBattle For Syria’s courtsBattle For Syria’s courtsThis film reveals for the first time how the Islamists exercise justice based on their strict and puritanical interpretation of Islamic Law2014-02-13T10:44:20Z2014-02-19T15:49:46ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2

Through unique, exclusive and unprecedented access to the Al-Nusra Front, the powerful and influential group affiliated to Al-Qaeda, MAPBattle For Syria’s courtsBattle For Syria’s courtsThis film reveals for the first time how the Islamists exercise justice based on their strict and puritanical interpretation of Islamic Law2014-02-13T10:44:20Z2014-02-19T15:49:46ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2reveals for the first time how the Islamists exercise justice based on their strict and puritanical interpretation of Islamic Law. In parts of Syria where government forces have lost control, rebel forces are taking over and among them the more powerful Islamists have the upper hand. This film shows how they exercise this control in the city of Saraqib, in the North East of Syria. As they continue their battle against Assad’s forces, they are now carrying out another battle to establish their version of justice in Syria. The film-makers get inside the courts and reveal how men accused of wanting to steal a car are put through this new Sharia justice system. We see the judge at work in the Court, and issuing his judgment on the public square. He condemns the accused to a public flogging before a large crowd of people, as a deterrent to others. This type of public flogging has never before been seen before in Syria. It could be a taste of things to come. Abu-Qedama, Al-Qaida’s envoy in Saraqib, is Jordanian. His task is to ensure that Sharia Law is enforced. We see him with armed men from a group of brigades who have taken it upon themselves to police the city, patrolling checkpoints and checking that fresh deliveries of meat in the market are ‘halal’. But not all citizens agree with their views or their tactics. The film shows some taking to the streets in protest. Although united with the Islamists in their opposition to the Assad regime, they have a different vision for Syria’s future. This tension is now symptomatic of tensions within the opposition throughout the country.

Lebanon

MAPMy Neighbour, My EnemyMy Neighbour, My Enemy"My Neighbour, My Enemy" explores the daily reality of two communities caught up in a tragic cycle of sectarian violence in the Lebanese city of Tripoli. With unprecedented access to both sides of the frontline, this is the story of what happens when neig2014-02-20T16:31:06Z2014-02-20T16:38:59ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2

MAPMy Neighbour, My EnemyMy Neighbour, My Enemy"My Neighbour, My Enemy" explores the daily reality of two communities caught up in a tragic cycle of sectarian violence in the Lebanese city of Tripoli. With unprecedented access to both sides of the frontline, this is the story of what happens when neig2014-02-13T16:04:16Z2014-02-14T11:15:30ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2MAPMy Neighbour, My EnemyMy Neighbour, My Enemy"My Neighbour, My Enemy" explores the daily reality of two communities caught up in a tragic cycle of sectarian violence in the Lebanese city of Tripoli. With unprecedented access to both sides of the frontline, this is the story of what happens when neig2014-02-20T16:31:06Z2014-02-20T16:38:59ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2" explores the daily reality of two communities caught up in a tragic cycle of sectarian violence in the Lebanese city of Tripoli. With unprecedented access to both sides of the frontline, this is the story of what happens when neighbours become mortal enemies. Tripoli is a city where the inhabitants of two local slums, one Sunni, the other Alawite, have been slugging it out since the 1970s. Like a couple locked in an abusive marriage, neither partner has the energy or will to escape this futile, bloody conflict. This is what Syria will look like if sectarian violence becomes a way of life. We explore this tragedy through two central characters; fighters on opposite sides of the line and different stages in their careers as men of violence. Every few weeks armed clashes erupt and the neighbours attack each other with sniper rifles, machine-guns and rocket launchers. People die and homes burn. Then the guns fall silent. Both sides bury their dead and prepare for the next time. In Tripoli there is always a next time.

MAPLebanon on the brinkLebanon on the brinkFeaturing news on issues around the world. With sectarian tensions escalating across the country, Nahed Abouzeid investigates a Lebanon teetering on the brink of an intra-religious war.2014-02-14T12:50:10Z2014-02-14T13:24:02ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2

For the past two years, Lebanon has tried to avoid getting drawn into the Syrian conflict on its borders. But last month Hezbollah, the country’s largest political party, admitted sending thousands of guerrillas to fight on behalf of the Syrian regime. In return, Syrian rebels and their supporters have vowed revenge - inside Lebanon itself - and sectarian tensions are escalating across the country. In MAPLebanon on the brinkLebanon on the brinkFeaturing news on issues around the world. With sectarian tensions escalating across the country, Nahed Abouzeid investigates a Lebanon teetering on the brink of an intra-religious war.2014-02-14T12:50:10Z2014-02-14T13:24:02ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2, BBC Arabic reporter Nahed Abouzeid investigates a Lebanon teetering on the brink of an intra-religious war. For Our World: Lebanon On The Brink, Nahed, who was born and grew up in Lebanon, explores why, after successfully rebuilding itself following a vicious civil war, his country is on the edge again, this time of someone else’s fight. For the half hour film, Nahed talks to those caught up in the violence as well as gaining unique access to a fighter from the Lebanese Shia Muslim organization Hezbollah. Located between Syria and Israel, Lebanon has frequently been caught up in the politics and violence of its more powerful neighbours. This time, Lebanon faces sectarian violence between Sunni Muslims – who mainly support the Syrian rebels – and Shia Muslims, who mostly back the Syrian government in the capital Damascus. From Al-Qusayr in western Syria, Nahed Abouzeid tells the story of a shattered and abandoned city which was a rebel stronghold, attracting anti-Assad Islamic militants from across the Muslim world. Supported by Hezbollah, the Syrian regime launched an attack in June this year and regained control over Qusayr from the rebels. The undisguised intervention of Hezbollah’s Shia Muslim fighters has caused a sectarian backlash back across the border in Lebanon. Syrian refugees from Qusayr fled for their lives and now live in squalor just inside Lebanon’s northern border.

Egypt

Freedom to Broadcast Hate

MAPEgypt’s Stolen Billions Egypt’s Stolen Billions Egypt’s Stolen Billions is a BBC Arabic investigative documentary that exposes the incompetence of the British Government in identifying Mubarak’s assets hidden in the UK. 2014-02-14T08:50:59Z2014-02-14T10:06:44ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2

As the Middle East continues to be torn apart by war, sectarian violence, and a bloody backlash against the Arab uprisings, BBC Arabic investigates the television channels that are fanning the flames of communal hatred.

Since the beginning of the Arab Spring in early 2011, the Middle East has experienced a proliferation of new television channels keen to spread political and religious messages to audiences eager to hear what they weren’t able to hear before.

MAPEgypt’s Stolen Billions Egypt’s Stolen Billions Egypt’s Stolen Billions is a BBC Arabic investigative documentary that exposes the incompetence of the British Government in identifying Mubarak’s assets hidden in the UK. 2014-02-14T08:50:59Z2014-02-14T10:06:44ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2

Egypt’s Stolen Billions Egypt’s Stolen Billions is a BBC Arabic investigative MAPEgypt’s Stolen Billions Egypt’s Stolen Billions Egypt’s Stolen Billions is a BBC Arabic investigative documentary that exposes the incompetence of the British Government in identifying Mubarak’s assets hidden in the UK. 2014-02-14T08:50:59Z2014-02-14T10:06:44ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2 that exposes the incompetence of the British Government in identifying Mubarak’s assets hidden in the UK. Reports that President Hosni Mubarak and his inner circle stole tens of billions of dollars helped fuel the revolution which overthrew him on 11 February last year. Three days later, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague told parliament the UK would co-operate with an Egyptian government request to freeze the assets of several former officials. But it was a further 37 days before Britain and other EU states applied the sanctions - a period when Egypt says the accused officials were able to move their money elsewhere. About £85m ($135m) of assets belonging to Mr Mubarak, his wife, two sons, and 15 other Egyptians have now been frozen in the UK. The film’s impact was felt across the global and Egyptian media and on the streets of Egypt, with numerous public demonstrations calling for the British Ambassador’s resignation. Syndicated by over 50 foreign media networks, the story reached the UN General Assembly where David Cameron announced the creation of a new UK Asset Recovery Taskforce for Egypt and the Arab Spring countries. Egyptian officials accuse the UK of hiding stolen wealth and breaching international anti-corruption accords.

Tunisia

MAPBattle for BizerteBattle for BizerteWith Tunisia in turmoil over the banning of the Salafist group Ansar Al-Sharia, this BBC Arabic documentary reveals the extraordinary inner workings of a group of Jihadi Salafists closely associated with them in Bizerte, a city north of the Tunisian capit2014-02-13T13:36:56Z2014-02-14T11:25:53ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2

With Tunisia in turmoil over the banning of the Salafist group Ansar Al-Sharia, this BBC Arabic MAPBattle for BizerteBattle for BizerteWith Tunisia in turmoil over the banning of the Salafist group Ansar Al-Sharia, this BBC Arabic documentary reveals the extraordinary inner workings of a group of Jihadi Salafists closely associated with them in Bizerte, a city north of the Tunisian capit2014-02-13T13:36:56Z2014-02-14T11:25:53ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2reveals the extraordinary inner workings of a group of Jihadi Salafists closely associated with them in Bizerte, a city north of the Tunisian capital. It shows their leader, Abdesslam Sharif, holding court in his kiosk as locals come to him with a range of problems; from a woman refusing her husband a divorce, to a man accused of grooming a teenage boy. The film also reveals for the first time how the Salafists make their own rules, as they round up and punish those who infringe their strict interpretation of Islamic law. This film examines how the Salafists implement what they see as God’s law in Bizerte, and how far they are prepared to go to impose it on others. From Tunisia to Egypt and beyond, Salafists pose a serious challenge to authorities. The battle for influence and control is only just beginning.

Yemen

MAPThe President’s Man and His Rebel SonThe President’s Man and His Rebel SonThe film brings together a father and son who are deeply divided. Through the story of their personal rift, this BBC film reveals Yemen’s internal divide as it has never been seen before2014-02-13T09:54:13Z2014-02-14T12:35:51ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2

A father and son are deeply divided. Abdu Al-Janadi was Yemen’s Deputy Minister of Information during the revolution. He defended President Ali Abdallah Saleh in public, and claimed that the dead bodies on the streets were fake. His son Dr Abudhar Al Janadi is a heart surgeon. He was on the streets with the protesters, risking his life to treat the wounded shot by government snipers. Now he wants justice for the victims. The film brings father and son together in the end. Through the story of their personal rift, this BBC MAPThe President’s Man and His Rebel SonThe President’s Man and His Rebel SonThe film brings together a father and son who are deeply divided. Through the story of their personal rift, this BBC film reveals Yemen’s internal divide as it has never been seen before2014-02-13T09:54:13Z2014-02-14T12:35:51ZPUBLISHEDartopcat2reveals Yemen’s internal divide as it has never been seen before.