A Social History of Education in the Muslim World: From the Prophetic Era to Ottoman Times provides a comprehensive view of education and society in the Muslim world throughout the five key historic periods. The book asks intriguing questions such as, how has the Muslim quest for knowledge defined education, how have a range of Muslim educational institutions evolved through out the various historical periods and how has this social history affected contemporary Islamic education. Using historical sources, the author explores the background, the development and the impact of education in the major Sunni Caliphal cities commencing from Madinah to Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo and Istanbul.

From a loving heart, full of care and concern and overflowing with a sense of responsibility, come these words of Dr. Ali Al-Omarey. He addresses matters relating to the youth in a simple, direct way, discussing subjects from psychological, social and cultural viewpoints. This CD includes a group of lectures dealing with many of the aspects relating to the youth. Dr. Al-Omarey approaches the topics in a moderate, practical way, and in a style suitable for the youth.

Often, the youth face sizeable obstacles standing in their paths, and find that there are many challenges to be overcome. This audio CD discusses these problems in an interesting, motivating style as Dr. Ali Al-Omarey guides the youth on how to deal with the obstacles and challenges they come cross.

A Journey through Islamic History tells you all you ever wanted to know about the history of the Muslim world from the Prophet Muhammad to Malcolm X in a short, accessible and lavishly-illustrated format.

• Suitable for students of all ages.
• Seven chronological essays covering 1500 years of history.
• With over 175 pictures, illustrations and maps.
• A comprehensive timeline with over 500 entries.
• Textboxes featuring important personalities, key events and major ideas.
• A must for every library, college, school and home.

Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain takes viewers on an epic journey back into one of the most fascinating and important periods of world history.  It tells a story of vital importance for our contemporary world about the triumphs and shortcomings, achievements and ultimate failures of a centuries-long period when Muslims, Christians, and Jews inhabited the same far corner of Western Europe and built a society that lit the Dark Ages.
The lemon tree, the water wheel, and Aristotle’s lost philosophy all arrived in Europe through Islamic Spain, as did algebra and the beginnings of modern medicine, science, and poetry.  Here were the very roots of the European Renaissance.
All this was the legacy of a diverse society that managed to create a culture of light in a time of general darkness and ignorance in Europe.  Cities of Light shows how it was possible for Muslims, Christians, and Jews to co-exist and thrive together—and yet how fragile that union can be when religious extremism begins to rise.  The glories of Islamic Spain are beautifully rendered, but the film does not flinch when vividly portraying the violence and horror that ultimately engulfed it—violence that seems similar to what we witness today.
The world is at a crossroads.  Exploring the vibrant history of Islamic Spain could not be more important as we confront the profound political, strategic, and ethical challenges that will determine issues of war and peace for generations to come.  
The history of Islamic Spain demonstrates that when religious diversity is accommodated within a social and political system, problems and tensions may still exist, but society is able to successfully manage them, generally to the benefit of all. But when a power system or religious movement rejects complexity and insists on a single cultural and religiously-centered point of view, then society is likely to come to grief with everyone losing something.    
The history of Islamic Spain delivers this message with unprecedented power because it is a common history shared by both the Muslim East and the European West.
Supported by a diverse group of scholars, this film was co-produced by Unity Productions Foundation (Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet), a nonprofit corporation dedicated to increasing cultural understanding through the media, and by the award-winning film director Rob Gardner (Islam: Empire of Faith; Arab and Jew: Return to the Promised Land; The Barbarians).  The film makes an important contribution to our understanding of history and world events—what once occurred and what might happen again—and will help advance the global discussion already underway concerning peace and social progress in the 21st century.

Here are some interesting facts about the production of Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain:

• Filming took place over a period of 18 months.
• The re-enactments were filmed in studio facilities in Lithuania, one of the most cost-effective locations in Europe.
• Filming included extensive shooting of art, landscapes, and architecture in Spain.
• Computer animated art teams from major museums scanned color transparencies for color and detail accuracy.
• The film uses three-dimensional high-color map imagery throughout the story to enhance viewers’ understanding of the migratory paths various groups and individuals took to reach Spain, as well as to highlight geographical events.
• Cities of Light was filmed in high definition
• The film features a commissioned original musical score, which incorporates Christian, Muslim and Jewish music themes of that time period, presented in the style of a modern cinematic score.
• The film received an endorsement from The World Economic Forum, who’s Council of 100 Leaders on West-Islamic World Dialogue (C-100) chose interfaith screenings of the film as a priority project.
• The Cities of Light broadcast is accompanied by a grassroots dialogue campaign, called the 20,000 Dialogues.

Special Features Include:

• Lesson plans and facilitator's guides for further exploring Islamic Spain.

DVD Specifications:

• Widescreen presentation (1.78:1 aspect ratio) - enhanced for widescreen TVs
• Dolby Digital 2.0 English
• NTSC
• Region 1

Made in 1979, Lion of the Desert is a historically faithful study of the guerrilla struggle against the Italian fascist occupation of Libya led over a 20 year period by Omar Mukhtar, played by Anthony Quinn. The Italians colonized Libya, Somalia, and Ethiopia as part of an attempt to compete with their Western European rivals who had a toehold in Africa. Mukhtar was a leader of the Senusi people who lived in the Cyrenaica region in Eastern Libya before it became a modern state. Described as a bedouin in the film, the Libyians have the same kind of fiercely independent streak as the Algerian Kabyle (Berbers) who challenged French colonization in the 1950s.
Quinn relied more on wile than on physical prowess, just as Mukhtar did in real life. This is not a Braveheart-type of film that unrealistically depicts the oppressed Libyans as defeating the much larger and better equipped Italian army through sheer courage, but rather one that is marked by frequent exhaustion and defeat. Omar Mukhtar today is remembered less for his ability to foil the fascists, but rather for his inner resourcefulness and belief in freedom.
In the beginning of the film, Mukhtar is giving Qur’an lessons to young boys in a Senusi village. Throughout the film, the character’s religious faith goes hand-in-hand with his determination to resist the occupation. These same beliefs also lead him to avoid mistreatment of Italian prisoners. His main adversary in the film is Gen. Rodolfo Graziani (Oliver Reed), who was hand-picked by Mussolini to quash the Senusi rebellion. His methods included herding the Senusi into concentration camps and erecting a long barbed-wire fence between Libya and Egypt to cut off supplies. Historians estimate that between 30,000 and 70,000 Senusis were killed during the occupation. Shortly after, the fascists hung Omar Mukhtar. His followers issued a statement that could be a rallying cry for the Iraqi resistance today:

The Fascists believed that the condemnation of Omar Mukhtar to death would make it easier for them to occupy the country, but unfortunately for them the souls of the martyrs are an eternal flame which inspires the national spirit in the hearts of the people still living. The martyr of the Tripoli-Brace nation is not dead; for he has left his people with an immortal monument of heroism which will be inherited by future generations. This sad monument, built by the Fascist assassins’ hands, will remain forever and will never be forgotten because it has left mortal wounds in our hearts.
Woe to those oppressors who do not respect the age, the courage and the incomparable heroism of Omar Mukhtar, but they cannot understand the significance of this quality. The years cannot wipe out the horror of this crime, which struck the heart of all Arabs, and which will always remain as a stain on their history, washed as it is in the blood of innocents, of women, of men, of the aged and of children.

This is an audio drama produced in the Middle East for the first time ever. Combining suspense and action, it tells the story of "'Abid Bani Israel", the Worshiper of Bani Israel. In this production, you can get to know the true and eternal battle between two kingdoms, the Hidden Kingdom and the Seen Kingdom. The many hours taken to produce this work and the quality and clarity of the recordings make it the biggest audio drama of this nature ever produced. In this recording, imagination is limitless. Use your imagination to experience something the likes of which you have never heard before.

Stories from Islamic History introduces children to Muslims whose exemplary behaviour earned them a place in the annals of our heritage.
Each story highlights an occasion when a person of outstanding character stood up for his faith in Allah. Some tales are from the Sirah while others depict Caliphs, sahabah, martyrs and other pious Muslims. Accounts often focus on critical moments in their lives when they chose to follow the Straight Path rather than take an easier way.
These personalities became role models for all time when they adhered to the same Islamic principles that govern our lives today.

This unit, developed by CIE and co-published by the National Center for History in the Schools at UCLA, provides a first-hand look, through historical primary sources, at the experiences of Europeans traveling to distant lands. Students gain insight into how the works of these travelers influenced the perception of Islam and Muslims in Europe from the nineteenth century onwards.
Lesson topics include:
1. Pilgrims and Tourists
2. Colonial Officials
3. Archaeologists and Antiquarians
4. Political Figures
5. Artists, Architects, and Photographers
6. Literary Figures

A fascinating 3 volume biography of a man who looms larger than life throughout history, yet remains largely unknown to people outside of the Arab world. Dr. Sallâbi’s meticulous research has effectively filled that gap. His work is more than just a biography, as the reader will see.