CNN announces “God’s Warriors” doc series…
CNN’s rather long release on the upcoming multi-night broadcast of Christiane Amanpour’s “CNN Presents: God’s Warriors” which kicks off on Tuesday, August 21st at 9pm ET…
CNN will premiere a six-hour television event across its U.S. and international networks in August on the impact of the rise of religious fundamentalism as a powerful political force in three faiths: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour traveled the world to report CNN Presents: God’s Warriors. The U.S. premiere airs Tuesday, Aug. 21, through Thursday, Aug. 23, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. each night (ET/PT).
“God’s Warriors is an investigation of religion, at a time when religious activism is a signature cultural phenomenon of our times,” said Mark Nelson, vice president and senior executive producer for CNN Productions. “This project’s global scope is ideally suited for the skills of someone with as impressive of a journalistic pedigree as our own Christiane Amanpour.”
For this documentary, Amanpour reports that during the last 30 years, each faith has exploded into a powerful political force, comprised of followers – “God’s warriors” – who share a deep dissatisfaction with modern society, and a fierce determination to place God and religion back into daily life and to the seats of power. Their political and cultural struggles to save the world from what they view as secular materialism, greed and sexual corruption have caused anger, division and fear.
“There are millions of people around the world who feel that their faith is being ignored – pushed aside – and they are certain they know how to make the world right,” Amanpour says. “We cannot and should not ignore them. And, with this report, we’ve tried to explain them.”God’s Jewish Warriors – Tuesday, Aug. 21, 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
God’s Jewish warriors draw inspiration from the Book of Ezekiel: “Ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers.” For them, Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War in 1967 meant the fulfillment of prophecy: They believe that when Jews return to their Biblical homeland and live according to the Torah, the Messiah can come.
Following the war that redesigned the map of the Holy Land, Jewish settlements in the captured territory have become the central uncompromising principle of right wing Jewish settlers. Amanpour tells the personal stories of those who are willing to die for their cause.
As the two-hour program goes behind-the-scenes of historical events, Amanpour also reports on a Jewish terrorist group that planned to blow up the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Islam’s third holiest site, in order to sabotage Israeli-Egyptian peace talks. Another Jewish extremist, Yigal Amir, assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin to derail peace talks with Palestinians.
“The tragedy besides our personal tragedy is that he was stopped in the middle of the way,” says Noa Rothman when asked by Amanpour about the assassination of her grandfather, Israeli Prime Minister Rabin. “And we can never know how the end of the path would have been.”
God’s Jewish Warriors reports how Christian Zionists in America are raising large sums of money to support the activities of the settlers and how the pro-Israel lobby’s clout in Washington has helped religious settlers remain in the West Bank.
God’s Jewish Warriors was filmed in the West Bank, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States.
God’s Muslim Warriors – Wednesday, Aug. 22, 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe, and tension between Muslim and Western cultures is also growing. Geneive Abdo, author of Mecca and Main Street, says that since 9/11, a majority of U.S. Muslims report feeling targeted by the government and ordinary citizens for suspicion of terrorism.
A recent Pew Forum poll, the first to measure American Muslim attitudes, found that although the majority found no conflict between living a devout Muslim life and being an American, young Muslims were almost twice as likely as their parents to attend mosque and identify themselves as Muslim first and Americans second. They are also more outwardly religious, more likely to wear Muslim dress and more pious than older Muslims. Perhaps most unsettling was that 26 percent felt that terrorist suicide bombings can sometimes be justified.
Abdo found some Muslims are rejecting many aspects of American society that they consider to be immoral and degrading. Rehan Seyam is one such young Muslim who feels that her commitment to Islam, her adoption of the hijab head scarf and living in a materialistic American society is her own “jihad.”
Across the Atlantic Ocean in one of the most permissive societies in Europe, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who was raised as a conservative Muslim, has become a target of a more violent form of jihad. A former member of the Dutch Parliament and now an atheist, Ali collaborated with artist Theo van Gogh on a film critical of Islam’s treatment of women. As a result, Van Gogh was murdered by a Muslim extremist, and Ali remains a target.
In London, Amanpour speaks with Ed Husain, a young Muslim who describes himself as having been radicalized as a youth to accept an extremist Islamist ideology that seeks to return peace to the world through a restoration of a governing caliphate — an ideology he now rejects. Similarly radicalized British Muslims are responsible for the July 7, 2005, terrorist bombings of the London Underground subway system, the recent terrorist attack on the Glasgow Airport in Scotland and the attempted car bombings in London.
God’s Muslim Warriors was filmed in the United Kingdom, Egypt, Iran, the West Bank, the Netherlands and the United States.
God’s Christian Warriors – Thursday, Aug. 23, 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
In the two-hour investigation, God’s Christian Warriors, Amanpour reports on evangelicals trying to influence American politics and society from a faith-based perspective.
“People have experienced extreme disappointment with secular culture, and so there has developed this counter-cultural protest,” says Karen Armstrong, religious historian and author of The Battle for God.
In the late 1970s, modern conservative Christians began to play a bigger role in American politics, largely in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion, Roe v. Wade. The Rev. Jerry Falwell, a preacher, founded a faith-based political movement, the “Moral Majority.” By the 1980 national election, the group had played a role in the defeat of 12 incumbent U.S. senators. In his last interview, conducted with Amanpour just one week before his death, Falwell gave new insight into the founding of the movement, his three-decade battle against abortion, and his feelings about the upcoming presidential campaign.
Amanpour also traveled from Washington State to Washington, D.C., meeting conservative Christians engaged on the front lines of a battle against what they see as a faithless, valueless popular culture that has turned away from its Biblical roots.
“Whoever speaks up most gets to shape the culture,” says Ron Luce to a stadium crowd of thousands at the 2007 BattleCry event in San Francisco aimed at training a young generation of Christians “battle” secular “virtue terrorists.”
Other God’s warriors are fighting battles on a quieter, more personal front. In Virginia, Jennifer and Michael Nevarr are disturbed by what they perceive as the lack of God in public schools. Instead, they home school their five children, basing their education on a Christian world view.
God’s Christian Warriors was filmed in the United States.
About the Documentary Series God’s Warriors
The God’s Warriors series includes interviews with former President Jimmy Carter, the Rev. Jerry Falwell, Noa Rothman and Kamal el-Said Habib, a reformed Islamic jihadist who was part of the violent militant group that assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
A companion Web site to God’s Warriors offers users show excerpts from the documentary, an audio podcast and an exclusive video diary that goes behind-the-scenes with producers as they traveled in Europe, North America, Africa and the Middle East for principle filming. This online content will be available at www.CNN.com/godswarriors. The podcast will also be available for download from iTunes.
The managing editor of God’s Warriors is Kathy Slobogin. Andy Segal, Michael Mocklar and Ken Shiffman are senior producers; Cliff Hackel and Dave Timko are director/editor/producers; Brian Rokus, Jen Christensen and Julie O’Neill are producers. Jody Gottlieb is the executive director of CNN Productions.
Jeezus was someone getting paid by the word?
Comment by Mary Snow — August 3, 2007 @ 2:37 pm
Will be interesting to see the “Jewish Warriors”. We only saw the ‘islamic warriors’. The televangelist are other history.
Comment by Rodrigo — August 3, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
Why is Jimmy Carter one of the featured guests? I guess they needed someone to bash conservative Christianity or to paint the Jewish people as villains. Typical CNN.
Comment by spiffo — August 3, 2007 @ 5:15 pm
Maybe Kiran called him and asked if he’d like to be on the special. It’s always been pretty obvious that he is one of her favorite people. When she was on FOX she always praised him when Brian and Steve were making derogatory remarks about him. One time she called him “wonderful”.
If Christianity is ever mentioned on Cnn, they will find a way to smear it. This is proof positive that Teddy Turner is still hanging around the newsroom. I always got the impression that he despises Christians.
Comment by california dreamin — August 3, 2007 @ 5:35 pm
I think reporting on all religions is a good thing. After all, I’d hate for some of the sheep around here to think ONLY Muslims are terrorists.
Comment by Terance — August 3, 2007 @ 6:04 pm
Correction Terance: All Islamists are terrorists.
A reminder to all of those pointing out all of the past religious wars based on Christianity: Once the bible was translated out of the Latin (1600’s), and the common man could actually read the bible, all of those wars came to an end. The increase in literacy and the translation of the Koran have not put an end to the Islamic fundamentalist jihad. The exact opposite is true.
Comment by erljr — August 3, 2007 @ 7:50 pm
Rodrigo: How many “Jewish Warriors” are in your country?
Comment by Ira — August 3, 2007 @ 7:56 pm
“If Christianity is ever mentioned on Cnn, they will find a way to smear it. This is proof positive that Teddy Turner is still hanging around the newsroom. I always got the impression that he despises Christians.”
Or it could be because it’s run by a Jew.
Comment by Mary Snow — August 3, 2007 @ 7:59 pm
Erljr, I get confused with all the terms thrown around on the news.. such as the difference between “terrorists”,”separatists”,”insurgents”,”holy warriors/jihad”,”sectarianism”,”extremist”. They all seem interchangeable to me. Btw, when reporting news, how do you decide which term to use? For instance, if somebody blows them self up and you can’t identify them, and no suicide note/video is found.. Which term do you default to?
Comment by Terance — August 3, 2007 @ 8:16 pm
New correction Terance: I should have said “many” Islamists are terrorists.
“Muslim” (or “moslem”) refers to religion.
“Islam” refers to a political movement.
Your final example baffles me. I don’t know how to describe that. If someone plants a roadside bomb and pushes the trigger, they are a “homicide bomber.” If someone blows him/herself up along with others, I call them a “suicide bomber.” The question you pose is ambiguous.
Comment by erljr — August 3, 2007 @ 8:28 pm
Sorry! Ok, let me try again. When a suicide bombing is reported on the news you might hear one of the aforementioned terms used to describe the violence. So, if you can’t identify the criminal/cause/organization, but DO label it as such, is there a default term when you really don’t have any proof?
Comment by Terance — August 3, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
Nope. There is no default term in my book. If someone can’t identify the criminal/cause/organization, but DOES label it as such, they are guilty of using innuendo to defame, slander, and/or libel. But as all of us news junkies know, this happens every day on cable news.
Comment by erljr — August 3, 2007 @ 8:53 pm
Thanks, Erljr! Its nice to ask a question around here and get a straight answer.
Comment by Terance — August 3, 2007 @ 9:04 pm
What are yoy talking about eljr- most religious based conflicts had nothing to do with when books were translated to whatever language- it had to do with power and aproslatizing(sp).
Comment by Sam — August 3, 2007 @ 9:04 pm
I was comparing (1)the bible to the Koran, (2)religious based conflicts justified by Christian and Islamic/Muslim faith, and (3)literacy and it’s role. These three concepts have EVERYTHING to do with each other. If you think you’re a more knowledgeable historian than I am, Sam, bring it on!
Comment by erljr — August 3, 2007 @ 9:19 pm
It was in 1604 that King James I of Britian, primarily for political purposes, convened the Hampton Court Conference, which ultimately produced what came to be known as the King James translation of the bible. As an English translation, it was preceeded by the Bishop’s Bible, the Great Bible, Matthew’s Bible, et al. It was simply by authority of a king and by the virtue of having been part of a larger (though temporary) political settlement between warring religious factions that this particular translation became so firmly established.
The point is that simply translating the bible into English did nothing to stop religious fanaticism, which clearly continues to this day.
By the way, for the first century or so after the translation, the cost of a bible remained high - about 1 pound stirling. Like the Bishop’s bible and the Sheppard’s bible before it, the King James English translation was well beyond the financial reach of commoners.
Comment by berberry — August 4, 2007 @ 8:22 am
“Or it could be because it’s run by a Jew.”
*gasp* Tell me more, Mary! Is he part of, like, this global conspiracy or something?
Comment by Arthur — August 4, 2007 @ 1:11 pm
Good history barberry. Note that none of those earlier versions were direct translations from the original Hebrew and Greek, and none were before 1300. Your point about the afordability of the bible to the common man further illustrates my point: Religious extremism has not been the norm in Christianity since the actual religious teachings of the bible have been available to the entire population; but religious extremism has been and IS the norm in Islam since the actual religious teachings of the Koran have been available to the entire population.
Comment by erljr — August 4, 2007 @ 1:28 pm
Religious extremism has not been the norm in Christianity since the actual religious teachings of the bible have been available to the entire population; but religious extremism has been and IS the norm in Islam since the actual religious teachings of the Koran have been available to the entire population.
erljr, you seem to be implying that the text of the Koran itself, now available to every man, must somehow justify, or in some other way cause extremism. Can you provide examples, because every expert I’ve ever heard interviewed says the exact opposite.
If you’re using the coincidence of timing to make your case, Reza Aslan, in his ‘No God But God’, makes the point that Islam today is at the same age Christianity was during the Christianity’s greatest internal strife, and that extremism that appears to be directed to Christianity is actually internal struggles between brands of Islam and we just keep getting in the way and providing targets. (I don’t THINK he was implying we should just get out of the way and let them at it, but it’s been a while since I read the book.)
Comment by Arthur — August 4, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
Try Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali who has experienced today’s Islam from birth, Arthur.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0743289684/ref=dp_image_0/103-8552391-1416608?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
Comment by erljr — August 4, 2007 @ 4:56 pm
How does this book speak to your claim that the Koran causes extremism, elrjr? Genital mutilation and forced marriages, fwiw, are NOT Islamic tenets of faith, but are hold-overs from much older, more patriarchal civilizations. If ALL religions could excise the lingering patriarchal ‘women as property’ notions, the world wold be a much better place.
Comment by Arthur — August 4, 2007 @ 8:17 pm
“Religious extremism has not been the norm in Christianity since the actual religious teachings of the bible have been available to the entire population; but religious extremism has been and IS the norm in Islam since the actual religious teachings of the Koran have been available to the entire population.”
I dispute both points. Islam is inherently no more violent than Christianity; the difference is only in political power (Islam, in global terms, being far more politically powerful than Christianity is AT THIS PRECISE MOMENT). Christianity has had its share of terrorists, and not only in distant times past. Look to Timothy McVeigh and Eric Rudolph for examples of modern-day Chtistian terrorists.
In terms of inspiring its most ardent followers to intolerance and/or violence, there is no difference in Islam and Christianity. The difference is, like I said, only in political power.
Comment by berberry — August 4, 2007 @ 10:52 pm
Timothy McVeigh and Eric Rudolph? C’mon! You’ve got to be kidding. Name one mainstream Christian leader anywhere in the world that applauded their actions. Nmae one that DIDN’T denounce them. They were both cult members, not Christians. Most of us, including Janet Reno and Bill Clinton, know the difference.
Comment by erljr — August 5, 2007 @ 1:52 pm
Name one mainstream Islamic leader who endorses what the 9/11 terrorists did. I’m sure you can find a well-known Islamic leader who did so with little trouble, but I want a mainstream example, since that’s your standard.
And as for Eric Rudolph, I believe Fox News fave Randall Terry would qualify with some people - likely including Sean Hannity - as a mainstream Christian leader. He’s expressed sympathy for Rudolph, as well as for other terrorists whose motivations he agrees with.
The point is still political power. If people like Randall Terry, James Dobson, Pat Robertson or Donald Wildmon had the kind of political power in the West that Islamic leaders have in the Middle East, Christianity would be just as terroristic as it was during the Crusades.
Please don’t feel that I’m attacking Christianity because that’s not at all what I mean to do. I’m simply saying that the biggest reason Christianity isn’t as violent as Islam these days is the fact that it isn’t as politically powerful.
Comment by berberry — August 5, 2007 @ 3:00 pm