A compelling look at the forces that have shaped the modern Middle East chronicles almost a century of social, political, and economic turmoil; the growing power of religious fanaticism; and the increasing problem of terrorism. Interviews and rare footage make critical observations about the treatment of women in many Islamic countries, the rise of extremism and violence, the alliance of clerics and authoritarian regimes funded by oil money, and what many perceive to be the misuse or misinterpretation of the Koran. Featured commentators include Bernard Lewis of Princeton University, Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, and Fareed Zakaria.