The roots of the Ottoman Empire go back to 13th-century Turkic nomads who staked claim to a portion of Anatolia and then, strengthened by mercenaries fleeing the Mongol invasion, began hammering at the walls of Byzantium. In this program Rageh Omaar explains how the Ottomans rose and with extraordinary speed conquered parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, changing history in ways that are still being felt today. Traveling to Greece and Bosnia,...

Since Al Qaeda terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, a debate has raged about the nature and leadership of the Muslim faith. Is Islam as a religion dominated by repressive extremists who justify the use of violence to achieve their objectives? Or is the religion defined by the majority of the world's moderate Muslims who reject such radical ideology?

The popular uprisings of the Arab Spring that spread across the Middle East in early 2011 have left a leadership void that Islamist parties have been quick to fill. A longtime supporter of former autocrats like Tunisia's Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, the United States now faces the uncomfortable result of Arab democracy-the rise of Islamist parties that are less amenable to the West than their dictatorial predecessors. Will the...

In 2006, Hamas won a dramatic victory in Palestinian elections and became the dominant political power in Palestine. Yet this same group has targeted and killed many civilians. Israel's occupation has contributed to a violent political environment. What is the best way to interact with a group that is at once labeled terrorist and, at the same time, is the elected leadership of the Palestinian National Authority?

NOBEL PRIZE WINNER •Vogue An exiled poet named Ka returns to Turkey and travels to the forlorn city of Kars. His ostensible purpose is to report on a wave of suicides among religious girls forbidden to wear their head-scarves. But Ka is also drawn by his memories of the radiant Ipek, now recently divorced.Amid blanketing snowfall and universal suspicion, Ka finds himself pursued by figures ranging from Ipek’s ex-husband to a charismatic terrorist....