KCET Premieres Two Riveting Documentaries, 'My Brother the Jidhadist' and 'Stolen Brides' Tuesday, May 28
Burbank, CA - May 16, 2013 -With the recent tragedies in Boston and the alleged bombers' Chechen heritage, KCET and KCETLink will present a consecutive broadcast of two thought-provoking documentaries: My Brother the Jihadist airing Tuesday, May 28 at 8 p.m. and examines the life of an unexpected Islam extremist and Stolen Brides, following at 9 p.m. and sheds light on the centuries-old Chechen tradition of bride stealing.
My Brother the Jihadist, airing at 8 p.m., chronicles British filmmaker Robb Leech over 12 months as he sets out to understand why his step-brother has fundamentally changed his life and beliefs to become an extremist. Like himself, Robb Leech's step-brother Rich Dart was an ordinary white middle-class boy from an English seaside town until Rich moved away, and then his family learned through the media that he'd become a radical Islamist, changing his name to Salahuddin. Leech follows Dart to demonstrations, gatherings and into conversations with like-minded Islamists. Associating with jihadist fundamentalists, he believes the U.K. should be ruled by Sharia law. The film exposes Robb's attempt to reconnect with his step-brother as he watches in vain for any lessening of Rich's hostility toward his country and fellow citizens. As Robb spends time with Salahuddin, he witnesses a very particular phenomenon - the embrace of radical Islamism by young men--many of them white.
The program repeats Wednesday, May 29 at 10:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 2 at 4:30 p.m. on KCET.
Then at 9 p.m., explore the unsettling and widespread phenomenon of bride snatching and the society that condones it in Stolen Brides. Chechnya is one of the poorest of Russia's republics. Women living here are caught between resurgent Islam and a brutal regime. Polygamy - illegal under Russian law - is supported and encouraged by the Chechen President. Often, if a man decides to marry, instead of courting his bride-to-be, he kidnaps her. Images of these kidnaps are posted on the Internet. The only person who can stop the marriage from taking place is the Mullah, who acts as an intermediary between the 'bride's' and 'groom's' families. Stolen Brides reveals the tense and painful negotiations with both families as the fate of a young kidnapped bride-to-be is decided over the course of a few days.
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KCETLink, formed by the merger between KCET and Link Media, is a national independent, nonprofit, digital and broadcast network that provides high-quality, culturally diverse programming designed to engage the public in innovative, entertaining and transformative ways. With a commitment to independent perspectives, smart global entertainment, local communities, and opportunities for engagement and social action, KCETLink depicts people and the world through a lens unavailable elsewhere in U.S. media. A viewer-supported 501(c)(3) organization, KCETLink content is distributed via satellite on DirecTV 375 and DISH Network 9410, in Southern and Central California via broadcast, as well as through various digital delivery systems. KCET and Link TV are services of KCETLink. For additional information about KCET and Link TV productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org or linktv.org.
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