The Documentary

Wahhabism is the most misunderstood brand of Islam. It is more correctly called Salafism and is a fundamentalist interpretation of the faith, often associated with Saudi Arabia. The Salafis have long been split between jihadists who justify violently overthrowing their rulers and quietists who believe that even oppressive governments should be obeyed. Since the Arab uprisings, two new groups – Salafi democrats and Salafi revolutionaries – have come to the fore too.Presenter Safa Al Ahmad talks to representatives of all positions in the current debate within Salafi Islam about the relationship between religion and politics.(Photo: Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh. Credit: Hassan Ammar/AFP/Getty Images)

What should the relationship be between Islam and the state? This is the question which dominates political debate in the Arab world. Many traditional Islamic scholars believe in the separation of religion and politics. For the Muslim Brotherhood though – the Arab world’s foremost social and political movement - the goal is to create an Islamic state. In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood was elected to power after the Arab uprisings. But its plans quickly ended in failure. After just a year in office, the Brotherhood government faced mass protests before it was deposed by a military coup. As presenter Safa Al Ahmad discovers, these events have caused an unprecedented level of debate between members past and present. She talks to a Brotherhood veteran who believes the Brotherhood should have remained a social movement rather than entering politics and to young members who believe it should be more revolutionary. (Image: Muslim Brotherhood supporter holds a banner with the Arabic slogan 'Islam is the Solution'

Within Shi’ism there is a high level disagreement about the role of Islam in government. Shia-dominated Iran is an Islamic republic, led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a senior Islamic cleric. But the Iranian model of government - a theocratic state - is not supported by Shi’ism’s most senior Islamic cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani who is based in the Iraqi city of Najaf. “Khamenei is the head of Iranian army. Sistani is not the head of Iraqi army,” explains Iraqi politician Walid al-Hilli. But, as presenter Safa al-Ahmad discovers on a visit to Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Sistani has significant influence on the way Iraq is governed. (Photo: A V-sign for victory is flashed in front of a portrait of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Credit: Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images)

Presenter Safa al Ahmad is joined by a panel of experts to reflect on the issues raised in her documentary series 'Islam People and Power'.Guests in the studio are:Dr Maha Azzam, former Associate Fellow of Chatham House, now Head of the Egyptian Revolutionary Council Dr Hazem Kandil, Fellow of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and author of Inside The Brotherhood Hassan Hassan, Fellow of The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy and author of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror(Image: Safa al Ahmad in the studio. Credit: BBC)

The Kafkaesque story of the brutal killing of a woman who was found dead by the side of a lake in Sweden. Agneta Westerlund had moved some years before to a small village from Stockholm along with her husband Ingemar. The couple had first met as teenagers and had been together for 40 years. Her body had suffered a series of bizarre and horrific injuries: one wound on the side of her back was the size of a wheel. Police arrested Ingemar and accused him of murdering his wife by running over her with a lawnmower and then dumping her body by the lake. So did he really kill Agneta? Open Ear features documentaries from producers across the world being rebroadcast by the BBC World Service. This episode first aired on Sveriges Radio in Swedish. (Photo: Lake shore in Sweden. Credit: Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)

Protecting cows has now become the focus of armed Hindu vigilante groups intent on asserting Hindu radicalism under India's Hindu nationalist government.

Tito worked as an entertainer in Egypt’s hotels. All gone. Now, his livelihood wrecked, he takes us on a personal and moving exploration of his country’s tourist crisis. He introduces us to life inside the tourist resorts that have no tourists, and to the people whose lives have changed forever:Tito is 30. He has worked as an entertainer in Egypt’s illustrious hotel scene all his working life. He sings, he dances, he is a comedian and he has entertained thousands of western tourists over his 15-year career. Those tourists aren’t there anymore, neither is the work and neither are most of the hotels Tito has worked in.The historic but violent Egyptian revolution, the bombing of a Russian plane in Egypt, the stabbing of British tourists in Hurgada and most recently the downing of another passenger plane, have left Egypt’s tourist industry beleaguered. What was once a thriving fifteen billion dollar trade in 2010 is now struggling to achieve half that in 2016. But behind the economics are real human stories of de

Black sporting talent is still struggling to break through into South Africa's top teams.

For the eight-year-old Louisa Smith, a day trip to the beach with her father became an experience which shaped her life. The family car was stopped by an armed man, who makes it clear he is prepared to kill them unless he is driven to where he wants to go. But Louisa’s father is a Vietnam veteran, with a unique insight into how to unsettle their abductor. Shobande Shina recalls a mistake with money which stayed with him forever, and Nelson Bohorquez from Colombia, offers a unique glimpse of his mother’s sense of humour. And, from Syria, Layal Mahfoud remembers her mother’s lesson in standing up for her future. Plus, contributions from Debbie Camara, Masiliso Akayombokwa, Dana Silcox, Paola Ribadeneira and Jake Crawford. The Response is open to all and for the next topic we want you to tell us a story about an inspirational woman. As part of the World Service 100 Women series we are asking for your tales about women who changed your life or your community – or you may be a woman who changed things. How did yo

Bola Mosuro explores attitudes towards sex and sexuality in her country of origin, Nigeria. Talking openly about sex, desire and pleasure is still mostly a no-go area - especially if you are a woman. Today, however, women are breaking through religious and cultural barriers to claim equality in the bedroom.

President Rodrigo Duterte was elected to power in the Philippines promising to tackle crime and to feed the corpses of drug dealers to the fish. In the months since he took office almost 5,000 people are believed to have been killed by police and vigilantes. The BBC Trending team investigates how Duterte's 'war on drugs' is playing out in real life, and how a sophisticated social media strategy is ensuring support for the controversial policy.

Sun City is one of America's biggest retirement communities and home to the Poms, a group of amazing women aged between 55 and 85. We follow the Poms as they rehearse for one of their biggest parades of the year. Their story is one of courage in the face of mortality and a high-kick against ageism.

Linda Pressly and Albana Kasapi investigate the 'Green Gold' rush in the Balkan nation

The BBC’s Security Correspondent, Gordon Corera, interviews the CIA Director, John Brennan.

The BBC’s Katy Watson travels to Los Angeles and asks why feminism is still regarded by many as a word to avoid. Despite an ongoing gender pay gap, and a lack of female business-leaders, why does the word continue to raise an eyebrow?

Divya Arya meets the women from rural parts of India who are bucking the trend and working in jobs traditionally done by men. She meets the 'Solar Mamas' learning solar engineering, a widowed railway porter taking on the tough job her husband used to do, the women in rural Karnataka finding a voice in local radio, and those learning the male-dominated trades of boat building, masonry, carpentry and farm management.

Cuba's iconic leader has died - we look back over his life

The bizarre tale of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov - master or pawn in the great game of chess?

From a Bolero concert to a cancer ward, and from the apartment of a guy who helps Cubans get foreign visas to an Afro-Cuban Santeria ceremony, reporter Deepa Fernandes finds out how ordinary Cuban women have lived, loved and invented their way through dwindling resources and political isolation.

Unemployment rates in India have shot up in recent years, and around twice as many women are out of work compared with their male counterparts. Divya Arya travels across India meeting some of the women who are challenging gender stereotypes and breaking down social taboos in order to find work in areas traditionally the preserve of men.