Documentary overview

About Central Asia: The Rise of Islamic Terrorism

Central Asia: The Call of ISIS | Investigate Asia According to Russian news reports, the suspects in the Moscow concert hall attack were from Tajikistan. Islamic State has launched a major recruitment aimed at militants from Tajikistan and other central Asian countries. Why are so many young people there turning to ISIS? Colonel Gulmurod Kalimov, head of Tajikistan’s elite Special Forces and close to the president’s family, was a man at the heart of the establishment. Trained in counter-terrorism by both the Russians and the Americans, he led the fight against Islamic extremists in Tajikistan. But in April 2015 he disappeared – only to reappear a few weeks later in an ISIS recruitment video calling on all Muslims in the former Soviet Union to come and join him. In the video, he criticised the corruption and incompetence of Tajikistan’s leaders and promised to ‘bring slaughter’ to his former homeland. Kalimov was the most prominent of the more than 2,000 Tajiks reported to have joined ISIS and his defection was unprecedented. His incredible story lifts the lid on Central Asia, a

Central Asia: The Rise of Islamic Terrorism is presented by Investigate Asia. Its listed runtime is 54 minutes. The source link and publisher attribution are provided with the embedded film.

As a society documentary, Central Asia: The Rise of Islamic Terrorism uses central, islamic, terrorism as its central frame. Social documentaries work best as invitations to examine systems through lived experience. Distinguish individual testimony from wider claims, and consider which institutions, incentives and inequalities shape the choices shown.

Viewing context

What to consider before watching

  1. What evidence, testimony or observation does the film use to explain central, islamic, terrorism?
  2. Which people, institutions or historical conditions most influence the story told in Central Asia: The Rise of Islamic Terrorism?
  3. How does Investigate Asia's framing affect the documentary's emphasis, and which perspectives may deserve further research?
Subjects

Topics covered in this documentary

Societycentralislamicterrorism
Film information

Documentary details and original source

Title
Central Asia: The Rise of Islamic Terrorism
Category
Society
Runtime
54 minutes
Language
English

Free Documentary Vault provides independent discovery, organization and editorial context. The film remains hosted by its original publisher, who controls availability and playback.

Continue exploring
Modi’s India: The Rise of Fascism in the World's Largest Democracy documentary thumbnailEN54 min
Modi’s India: The Rise of Fascism in the World's Largest Democracy

Modi’s India: Democracy or Dictatorship? | Investigate Asia India under Modi: The Rise of Fascism in the World's Largest Democracy | Investigate Asia He has been dubbed an ultranationalistic dictator who is dividing the country. His controversial ‘anti-muslim’ citizenship reforms have deprived millions of people of their rights, and any criticism of his government is quickly silenced. But what shaped Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political view and ideology? In this film, we gained access to the secret RSS movement, a powerful faction promoting the rise of Hindu nationalism, and investigate what is happening to Gandhi’s dream of a united nation. Formed in the 1920s and inspired by extreme right-wing organizations like the German Nazi Party, the RSS movement promotes India as an exclusively Hindu nation. It runs training camps for children aged 3 to 15, where Formed in the 1920s and inspired by extreme right-wing organizations like the German Nazi party, the RSS movement runs training camps for children where they are taught to fear and hate Muslims. It’s here that most members of the ruling BJP underwent basic training.

Investigate Asia

Modi’s India: The Rise of Fascism in the World's Largest Democracy

54 minSociety
The Pattaya Files: Exposing a Child Abuse Ring in Thailand documentary thumbnailEN52 min
The Pattaya Files: Exposing a Child Abuse Ring in Thailand

Dirty Deals in Pattaya: The Dark Side of Sex Tourism in Thailand | Investigate Asia In 2023, Luck Films reported on the ways paedophiles were exploiting post-COVID poverty in Thailand to abuse children. In this documentary, we return to the place where it all began, checking in with stories that have continued since the first film aired and examining whether any real reform is happening – or is even on the horizon. Luck Films uncovered the case of a German suspect arrested for child abuse in Pattaya who was able to flee to Germany by paying a bribe. After the film aired, Frankfurt prosecutors took him into custody. He admitted on camera to taking a minor to his room “to have sex” but denied any abuse. The revelations sparked political outrage in Thailand, leading to a government inquiry. However, it remains to be seen whether tangible reforms will be implemented. Despite TUI removing Pattaya hotels from its program, this follow-up film – Dirty Deals in Pattaya – reveals how child exploitation still persists in luxury hotels. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Welcome

Investigate Asia

The Pattaya Files: Exposing a Child Abuse Ring in Thailand

52 minSociety
Hunting Dissidents: How Beijing Spies on Americans documentary thumbnailEN53 min
Hunting Dissidents: How Beijing Spies on Americans

China Dissidents | Investigate Asia From harassing relatives back home to disrupting protests and spying on critics in other countries, China is one of the most aggressive governments in targeting dissidents abroad. We follow three dissidents in America as they continue their fight for democracy. Juntao Wang, a primary organiser of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and one of the world’s most renowned Chinese dissidents, has led the Democratic Party of China for more than a decade from its New York headquarters. But, wherever he goes, pro-Beijing mobs often follow. While showing support for Taiwan’s democracy, his group is violently attacked. Artist Weiming Chen, who criticises the Chinese government through his sculptures, has been spied on and had his work burned down. Meanwhile, asylum seeker Chunyan Wang, forced into exile after her house was appropriated by the Chinese government, is constantly surveilled. She takes her protest directly to the Chinese Vice Premier during US-China trade talks. But her attempts to hand him a petition lead to her being arrested and tried for a criminal conviction, facing ten years in prison

Investigate Asia

Hunting Dissidents: How Beijing Spies on Americans

53 minSociety
A Nation at Risk: China's Fake Food Scandal documentary thumbnailEN23 min
A Nation at Risk: China's Fake Food Scandal

Fake Food | Investigate Asia A photojournalist from Beijing travels to the city of Changsha to uncover the truth and seek evidence against the unscrupulous food industry that produces and sells fake food products to unknowing consumers. An issue which has brought about tragic and mammoth health repercussions to a nation of a billion people. This documentary first aired in 2014 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Welcome to Investigate Asia - Explore the diverse landscapes of Asia through in-depth documentaries that delve into the region's politics, economy, culture, and history. From ancient traditions to modern innovations, our content offers a unique perspective on the forces shaping Asia today. Join us on a journey to better understand one of the world’s most dynamic and influential regions. Whether you're a history enthusiast or curious about global affairs, this channel is your gateway to discovering Asia.

Investigate Asia

A Nation at Risk: China's Fake Food Scandal

23 minSociety
YOU ARE PROPERTY! - India's Human Traffic Problem documentary thumbnailEN44 min
YOU ARE PROPERTY! - India's Human Traffic Problem

Undercover Asia: Maids Enslaved | Investigate Asia ‘Maids Enslaved’ follows human rights activist Rakesh Senger on a mission to save young girls caught in domestic servitude. The film reveals multiple fronts leading to maid exploitation and culminates in the rescue of a trafficked underage girl from an upmarket... ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Welcome to Investigate Asia - Explore the diverse landscapes of Asia through in-depth documentaries that delve into the region's politics, economy, culture, and history. From ancient traditions to modern innovations, our content offers a unique perspective on the forces shaping Asia today. Join us on a journey to better understand one of the world’s most dynamic and influential regions. Whether you're a history enthusiast or curious about global affairs, this channel is your gateway to discovering Asia.

Investigate Asia

YOU ARE PROPERTY! - India's Human Traffic Problem

44 minSociety
Tricked into Surgery: Why young and poor women have their wombs removed documentary thumbnailEN54 min
Tricked into Surgery: Why young and poor women have their wombs removed

Tricked into Surgery: India’s Hysterectomy Scandal | Investigate Asia In India, the average age of women having a hysterectomy is just 34. Many are a lot younger. Thousands of women are being tricked into expensive and unnecessary operations to remove their wombs by unscrupulous private doctors. As well as leaving their families burdened with heavy debt, the operations push the women into early menopause, often leaving them weak and unable to work. In the sugar growing region of Beed, one in three women have had their wombs removed. Many of them, like Prabarvati, went to the doctor with period pain, backaches or bladder infections and were told they had cancer and the only solution was an urgent hysterectomy. She was 26 when she had the operation. Years later, she suffers from crippling pain and appears decades older. Her daughter had to stop going to school and start working the cane plantations to help the family survive. Other women were pushed into having the operation by cane cutting contractors, who are reluctant to hire women who menstruate. There is a belief

Investigate Asia

Tricked into Surgery: Why young and poor women have their wombs removed

54 minSociety