Documentary .

The second episode of Women, War & Peace tells the astonishing story of the Liberian women who took on the warlords and regime of dictator Charles Taylor in the midst of a brutal civil war and won a once unimaginable peace for their shattered country in 2003. In the capital city of Monrovia, thousands of women — mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim — formed a thin but unshakeable line between the opposing forces, literally facing down the killers who had turned Liberia into hell on earth. Their demonstrations culminated in Taylor’s exile and the rise of Africa’s first female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Watch Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 9pm.

In 2003, Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa — Kuwaiti psychologist, graduate of Columbia Business School and father of four young boys — had an idea: create a comic book series with roots in Islam and Islamic culture. Al-Mutawa came up with the concept of THE 99: a team of superheroes, each one exemplifying one of the 99 attributes of Allah. His motivations were both entrepreneurial and idealistic — THE 99 would exemplify the Islamic virtues of compassion, understanding, and tolerance – qualities not often associated with Islam by the West. Within the Islamic world, Al-Mutawa hoped these new role models would counter the growing tide of political and religious extremism.

Watch Independent Lens: Wham! Bam! Islam!
Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 9pm.

Watch the full episode. See more Independent Lens.