Islam: The Untold Story is a documentary film written and presented by the English novelist and popular historian Tom Holland.[1] The documentary is an exploration into the origins of Islam, an Abrahamic religion that developed in Arabia in the 7th century; it critiques the orthodox Islamic account of this history, claiming that this traditional story lacks sufficient supporting evidence. It was commissioned by the British television company Channel 4 and first broadcast in August 2012. Its release followed the publication of Holland's In the Shadow of the Sword: The Battle for Global Empire and the End of the Ancient World (2012), which also discussed the rise of the Arab Empire and the origins of Islam.
Holland claimed there was little hard evidence for the origins of Islam and asked why it took several decades after the death of Muhammad for his name to appear on surviving documents or artefacts. Arguing that there was little evidence for how the faith was born, he suggested that the city of Mecca may not have been the real birthplace of Muhammad and Islam, and – while not disputing Muhammad's existence as a real historical figure – posited that much of the Islamic origin myth was later developed in the early years of the Arab Empire.
Upon release, the documentary proved controversial. Mainstream media reception was mixed, but it provoked criticism from figures within the United Kingdom's Islamic community who argued that Holland ignored the evidence that supported the orthodox account of early Islamic history. Ofcom and the broadcaster Channel 4 received an estimated 1200 complaints regarding the program.[2] Fearing violent retaliation from militant Muslims, Channel 4 cancelled a public screening of the documentary.(wikipedia)
