The challenge Al-Rashed faces is much bigger than simply revamping a television channel. His goal is to foster a new kind of dialogue among Arabs, to carve out space for moderate and liberal ideas to enter the conversation, and in the process to do nothing less than save the Arab world from itself.

Dubai, with its Disneyesque Arab souks in which you can purchase Arab handicrafts or a Cinnabon ...

The news director refused to give Essam the assignment, saying it was too dangerous. So Essam used his vacation time to travel to Iraq from Dubai and "embed" himself in a house of insurgents in Falluja.