Reality TV comes to Mecca
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
by
|
|
|
Television personality and Islamic preacher Amr Khaled has launched what is believed to be the region’s first religious reality-TV program during January’s Hajj season. Broadcasting live from Mecca, the show tracked pilgrim activities over the five day pilgrimage on a 24 hour channel provided by pay-TV operator ART. It also featured Khaled praying, performing the Hajj rites and holding and attending religious classes,. Khaled has also managed to hold meetings with many financiers, including the chairman of the Islamic Development Bank, Ahmed Mohamed Ali. The meetings have resulted in promises to back his and help finance his show, Life Makers. The show, which aims at creating small business opportunities for the Arab youth, claims to have hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the region. A poll on Khaled’s website shows that 86 percent of participants would like that reality-TV experiment to be repeated next year.
|
