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Islamic talent contest???????
Malaysia's got talent: imams take their chants at victory
Malaysia's got talent: imams take their chants at victory
BARNEY HENDERSON
June 28, 2010
Mastering the mullah ... contestants during the filming of the Malaysian reality TV show Imam Muda or Young Leader. Photo: Lai Seng Sin
KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian version of X Factor has forsaken the pop world to search for an inspiring religious leader.Instead of singing pop songs, male contestants on Young Imam chant passages from the Koran to prove they are the best mullah.
The show is in its third week and is fast becoming popular in the Muslim-majority country. Instead of being judged by Simon Cowell, the contestants' fate is in the hands of Hasan Mahmood, the former grand mufti of Malaysia's national mosque.
And instead of a lucrative record deal, the winner from the 10 contestants aged between 19 and 27 will be given a post as an imam at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, a Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and a scholarship to Al-Madinah international university in Saudi Arabia.
The Young Imam competitors are becoming idols to teenage viewers. The show's Facebook page has more than 25,000 fans, including prospective mothers-in-law looking to marry off their daughters.
The aspiring imams are given clerical tasks to complete each week. The first challenge was to bathe and bury a body that had lain unclaimed in a morgue for a month. The man had died of an AIDS-related condition. They washed the body, wrapped it in white cotton, offered prayers and buried it, with some contestants shedding tears at the grave.
Izelan Basar, the channel manager of Astro Oasis, which screens the show, said: ''Seeing and handling a dead body is the most difficult ritual they could face as an imam. The 10 boys were brilliant, but the crew was not so good. The producer fainted and several crew members vomited.''
Other tasks have included trying to teach young street racers caught by police about Islam and visiting an orphanage. The group is secluded from the outside world in a dormitory on a mosque compound.
Each contestant has to deliver a sermon in a mosque every Friday. Last week, Sharafuddin Suaut, 25, was sent home for a lack of clarity over the finer points of Islamic theory.
Mr Izelan said: ''The aim of the show is to get both the contestants and the audience to know, understand and practice their religion in an entertaining way. The reactions to the show have been hugely positive and we are looking forward to many new seasons.''
The television channel collaborated with the government to ensure religious sensitivities were not breached. ''We have been very careful to take a middle path,'' Mr Izelan said.
Telegraph, London
Also see this video from the bbc news
BBC News - Malaysia's reality TV show hopes to find next Imam
What do you all think of having shows like this? I think it's rather crazy and couldn't believe it when I read it. I don't like any of these types of shows though.
Malaysia's got talent: imams take their chants at victory
BARNEY HENDERSON
June 28, 2010
Mastering the mullah ... contestants during the filming of the Malaysian reality TV show Imam Muda or Young Leader. Photo: Lai Seng SinKUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian version of X Factor has forsaken the pop world to search for an inspiring religious leader.Instead of singing pop songs, male contestants on Young Imam chant passages from the Koran to prove they are the best mullah.
The show is in its third week and is fast becoming popular in the Muslim-majority country. Instead of being judged by Simon Cowell, the contestants' fate is in the hands of Hasan Mahmood, the former grand mufti of Malaysia's national mosque.
And instead of a lucrative record deal, the winner from the 10 contestants aged between 19 and 27 will be given a post as an imam at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, a Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and a scholarship to Al-Madinah international university in Saudi Arabia.
The Young Imam competitors are becoming idols to teenage viewers. The show's Facebook page has more than 25,000 fans, including prospective mothers-in-law looking to marry off their daughters.
The aspiring imams are given clerical tasks to complete each week. The first challenge was to bathe and bury a body that had lain unclaimed in a morgue for a month. The man had died of an AIDS-related condition. They washed the body, wrapped it in white cotton, offered prayers and buried it, with some contestants shedding tears at the grave.
Izelan Basar, the channel manager of Astro Oasis, which screens the show, said: ''Seeing and handling a dead body is the most difficult ritual they could face as an imam. The 10 boys were brilliant, but the crew was not so good. The producer fainted and several crew members vomited.''
Other tasks have included trying to teach young street racers caught by police about Islam and visiting an orphanage. The group is secluded from the outside world in a dormitory on a mosque compound.
Each contestant has to deliver a sermon in a mosque every Friday. Last week, Sharafuddin Suaut, 25, was sent home for a lack of clarity over the finer points of Islamic theory.
Mr Izelan said: ''The aim of the show is to get both the contestants and the audience to know, understand and practice their religion in an entertaining way. The reactions to the show have been hugely positive and we are looking forward to many new seasons.''
The television channel collaborated with the government to ensure religious sensitivities were not breached. ''We have been very careful to take a middle path,'' Mr Izelan said.
Telegraph, London
Also see this video from the bbc news
BBC News - Malaysia's reality TV show hopes to find next Imam
What do you all think of having shows like this? I think it's rather crazy and couldn't believe it when I read it. I don't like any of these types of shows though.
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