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Quran contest takes on reality shows in Algeria for Ramadan
Knights of the Quran, which started at the beginning of Ramadan, allows [Algerian] viewers to vote for their favourite Quranic reciter. But more important, it replaces two racy music talent shows that were pulled out from Algerian screens by the state-owned broadcasters following pressure from Islamic political parties.
It is the latest move by the Algerian government to reduce the number of western television shows and replace them with more conservative religious shows. The government has already banned Star Academy, the Middle East’s answer to American Idol, following complaints the show was inappropriate and “un-Islamic”, along with a locally produced version, Alhan ya Shabab (Welcome Youth).
Knights of the Quran will screen on ENTV, the state-owned television broadcaster, and is being promoted by the religious affairs ministry, which said the show was intended to provide a balance to what many Algerians were watching on TV. It is one of many Quran recitation contests that will be held throughout the Muslim world this month, most notably a popular recitation prize in Dubai.
Source: The National (UAE), September 4, 2008
Posted at: 2008-09-10
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