Muslim Reality TV Show for New Leaders to Go Global

Looking for the next young Muslim leader who can change the world for the better? Look no further, or at least there's now a breakthrough way to find and foster them. Because the leading Islamic reality TV show in Malaysia, which sets out to discover and promote new Muslim leaders in ways similar to what the wildly popular American Idol does with musicians, is about to go global. It's called Imam Muda, or "Young Leader," and it's likely to take the religious entertainment industry by storm.

Building on the extremely successful format (if also extremely over-used in Euro-American television) of other star-making reality shows, from Survivor to the Biggest Loser, the producers of the 10-part series intend to roll out versions for the whole Islamic world. The last-person-standing premise in this case seeks to identify and popularize potential role models for Muslim youth, who in America especially are sorely needed due to maniacally biased media portrayals.

Who won this time? During a live Friday-night broadcast, a 26-year-old religious scholar named Muhammad Asyraf Ridzuan beat 27-year-old religious teacher Hizbur Rahman. What were the competitions? They included displaying skill and tact in counseling young Muslims, reciting verses from the Koran, singing hymns and performing Islamic religious rituals. Who would have thought that being the most pious person could win you awesome prizes?

What did he win?  A scholarship to the Al-Madinah University in Saudi Arabia, a job as a cleric at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, a car, an iPhone, an all-expenses paid pilgrimage to Mecca, and a cash prize, according to the Washington Post. No small compensation for a young leader with a bright future ahead, thanks in no small part to the stylish spotlight put on him by this unique religious reality TV show, which could perhaps spawn others for Jews, Christians and, who knows, maybe even atheists and agnostics.

Having previously reported on effective social media lessons from Middle Eastern activists, there is no doubt more media lessons to be learned from this Muslim reality TV show. While there have been other efforts toward socially-conscious reality TV shows, notably by Oprah, they have yet to take the same hold on the Euro-American mass media mind. Conversely, though, Imam Muda and its derivatives could also be considered to be promoting religious fanaticism. Another not-so-far-out-there possibility is that reality-tv based platforms like this could be used to highjack or improve democratic or other political systems as a whole.

Here are a few other ideas: World Peacebuilding Challenge, The Greenest Design, Healing the Hungry, Preventing Poverty, and Fix the Economy, Stupid! Seriously, these and others could give the Nobel Prizes a run for their laureates.

Have your own idea for a constructive reality TV show? Let the world know here, and get working on it.

Photo credit: dlisbona