Islam Channel

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Islam Channel
Islam Channel Logo
Launched March 2004
Owned by CEO Muhammad Ali
Availability
Satellite
Sky Digital Channel 813
Astra, 2A, 2B 28.2°E 12,523 H SR 27500 FEC 2/3
Eurobird 1 28.5°E 12,523 H SR 27500 FEC 2/3
Hotbird 13°E 12,303 V SR 27500 FEC 3/4
Internet Television
Broadband Live Internet Broadcast

Islam Channel is a UK-based, free-to-air, English language, Islamic-focused satellite television channel. It broadcasts across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and is streamed live on the internet - it is soon to commence broadcasting in North America. Islam Channel began broadcasting on March 2004 on |Sky Digital channel 836 [1], but subsequently moved to channel 813.

Since its launch, the channel has expanded its range of programming, including programmes regarding current affairs, education, Islamic values, Islamic doctrine, as well as domestic, financial and community related topics. The channel is said to have a viewing audience of over several million,[citation needed] while its target audience is mainly English-speaking Muslims.

Contents

[edit] History of the channel

  • The channel was the original effort of Mohammed Sajid, Shaheen Akhtar, Salauddin Ali, Ibrahim Rashid, Faisal Nazir and Asif Malik. They have all left the Channel.
  • The Global Peace and Unity 2006 attracted 57,0000 people. However there were a large number of complaints regarding poor organisation.
  • Mohamed Ali remains the CEO.
  • On 31 July 2007, the channel was fined £30,000 by the UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom for allowing staff, including journalist Yvonne Ridley, to present news and current affairs programmes whilst standing as candidates in elections [2]

[edit] Aims of Islam Channel

  • Islam Channel aims to be an informational as well as an entertainment medium for Muslim populations as well as Non-Muslim populations. It aspires to raise public awareness about Islam, Muslims and issues concerning them, especially in the light of perceived misinformation prevalent in today's global community. It aims to form bridges of mutual understanding and awareness between communities. It also aims to educate Muslims and Non-Muslims about Islam, inviting them to research it further.
  • There has been a large demand amongst Muslims to have an alternative media source and television station by which authentic information on Islam and current affairs can be obtained, as well as a station which is sensitive to Islamic morals and ethics, and Islam Channel is perceived to be one step towards realising that goal [3].

[edit] Popular Programmes

There are a number of programmes enjoying significant popularity amongst Muslims globally which cover entertainment, current affairs, community activities, women's issues as well as Islamic education[4].

[edit] Islam Channel News

Perhaps the most watched programme on the channel, now that the world-famed 'Agenda' discussion programme has been taken off-air.

Islam Channel News is the first-ever attempt to provide global Islamic news in the English language.

[edit] Behind the Veil

  • (email address out of use)- show ceased

Behind the Veil is an educational programme hosted by two presenters named Hoda Al Soudani, Psychology and Criminology student and Shahida Mohamed Ali, 21, studying International Relations and Arabic. It is aimed at the Muslim youth with the intention of addressing the relevant cultural and social issues from an Islamic perspective, as well as sharing information about and related to Islam. Memorable episodes have included the issue of inter-racial marriages amongst Muslims, as well as discussions on inspiring the youth of today to live up to the standards set by the young people amongst the Salaf.

The programme also contains regular book reviews to discuss and recommend notable publications, and has in the past covered books such as The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Forty Hadiths of al-Nawawi, and Companions of the Prophet by Abdul Waahid Haamid . Programme details and summaries are put on the Internet for archiving. [5]

Having assumed broadcast since 2005, Behind the Veil currently airs every Sunday at 1500 GMT with a repeat the following Tuesday at 4pm.

[edit] Hassan and Habibah

Hassan as-Saleemi and Habibah Ellahee are married co-hosts of this light social affairs programme. They are widely known among Muslims as "Hassan and Habibah", their show is entitled 'The Hassan and Habibah Show'. The show is described as a

"unique show..live husband and wife talk show discussing issues with different guests. This refreshing weekly discussion show examines social issues that deal with family, marriage and various other topics"[1].

They are noted for challenging mainly South-Asian cultural perceptions on the nature of Islam, dealing with topics such as: forced marriage; domestic violence with the Muslim women's helpline; depression with the Muslim Youth Helpline; and infertility problems with Dr Mohammad Taranissi[2][3]).

They have on occasion dealt with more serious topics, specifically on the 25 December 2004 in a 2-hour special, they did a show entitled "Prisoners of Iman", discussing cases of Muslims that have been imprisoned for their faith, or political activity. They interviewed the wife of Ian Nisbet, one of the "Egypt Three".

[edit] IslamiQA

Question and Answer - Phone an Islamic scholar live

[edit] Journey Through the Quran

A series of lectures explaining the meaning of the Quran by Shaikh Suhaib Hasan.

[edit] Muslimah Dilemma

Muslim sisters show

[edit] Fundamentals of Faith

A show by Yasir Qadhi in which he discusses the basic theological beliefs of Islam.

[edit] National Qir'aat Competition

Listen to the young ones battle it out in reciting the Quran. Presented by Barrister Rizwan Hussain.

[edit] Model Mosque

A new ground breaking show for the channel, designed to find the best masjid in the UK. Presenter Abrar Hussain

Launching September 2007!

[edit] Seerah

"Stories from the Seerah: Lessons and Morals" is presented by Yasir Qadhi. It discusses the seerah or biography of the Prophet Muhammad and extracts benefits and morals from them.

[edit] Ummah Talk

A discussion of events that affect the "ummah" i.e. the Muslim community

[edit] Your Event

A light hearted and often entertaining weekly show which covers Islamic events in and around the UK, presented by Abdul Akbar, a qualified teacher and IT Consultant.

[edit] Education Matters

A show dedicated to Muslims within Education. Usually hosted by Babar Mirza, a secondary school qualified teacher and director of education for a nationally recognised educational trust in the UK.

[edit] Saturday Night Live

This flagship entertainment show is hosted by Sajid Varda. The chat show features guests from all walks of life, both well known and up and coming, who are distiniguised in their fields of music, art, entertainment, community work. Guests have included Jermaine Jackson,The Sound Of Reason,Sami Yusuf and boxer Danny Williams. Sajid has worked with the channel since 2004 and with his extensive background in the TV & Film industry brings a wealth of experience and professionalism to the Channel. This light-hearted entertainment show airs on Saturday night at 9.30pm.

[edit] Illuminating the soul

Islam Channel is currently airing a series of lectures by a prominent Sunni/Sufi scholar Shaykh Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri on the subjects of Seerah, Aqida (Islamic creed) and Tasawwuf. This programme, which has proven to be popular, shows that the Islam Channel has endeavored to involve scholars from different schools of thought.

[edit] Conferences organized by Islam Channel

[edit] Global Peace & Unity

The Global Peace & Unity event was a large scale event attended by around 25,000 Muslims and Non-Muslims at the ExCel arena in London on the 4th December 2005. The aim of the event according to the organisers was to bring together people from all spheres of the British society in order to inform and educate them about Islam and Muslims — and through this, help to bridge the gaps between Muslims and non-Muslims. Guest speakers, amongst others, included:

Live performances by Muslim entertainers Zain Bhikha, Ahmed Bukhatir, Jamal Uddiin Marcell & The Fletcher Valve Drummers, Junaid Jamshed and Najam Sheraz were also given.

The event was again repeated on November 25th and 26th 2006.

[edit] Islamaphobia: A Dilemma in the West

  • The Islam Channel convened a conference on Islamophobia held in Copenhagen on the 13th of May 2006 [6]. The conference was attended by 150 participants from countries around the world, with approximately another 1000 in the audience. Participation in the question and answer sessions was enhanced by a television audience of millions across Europe and North and West Africa. While the majority were Muslims, many others were Christians or of other beliefs.
  • Speakers at the event included CEO of Islam Channel Muhammad Ali, Mayor of London Ken Livingston, political analyst and journalist Yvonne Ridley, Islamic speakers Shaykh Yusuf Estes and Jamal Badawi, as well as a broad range of other speakers.

[edit] References

  1. ^ :: Islam Channel :: - Welcome to IslamChannel Official Website
  2. ^ BBC News | HEALTH | Embryo gene testing approved
  3. ^ "Saviour sibling" is born after embryo selection in the United States - Dobson 326 (7404): 1416 - BMJ

[edit] See also

[edit] External links