Islamic education with a twist
Seven years ago, host Ahmad Al Shugairi pioneered a new type of educational television show in the Middle East. Since then, his series Khawater has rocketed to fame, and he spoke to IMS about modernizing Islam on air and in practice.
The Khawater television crew shivers outside an elementary school in the Hellerup region of Denmark, yearning for the front doors to swing open. Ahmed al Shugairi glances back at the camera to remind his viewers in the Middle East that, contrary to the dark skies, the time is in fact 8 am. “The sun sets in the morning here,” the genial host says with a laugh, in an interview with IMS. During its seven year run, the television programme Khawater, or Reflections, has become wildly popular in the Arab world. This season, the show focuses its camera lens on childhood education with a special emphasis on the Nordic countries, including Denmark.
Khawater is the brainchild of Mr. Al Shugairi, a Saudi Arabian national and one of the loudest voices in the Middle East pushing for the Muslim world to move forward. He mixes his own blend of education, Islamic values and entertainment into the daily episodes, aired during the month of Ramadan. In past seasons, he has showcased subjects such as the arts in Andalusian Spain and the innovations of modern Japan to segue a discussion on prophetic sayings. This season’s focus on education, for which IMS helped research the episodes on Denmark, reflects Mr. Al Shugairi’s drive to inspire the youth of the Arab world to change their future.
-What is happening in schools today is going to decide what type of generation we will have twenty years from now. The youth are not used to old habits and you can instill some positives in them to change their school environments.
Mr. Al Shugairi is spearheading the changes he would like to see with the renovation of a school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. His new school will employ the qualities he admires in Danish and Finnish schools: state-of-the art classrooms, pristine cafeterias and bathrooms, creative play areas and advanced teaching methods. Magdi Omar, director of the show, pointed out that these concepts stand in sharp contrast to a region where some schools still employ caning as standard practice. The show’s creators want it to be seen as an agent of change, highlighting the norms that Arab youth should expect from their education systems.
Al Shugairi has never hidden the fact that he wants to see change in the Islamic world. Khawater effortlessly weaves Quranic verses and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad together with exhortations for scientific advancement and moral evolution. His unorthodox approach urges viewers to reexamine Islam and its implementation in modern society.
-Prophet Muhammad came and he just reemphasized the human values that already existed in precious religions and cultures since Adam- justice, cleanliness, hygiene, health, tolerance-that’s what people are missing, common human values.
By focusing on the future rather than the past, Khawater breaks with the rigid conventions of Islamic education in the Middle East. Al Shugairi uses the show to challenge what he defines as a culture rooted in corruption and clunky logic. Though it will not be covered in the episodes on Danish education, he cites the cartoon controversy of 2005 as an example of narrow interpretations of Islamic devotion.
-I think Denmark abides by prophetic laws more than all the Islamic countries. When an Iraqi, Palestinian or Lebanese is kicked out of his home and no Arab country will take him but Denmark does and provides government support, free education and free healthcare you can’t pretend that you’re so pious because you’re upset at one guy sitting in a newspaper that did a cartoon about the prophet.
He wants to see more understanding between the West and the Islamic world and sees Muslim integration in media, politics and social life, especially in European countries, as the fastest path to progress. Though his brand of Islam does not sit well with traditional clerics in Saudi Arabia, al Shugairi has found an eager audience with young people around the Middle East. The show has become a model of openness to new ideas, reflecting the most important social trends in the region.
IMS has consistently supported cross-cultural exchange between media professionals in Denmark and the Middle East through its twinning programme and Khawater is no exception. Director Magdi Omar lauded the Danish approach to filmmaking and the convenience with which his crew could simply “point and shoot.” The ability to film without acquiring numerous permits, as in Egypt, contributes to the success of the show.
The new season covers education, but perhaps no school featured in the series contributes to education as much as Khawater itself. The show creatively offers viewers instruction on the depth of Muslim history with the breadth of modern global culture and Ahmed al Shugairi inhabits the role of spiritual savant with ease.
Khawater is a non-profit show; all proceeds from the program are used for operations or donated to charity. Season 7 will air in the Middle East during late August, throughout the month of Ramadan. To learn more about the show, click here.
