The tonality and word choice of the author portrays the show to be dramatic.
The prizes offered stand out as a motivation for people to take part. However, I am mindful to note that it appears that the show is commercializing religion, and using prizes and the media to attract the younger generation, which in general appear more apathetic towards religion today. It is an interesting method, but trivialises the sanctity of religion.
It also comes across as a form of propaganda for the Islam-dominant country, considering the mention of the show being a collaboration with the government body.
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ReplyDeleteI wrote in a different light.. I just commented on the author's method of writing... Anyway it is a good point to me that you mentioned about the sanctity of the religion. It is quite surprising, or even perplexing how open Islam had become.
ReplyDeleteRegarding to what you replied to me on Facebook, I am still quite curious whether how commercializing a religion can affect the sanctity of the religion. And to add on, I believe both of us are not Muslims, do we have the right to judge whether this will affect the holiness of Islam? Perhaps we need a Muslim friend to figure out for us haha !
ReplyDeleteI liked the way you have commented on both the content (what the author is writing about), as well as how the author writes about it (style). You refer to tone and word choice. The word limit does not allow you to develop the latter claim. Even more interesting is the ensuing debate that Joo Fei and Kevin pick up on. This debate is potentially there in the article, but the author chooses not to touch it! Probably for the same reason that Joo Fei mentions?
ReplyDeleteI agree that commercializing religion could trivialize the sanctity of it. However, at the same time it is apparent that today's youth are not too drawn to religion, tradition and culture. I find that this show has taken that into consideration and come up with a format which will entice the youth and simultaneously impart them knowledge and values on the religion itself. I appreciate them for this! :)
ReplyDeleteI like the point about commercializing religion, but at the same time, also find some possibility that the producers were very much enthusiastic about spreading their religion as well! :)
ReplyDeleteI think the existence of such reality shows shows how religion has transformed to meet the needs of the market or the society. I also believe that terms like "commercialization of religion" and "sanctity of religion" can be very subjective. It boils down to what we expect from a particular religion (the idea) and the people (it can be the religious leaders, devotees or the organization). In this case, it seems that our impression of an imam or a Buddhist monk is very different from that of a Christian pastor. Some have thrown doubts about the quality of the imams who were chosen from the reality show. My take on this is that although it is true that popularity does not always mean quality, the popularity of the show proves that the people (Muslims and/or non-Muslims) like this "new" image of Islam and the popularity of the imam shows that the people accepted him as a religious leader and a representative from their religion.
ReplyDeleteChin Yang, I completely agree! I do feel that religion is malleable in that way, and the existence of "Imam Muda" is proof that Malaysia is open to new forms of expressing and spreading their faith.
DeleteI also do feel that the popularity of an imam is a very very strong factor in the success of his career. I don't know if you know, but the general academic view of religious leaders in Southeast Asia is that the 'best' leaders in society's eyes, i.e. the most popular, can sometimes be so unqualified! You're very right in raising this point. Certainly the Malaysian officials must know this as well, to go ahead with the TV program =)