Compared with typical western values, I'd call this a step up because I don't think something involving aspiring young priests or ministers would garner nearly the same amount of interest from US TV gazers (say what you will about Islam).
Included in the contest is one of what Christians might refer to as corporeal works of mercy. From the WSJ article:
Each week, "Young Imam" goes out of its way to confront the contestants with situations they might have to face one day as real imams. In the first episode, the young contenders were sent out to prepare unclaimed corpses for burial—an essential rite in Islam.
To my knowledge, Muslims don't embalm corpses for burial, but even so, most western clerics have funeral personnel at their disposal for any necessary "preparation" (lucky them).
More:
In the following show, the contestants ditched their suits and black Muslim caps to don sports shirts to head out with the police on a midnight raid on a gang of teenage motorcycle street racers in the southern town of Johor Baru. The young imams—none of them much older than the street racers—herded the bikers into a room and tried to wean them off their racing fix by lecturing them about Islam.
This struck me as a bit odd. Having been arrested for misdemeanors (long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away ;-), I doubt that I would've been properly disposed to receive lectures from anyone (cleric or other authority figure) soon after being apprehended, but perhaps they allow them to sweat a little so they'll soften up. This also signifies differing views between the US and Malaysia on Church & State issues, as I don't think you'd encounter young clerics upon being raided over here, even though there are jail chaplains on hand sometimes per request. Then again I could be mistaken and it could be just for show.
One last exert:
For the past month they have been cloistered in a hostel on the grounds of a federal mosque here in Kuala Lumpur and, to better help them focus on their religious studies, are banned from watching TV, reading newspapers or going online. They're not even allowed to follow the World Cup soccer tournament that's captivating the rest of Malaysia. The last few survivors will stay there for another two months, when the show's finale will be broadcast live from a theater.
I kind of disagree with this stipulation, as relating to current events with parishioners (if that's a proper term for mosque attendees) can be a positive gateway for interaction and sort of a "window into the soul". Besides, an imam will have to learn how to limit distraction in the real world anyway, so why not allow him to learn moderation in prep for his future duty?
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