JEDDAH, 22 February - Dr. Zamil Abu Zinada, director general of information, and Arab News Editor-in-Chief Khaled A. Al-Maeena are being featured in interviews on BBC World's Haj programs by well-known journalist Riz Khan.
"Haj: Islam Speaks" will be aired at 12.30 p.m. & 5.30 p.m. today and 5.30 a.m. tomorrow, and "The Heart of Islam" at 1.30 a.m., 12.30 p.m. & 5.30 p.m. on March 1, and at 5.30 a.m. on March 2.
The exclusive interviews tackle issues such as security, Islamic fundamentalism and extremism, and why Haj is so important an event to Muslims. "The annual pilgrimage to Makkah is under way at a time when Islam is in greater focus than ever. More than two million people from every corner of the world gather in the holy city to fulfill a key obligation of their religion," a BBC World online release said.
Khan was one of the first foreign journalists granted permission to report the Haj live for television in 1998, and he has been doing that ever since.
In the two special programs on the Haj, Khan looks at issues facing the Muslim World as he witnesses the unraveling of this remarkable event in the heart of Islam. He talks to pilgrims who have traveled across the globe to the holy city of Makkah and the people involved in making the Haj as safe and secure as possible.
