JEDDAH, 27 October 2003 — Iqraa Channel is planning to launch an Islamic channel in English in the next few months to spread the message of Islam.
Nabeel Al-Hammad, director general of the channel, told Arab News that the new channel would be directed at Europe and America and some Asian and African countries in the first phase. “The decision to launch the new channel was adopted in order to take the message of Islam to all English-speaking people. We found that such a channel has become necessary to counter the smear campaign against Islam and Muslims after the Sept. 11, 2001 events,” he said.
Al-Hammad said the new channel would try to correct misconceptions about Islam. “Iqraa has been instrumental in introducing the moderate teachings of Islam to people in various parts of the world,” he said.
Addressing a press conference on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Iqraa’s launch, the director general said the channel already presented some programs in English, French and Urdu.
“Iqraa has been successful as an Islamic satellite channel,” Al-Hammad said adding that the number of its viewers was growing day by day. “The channel was also successful in attracting advertisements,” he said.
“It is the third largest Arab satellite channel in terms of advertising,” the director general said. He said Iqraa appealed to all sections of society with its moderate and intellectual Islamic programs.
For Ramadan, Al-Hammad said, the channel had “prepared a number of religious, social and recreational programs.”
Special programs of prominent preachers like Amr Khaled, Yousuf Al-Qaradawi and Muhammad Abdu Yamani as well as recordings of Sheikh Muhammad Al-Shaarawi will be aired during the month.
