one of the oldest radio shows broadcast annually from the 15th of Dhul Qa'da for a month by Jeddah Radio - caters to listeners who are eager and interested to learn about the pilgrimage, remarked Farwan Salem Al-Ghamdi, head of the European department of the Jeddah Broadcasting Service (JBS), in Jeddah. Al-Ghamdi, who has a master's degree in French from Nice University in France, and 20 years of experience with JBS, told Saudi Gazette that the aim of the show is to raise awareness for pilgrims and explain how to perform Haj according to the instructions of the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). “This is the principal goal of the program. Another aspect is to educate pilgrims coming from so many countries around the world how to deal with other fellow pilgrims and to inform them about the services provided to them by the Saudi government,” explained Al-Ghamdi. “The program also explains how to move inside the Holy Sites and conduct the pilgrimage in Makkah, Arafat, Mina, Muzdalifah, and Madinah.” He added that the educational process involves the cooperation of a number of governmental departments including the Ministeries of Islamic Affairs, Health and Interior. “Each year, they send us a lot of information about the pilgrimage, including services provided for the pilgrims,” he said. “They send the text in Arabic, which is then translated and adapted for the radio.” According to Al-Ghamdi, much of the impetus for this program comes from the Ministry of Islamic affairs which annually offers three audio programs in English, French, Urdu, Arabic, Bhasa Indonesia, Swahili, and Turkish. The first-ever program to be introduced was in Bhasa Indonesia, more than 20 years ago. The program itself includes a variety of topics, derived from a number of sources. New entries this year are in Swahili and Turkish, though the programs in Urdu and Bhasa Indonesia remain the most popular due to the high influx of pilgrims from the Subcontinent and Indonesia. Religious scholars are also interviewed for the Haj Enlightenment program. “We offer many episodes with interviews of the ulema, well-known personalities as well as pilgrims,” explained Al-Ghamdi. “There is also a fatwa program where pilgrims' questions are answered, as well as a section devoted to the activities of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), and their animal sacrifice program particularly.” English services The European section was set up almost 30 years ago with programs offered in English and French with 10 and a half hours and four hours devoted daily to them respectively. The English service of the department broadcasts directly from Jeddah from 1.30 P.M. to 3.30 P.M. daily, and produces programs to be broadcast in Riyadh. Al-Ghamdi's colleague Hussain Hamzah Khalil, is the Head of the English section, and previously, the manager of the translation service at JBS. “We have 40 programs spread over the week including the program “60 minutes”, broadcast on Sunday and Tuesday, which is produced and presented by Samar Fatany and Jamela Ashaer,” he said, adding that the program started four years ago and has proven to be popular with listeners. Khalil holds a Bachelor's degree in English from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and has also attended a training course in broadcasting journalism with Voice of America, in Washington DC in 1988. He remarked that apart from regular programs, the service also pays attention to special occasions such as National Day, as well as religious affairs. A program called “Newborn Muslim” is presented every Friday and includes interviews with recent converts to Islam at the Islamic Foundation Center, as well as one called “Lessons from the Prophet's Sayings.” One relatively new program, introduced last year, is called “Select” and is presented by Bader Al-Shamri on Monday and Wednesday. It allows people to call in and request a song or give their opinion on a subject of public concern, such as traffic. A new show called “The Beginning of the Week”, presented by Soha Riri on Saturdays has just begun followed by “Window Around the Kingdom” on Sunday, where listeners can also call in. Other shows include “Current Challenges”, presented by Samar Fatany and “Arabica”, prepared by Khalil himself and presented by Hala Al-Omain. The European department's staff consists of around 50 people, and JBS plans to start broadcasting to Western countries, though Khalil concedes that he doesn't know when that will come about. He added that “Newborn Muslim” could prove to be a hit in the United States where Islam is the fastest-growing religion, as well as in Europe. “Saudi Arabia is commanding a position of growing respect and leadership in the Middle East and the rest of the world. The inter-faith dialog is gaining international support and deserves wider coverage,” he said. “The program ‘60 minutes' covers and discusses this important initiative of King Abdullah's.” – SG These programs are broadcast daily on medium waves AM at 594 kilohertz for listeners in Madinah and its vicinity; FM waves 104.4 megahertz covering Mina and surrounding areas, for three hours for each language. • Bhasa Indonesia: 6 A.M. • English: 9 A.M. to 10 A.M., 5 P.M. to 6 P.M., 1 A.M to 2 A.M. • French: 10 A.M. to 11 A.M., 6 P.M. to 7 P.M., 2 A.M. to 3 A.M. __
