New York Times Magazine has called Amr Khaled "the worlds most famous and influential Muslim televangelist." (Sharpiro, 2006) He is an Arab-Israeli religious preacher with no formal training, famous for his informal style and passionate messages about Islam. He presents a contemporary message aimed at young Muslims.
From his early days of preaching, Khaled embraced media as a way to spread his message. He started with television and recorded interviews. Although controversial to many Mulsims, his popularity grew among the youth and young adults. Khaled expanded his platform to the Internet, where his video sermons and interviews are available for download, as well as many other resources such as books and CD's. The website is also available in several different languages, not just Arabic.
The Amr Khaled phenomenon shows that religious leaders can have an influential role in a communities use of new media. Khaled highlights how media involvement is in line with Islam's call to transform culture through promoting their beliefs.
Visit Arm Khaled website and take a look at all the resources available:
http://www.amrkhaled.net/suggested/index.php
Friday, February 24, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Welcome to my blog for Religious Communication @ Texas A&M!
Over the next couple weeks, I will be exploring new media's impact on Muslim communities and faith. Some posts will include reflections from class discussions over rituals, identity, community, authority, and authenticity. In addition, I will post my own research on how new media effects their lived religion. I am interested in exploring how Muslims are using new media to combat negative stereotypes and myths, and how they interact with other Muslims across the globe.
See you soon!
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