In a bizarre marriage of satellite technology, mid—Twentieth Century American pop culture, and medieval Arab concepts of martyrdom and historical vengeance, the first jihadist television game show is being beamed to households throughout the Middle East.

Hizbullah—controlled satellite channel al Manar ('The Beacon'), located in Beirut, is broadcasting a TV quiz show, in which contestants are asked questions testing their knowledge of the struggle to obliterate Israel and kill Jews. The U.K.'s Guardian reports that contestants are asked such head—scratchers as:

What was the name of the Israeli town attacked by Fatah fighters resulting in the death of five Israelis?

A martyrdom operation [suicide bombing] took place on April 25 1995, in southern Lebanon. What was the name of the martyr?

One can just imagine Arab families gathering together to watch the heart—warming contest, in which participants demonstrate their mastery of the arcana of killing Jews. A correct answer moves the competitors closer to Jerusalem (depicted by the Gold Dome of the Rock, built upon the ruins of the Second Temple) on a virtual map. The lucky winner who gets to Jerusalem (presumably a Jerusalem cleansed of any Jewish presence) wins a cash prize of a few thousand dollars.

No ratings services measure the audience, but al Manar claims that thousands of people each week apply to become contestants. If a ratings service ever does appear, here are a couple of suggestions for ways of increasing the audience in the all—important 7—21 year old male potential suicide—bomber demographic:

— award non—cash prizes, such as explosive belts, vials of nitro—glycerine, and containers of anthrax;

— have attractive young women (naturally, covered head—to—toe in burkhas) emerge from behind a sparkly curtain, modeling the weaponry being awarded

— offer all—expenses paid haj trips to Mecca, plugging the deluxe accommodations and fabulous meals to be enjoyed by the lucky winners;

A modern popular culture which idolizes brutal mass murderers, while an obvious source of sick humor, is one of the more frightening developments in the history of mass communications. The world has already seen what happened when Nazi Germany used radio, film, and mass rallies to inculcate racist sickness in the minds of millions.

The new, vastly more powerful and pervasive technical means available to the pushers of martyrdom (for others) can now reach hundreds of millions, widely scattered across national boundaries. Exremely dangerous seeds are being planted.

Hat tip to reader Ethel C. Fenig

Posted by Thomas  04 27 04