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Broadcasting
from Small Heath, it hits the airwaves for a whole month providing
the local Muslim community with an annual dose of spiritual companionship
for those sometimes difficult Ramadhan days.
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| An
Urdu speaking Imam sharing Islamic knowledge |
Of
course, for those who revel in the delight and blessing of Ramadhan,
Radio Ramadhan also brings with it the familiar blend of Islamic
songs, nasheeds, talks, Qur'anic recitation, lectures, interviews,
competitions, phone-ins, discussion and not forgetting the infamous
and sometimes very noisy Kids Krew.
All
this throughout the days and nights of Ramadhan alongside the expected
prayer recitations and adhaans to remind worshippers of fasting
and prayer times.
Radio
Ramadhan is a nationwide initiative operating in numerous cities
all around the United Kingdom.
The
Birmingham station was set up seven years ago by the Islamic Society
of Britain (ISB) in response to the growing need for a Muslim-friendly
radio station.
The
Muslim community cannot have a permanent radio station at the moment
so instead they receive a license which allows Muslims to share
the airwaves for one month every year.
One
of the main objectives of Radio Ramadhan is to provide Birmingham's
many Muslims with a point of focus during the holy month of Ramadhan
which is closely observed by nearly all of the Muslims in Birmingham.
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| Mixing
desk |
Station
Production Manager Asan Khan believes Radio Ramadhan is a vital
source of unity and understanding for Brummies. He says "A
radio station during Ramadhan aims to be informative, educational
as well as entertaining. The Birmingham branch hopes to be all this
as well as uniting force for the community - Muslim and non-Muslim."
The
radio station, which in Birmingham is assisted by around 100 volunteers,
has so far proved to be a huge success amongst both Muslims and
non-Muslims in most major cities and Brum is no exception.
Various
shows have discussed and dealt with community issues such as problems
affecting different cultural communities and touched upon the issues
facing today's Muslim youth a number of times.
Education,
politics and war have been hot topics over the years and Radio Ramadhan
has acted as an outlet for Muslim feeling and views.
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| Radio
Ramadhan Birmingham |
Asan
Khan, who would like to see the radio station become a permanent
media development organisation, believes that Radio Ramadhan is
"always actively working with the community to ensure that
its programming is representative and reflective of the wonderful
diversity in the local community."
Some
of the guests that have featured on radio Ramadhan include Professor
Tim Brighouse, Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Salma Yaqoob, Estelle Morris MP,
Clare Short MP, Tony Howells, Imam Hamza Yusuf and Imam Anwar al-Awlaki.
Another
thing that makes Radio Ramadhan very different to most radio stations
is its lack of music. Yes, there is the occasional jingle, commercial
or dodgy song but overall there is very little in the way of musical
entertainment as a lot of Birmingham's Muslims view music as haraam
(unlawful) and those who just view music as a 'disapproved' form
of entertainment may still find it inappropriate during Ramadhan.
Instead,
there are numerous nasheeds, songs that mainly consist of vocal
sounds and are identified by their religious lyrics. Some of the
most popular English nasheeds are by Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) and
Dawud Wharnsby Ali although there are much-loved Arabic and Malaysian
nasheeds too.
One
of the most 'fun' or 'annoying' shows (depending on your age group)
is the Kids Krew, a show completely run by young Muslim children
from local schools.
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| Radio
Ramadhan show list |
The
classic hallmarks of the show include kids all shouting at the same
time, presenters forgetting what to say and going silent, lots of
laughing and very cheesy jokes, spoof versions of popular songs,
lots of mispronunciations and just pure pandemonium. With all that,
you'd think the show would be off the schedule but it is surprisingly
a great success and well deserved too.
Two
of the most popular shows with local residents include 'Rush Hour'
presented by Asan Khan himself and 'The Sisters Show' presented
by Dr. Rizvia Khan. Other shows featured on Radio Ramadhan throughout
the week include shows for sisters and kids, community shows, Islamic
shows featuring sermons and recitation and a number of shows in
Arabic, Somali, Urdu, Mirpuri and Bengali.
To
find out more about Radio Ramadhan Birmingham, visit: www.radioramadhan.com/birmingham
or tune into: 87.7fm Radio Ramadhan.
Click
here to find out what they're up to at Radio Ramadhan Dudley
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