"The programme was discussing things that many of us were already talking about, such as why the bathrooms in some mosques are filthy, but in a restaurant they are clean ," he says. Al Shugairi's decision to address topics such as the disorderly manner in which shoes are left at mosques before prayers, the condition of some mosque toilets, the treatment of domestic workers and how we interact with the opposite sex struck a chord not only with young people across the region, but the wider Muslim population as well.Īl Shugairi says Khawatir was nothing short of ground-breaking. Wh ile other programmes discussed Islam from the perspective of theology, Khawatir focused on the details and captured the attention of Arabs desensitised to religious programming. "The book appeals to all and one of the ways it does that is to make it non-consequential. I wanted to appeal to a wider audience, even if they're not readers," he says. Instead, each episode – and particularly in the early seasons, when shows could be as brief as five minutes long – was zippy and innovatively edited, as Al Shugairi focused on one hot -button topic that was being widely discussed in Saudi Arabian society and the wider Muslim diaspora. There were no long-winded discussions or myriad talking heads. Wh ile those programmes, which often featur ed religious scholars, addressed the teachings of Islam in a dry and strait-laced manner, Khawatir took a comparatively radical approach. Here was a show that was markedly different to the plethora of spiritual programmes that were broadcast on the small screen during the holy month. It is easy to understand why Khawatir, which means "reflections" in English, was an immediate hit in the region. MBC were intrigued by the content and approved a series, includ ing it as part of its 2005 Ramadan coverage. Al Shugairi filmed three short, quirky segments in which he discussed various cultural and social aspects of Islam.
When the show ended in 2005, he was invited by the broadcaster to pitch another youth -focused programme. Born in Jeddah and educated in the US, Al Shugairi was chosen by the Dubai -based Pan Arab broadcaster MBC to host the youth affairs programme Yalla Shabab in 2002.
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