CAIOR, January 11, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – Famed Muslim preacher Amr Khaled has launched the first 'reality' hajj for the first time on his new ART-affiliate satellite 'Life Makers,' airing 24 hours a day everyday life of pilgrims during the five-day hajj, which ends Thursday, January 12.

Khaled accompanied by a host of pilgrims are shown performing hajj rites, supplicating to God in piety and holding religious awareness classes by prominent Muslim scholars like Egyptian Mufti Ali Gomaa and Yemeni Habib Al-Jafri.

The airing is the first religious 'reality TV' in the Muslim world and came in sharp contrast to Star Academy, one of the hottest incarnations of reality TV in the Arab world, which was harshly criticized amid cries of immorality.

"It is a unique step no doubt to have hajj live, but it is too soon to assess the 'reality' experience," Magi Al-Halawani, the head of Cairo University's Mass Communication Faculty, told IslamOnline.net Wednesday, January 11.

"At least millions of Muslims will be mesmerized by the spiritual journey as they see it in a simple and real way, which helps them learn how to perform proper hajj," added Ashraf Galal, a MassCom professor.

Airing 24 hours a day on Lebanon's LBC satellite channel, "Star Academy" features 16 contestants cloistered in a villa, who attend singing, dancing, and acting lessons, devour take-out pasta, and compete for a recording contract.

Each week, viewers dial their cellphones to vote off one of two candidates.

Khaled was honored by the WHO for his anti-smoking campaign.

Khaled seized on the Muslims' largest religious congregation to launch a series of useful projects by Muslim youths and put them to vote by millions of viewers all the world over.

The calling revenues go directly to the five projects, which basically have to do with education, translation and craftsmanship.

The idea drew staunch support from Muslim businessmen, who perform hajj this year in addition to a key backing from the Islamic Bank for Development.

"Life Makers" is Khaled's recent television program, which promotes economic development through faith.

Through the show, Khaled has launched a campaign against smoking and another to encourage young people to start their own businesses.

"Youth energy will go to violence, drugs and such things," he says on his Web site. "I wanted to channel it differently. Otherwise it will explode."

"The roots of radicalization of young Muslims," he says, "can be found in a complex mixture of economic and political dispossession, the perceived injustice resulting from western policies and the absence of clear peaceful guidance by mainstream scholars."

The World Health Organization (WHO) honored Khaled with a prestigious award in recognition of his anti-smoking televised “Say No To Five Narcotics” campaign after a large number of his audience heeded to his calls to quit smoking.

Khaled is widely considered to be the most influential voice among Muslim youth today.

Khaled spends much of his time in the UK these days, completing a doctorate in theology at the University of Wales.