American Idol, Malaysian Imam

WSJ front-pager on American Idol-like show in Malaysia where young imams compete for an all-expenses-paid trip to Mecca—not the usual route for Haj.  The winner also gets a job at a Kuala Lampur mosque and a scholarship to a religious school in Saudi Arabia.

Ten contestants start out, and yes they are forced to sing as well as interpret the Koran.  Every night of the show, one gets booted off.

Makes you wonder how an Osama bin Laden might respond to such shows, aping as they do Western TV.