Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., October 12, 2008 Tishrei 13, 5769 | | Israel Time: 01:18 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Israel Radio hosts Ramadan Quiz finals By Yoav Stern Tags: Israel News, Ramadan quiz  The finals of the Ramadan Quiz were held Tuesday by the programming department of Israel Radio in Arabic. This was the first time the quiz was held in this format. The head of the Israel Radio's Arabic programming, Yasser Atila, said Thursday: "We are working on quizzes for Christians and Druze. Our goal is to have an encounter between cultures and promote peace and understanding among the various religions." A Bible quiz has been a fixture of Independence Day celebrations in Israel for many years. Advertisement Eight contestants appeared for the finals, four men and four women. The colorful garb of the contestants showed their variety of backgrounds. The former Tel Aviv stand-up comic Abed Mawasi, who became religiously observant a few years ago and stopped performing, appeared in the Afghan-style robe he has adopted, a colorful hat and a long beard. Fuad Oudeh, a member of Haifa's Ahmadi Muslim sect (which originated in India), appeared in a white robe and a backward "Harley" cap. Majda Arfa'iyeh, a woman from East Jerusalem, wore the traditional hijab. The winner, Yusuf Wassaf Agbariyeh of Musmus in the Wadi Ara region, was dressed in a Western suit, as befitting a computer engineer who works at a high-tech company in Tel Aviv. The contest moved ahead quickly, overseen by the Arabic language expert Nader Abu-Tamer. In addition to questions about the Koran were questions about Muslim tradition: How many times did Mohammed make the pilgrimage to Mecca? Once. Is water purification before prayers from the Koran or the Sunnah, (Muslim oral law)? The Sunnah, of course. How many times is the word Ramadan mentioned in the Koran? Only once. Where did the sun rise only once? The place where the prophet Musa (Moses) struck the the Red Sea with his staff and parted the water. The only dispute during the contest was between the judges, Abdel Rahman Kabha and Ahmed Natur (who is also president of the Shariah Appeals Court). Kabha wanted to give Arfa'iyeh six points for a partial answer. "It's great to see a religious Muslim sister," he said. Natur, however, wanted to be more strict. "She did not answer the question at all," he said. In the end, Agbariyeh won with 45 points, taking home NIS 10,000. On Thursday, he said he had not studied at all. He said he is not religious, but is "traditional," and that none of his colleagues in Tel Aviv knew that he had entered the contest. Majda Arfa'iyeh, who came in second and won NIS 6,000, said the occasion was somewhat spoiled because her bag was stolen from the stage after the broadcast. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Produce problems Jordan Islamists protest imports of fruit grown on 'land taken by Zionists.' Payback time? America's opponents in the Mideast: Financial crisis is divine punishment.

Read & React Austrian far-right leader Joerg Haider dies in car crash Responses: 71 Livni tells residents of Acre: Don't take law into your own hands Responses: 286 2 Arab-owned homes torched, 12 arrested in Acre violence Responses: 151 Israel grants rare entry to cancer-stricken Iranian boy Responses: 116 Mideast Muslims hail U.S. financial crisis as divine punishment Responses: 67 More Headlines 22:38 Three Jewish rioters hurt, Arab home set ablaze as Acre violence resumes 15:56 Austria far-right leader Joerg Haider dies in car accident 21:14 Mideast Muslims: U.S. financial crisis is divine punishment 19:41 Jordan Islamists protest imports of fruit grown on 'land taken by Zionists' 19:42 Finance Minister: No Israel banks will collapse in global crisis 00:32 For U.S. Jewish groups, crisis means less in donations, more needy 21:51 Palestinian farmers, settlers clash near West Bank settlement of Yitzhar 23:20 Israel grants rare entry to cancer-stricken Iranian boy 08:03 Livni tells Acre residents: Don't take law into your own hands 13:55 Fatah welcomes Hamas assent of Egypt's reconciliation plan 21:24 Sarah Palin accused of improperly firing state worker Previous Editions Select Day 10 oct 09 oct 08 oct 07 oct 06 oct 05 oct 03 oct 02 oct 01 oct 30 sep 29 sep 28 sep

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