But offer no real Islamic alternative. From the Washington Times:
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Exploding buildings, booby-trapped cars and bloodied victims began appearing on Arab satellite television recently in daring dramas that deal with Islamic militancy in al Qaeda’s main breeding ground.
The producers of the shows say they are another battleground in the war on homegrown religious zealotry, which many Middle East governments are confronting by crackdowns and media campaigns.
“Al Tareeq Al-Waer” (“The Rugged Path”) and “Al-Hur Al-Ayn” (“The Beautiful Maidens”) were aired during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a time of peak viewing in the Middle East…
In one scene, a moderate cleric tells worshippers, including a would-be terrorist, that the goal of jihad is to protect society in the event of a clear threat against it.
Another character says jihad is not the killing of civilians, but the struggle to become a better Muslim.
The soaps have received acclaim from some viewers, but their content has raised anger among others. A Saudi newspaper reported that some actors in “The Beautiful Maidens” received death threats.
Last year, Mr. Hamdan’s series “The Road to Kabul,” which dealt with Afghanistan’s ousted radical Taliban regime, was pulled off the air after militant threats. Channels at the time said the show was canceled for technical reasons.