‘A distant echo of American Idol’

Judging from today’s NY Times, Hamas’ new Al-Aqsa TV sounds pretty wholesome:

The current 12 hours of daily television programming, which has the unfinished look of public-access cable television in the United States, consists primarily of readings from the Koran, religious discourse and discussions of women’s issues, such as Islamic fashion, child-rearing tips and the right of women to work, which Hamas supports. It will eventually feature a sort of Islamic MTV, with Hamas-produced music videos using footage from the group’s fights with Israeli troops. There will even be a talent search show, a distant echo of “American Idol.”

Unfortunately, the Times didn’t inquire about Al-Aqsa TV news, or shed much light on Hezbollah’s less-than-wholesome Al-Manar TV, which inspired Hamas’ latest propaganda efforts.