Younger Muslims Tune In to Upbeat Religious Message

When a Danish newspaper printed unflattering cartoons of the prophet Muhammad last year, Masoud and three other young Muslim preachers went to Denmark for dialogue, over the angry objections of more traditional preachers who urged confrontation.

In recent years, Schleifer said, the Arab world has been increasingly "Westernized" by Hollywood movies, sexually charged music videos and even television's Dr. Phil and "The Price is Right." Some Muslims have reacted with extreme, fundamentalist interpretations of Islam, while others have turned secular. Masoud, Schleifer said, offers a middle-ground solution, balancing religious devotion with an acceptance of modern life.

Relaxing with a cup of Nescafe, Masoud picked up his acoustic guitar and strummed the catchy theme music he co-wrote for his recent TV show. It has become a pop hit in Egypt and is used as a cellphone ring tone by many young people.

"There is no contradiction between real Islam and the modern world," Masoud said. "We have to redefine the word 'Muslim' for the world."

Masoud has bookshelves filled with illustrated Korans and Bibles alongside James Joyce's "Finnegans Wake" and "Ulysses." His video collection contains dry religious titles next to "The Godfather" and "Reservoir Dogs."

He interrupted an interview to pray. When he spoke, he frequently invoked the prophet Muhammad. But he also quoted Bob Dylan, Metallica and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, whose songs he stores on the USB memory stick hanging from his key chain.

Masoud said that when he was a student he "lived a party lifestyle," drank, smoked, experimented with drugs and had many girlfriends.

That changed in 1995, when six people he knew died: three in car crashes, the others from cancer, a fall and a drug overdose, respectively. That year, Masoud learned he had a tumor on his spleen that required emergency surgery.

"People were dying all around me," he said. "I said, 'Allah, get me out of this one and I'll be a better person.' "

On the first day of 1996, he said, he devoted himself to God and began memorizing the Koran. He started giving talks about Islam and eventually caught the eye of producers at Arab Radio and Television, a satellite network that aired his first shows in the fall of 2002.

Compassion for Gays

In a shopping mall in Amman, Jordan, about 300 miles northeast of Cairo, a 30-year-old man named Ibrahim settled into a coffee shop chair. Two months ago, he said, he was channel surfing on his satellite TV when he came across Masoud talking about homosexuality.

"Finally somebody was speaking for me; this changed my life," said Ibrahim, who spoke on the condition that his last name not be published.