Qatar Foundation's educational and entertaining TV series Siraj has launched a new Ramadan edition specifically designed for children in Qatar and the wider Arab region.
The first episode, titled ‘Why do we fast? was aired on the first day of the Holy Month, teaching children about the virtues of Ramadan, fasting, meal preparation and sharing, and highlighting the cultural and religious importance of this special month.
Further, Ramadan episodes will be broadcast every Friday and re-aired on Saturdays and can be viewed on Qatar TV. Each episode will also be posted on the Siraj YouTube channel, making it even easier way for families to come together and enjoy the show.
Each of the special Ramadan episodes of the Siraj series highlights basic Islamic values such as gratitude, charity, the importance of generosity, the significance of supplication, and maintaining good relations with relatives. Through captivating stories, children learn about the essential aspects of their faith alongside Siraj’s characters, Noura and Rashid.
Mu'nis Mheidat, head of national programmes in the Education Development Institute of Qatar Foundation's Pre-University Education, spoke about how Ramadan is the perfect opportunity to cultivate a fondness for prayer and fasting among children.
"Integrating these virtues into Siraj’s programme and embedding them in children from an early age is crucial,” he said. “This practice establishes the basis for a society intimately connected to its faith, upholding its moral principles, traditions, and Islamic values.
"Choosing a single focus for each episode allows us to concentrate on conveying it in an easily comprehensible manner. The key point is that teaching our children a virtue involves not just informing them about it, but also empowering them to implement and embrace this virtue in their daily lives.”
Mheidat said that alongside the Siraj episodes, the ‘Siraj is my inspiration in Ramadan’ initiative will be launched in Qatar Foundation schools, targeting children from pre-school to the fourth grade. This initiative emphasises how Ramadan is a time for spiritual and physical engagement, and aims to transform media content into collaborative student projects.
"By allocating each week of Ramadan to a specific value, teachers will incorporate these values into their classroom lessons through practical activities that have a positive impact on both the school and family communities,” added Mheidat.
Mu'nis Mheidat
