JEDDAH — The term ‘Haj' is still not familiar to Japanese citizens who have a limited perception about Islam, according to linguistics expert Dr. El-moamen Abdallah who is part of a delegation of over 100 international journalists and media specialists performing the pilgrimage this year. "In the past, Haj was rarely covered in the Japanese media," he said in an interview with Saudi Gazette. "The media is slowly changing though it remains limited in religious terms. Only recently has the term Haj been officially registered in dictionary." Religion in Japan is a sensitive topic and is generally avoided in public, explains Dr. Abdallah who teaches Japanese literature as an associate professor at Tokai University in Tokyo. He is also a former TV presenter on Arabic culture on Japanese television. As a Japanese citizen with Egyptian origins, he currently represents the culture and media of the Far East in the delegation hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information. Though the Japanese media has gradually incorporated news coverage about Islamic rituals, including Haj, in television and radio networks, it lacks the social and cultural aspects, he explains. Presenting the cultural aspect of Haj to the Far East is needed, he says. "The fact that it's a massive assembly of a diversity of nations and cultures at one place in such a short period of time is a significant part of Haj. These various people feel a sense of kinship. Documenting these aspects of Haj is important to broadcast to the average Japanese citizen." "What caught my attention here is the social awareness and attention toward pilgrims, particularly in the way citizens and residents welcome them and make them feel comfortable," he remarks. He considers such social conduct an important part of diplomacy and international relations. "Our mission is to get to know the organization of Haj on the field and to explore the cultural aspects of Haj and Islam," says Dr. Abdalla who has been documenting the special trip to Haj in articles and plans to incorporate it in his university curriculum. When asked about the media coverage of Haj in recent years, Dr. Abdalla replied: "In the last 10 years, there started to be basic news coverage of Islamic rituals, including Ramadan, Haj, and Eid. There are few news reports explaining what they are. However the religious material is very limited in general. Linguistically it is not presented and often avoided." Dr. Abdalla believes diplomacy plays a positive role in cultural exchange. Commenting on his experience in the delegation, he says: "A large number of journalists performing the Haj together is also a form of diplomacy where different people get to know one another and learn about their cultures. This impacts on people's perception of other cultures, including Saudi Arabia. This initiative is a long-term investment for the Kingdom and will greatly impact on correctly perceiving many issues in the future." There are some efforts by Islamic organizations and the Saudi Cultural Bureau to offer teachings about Arabic and Islamic culture. There are no official statistics to record the number of Muslims in Japan.
