The BBC reports the station, 4Shbab, is trying to use hip hop, rap and pop music to return younger Muslims to those values “using new and established artists whose lyrics and visuals address Islamic themes.”

Ahmed Abu Heiba, 4Shbab’s Executive Director, came up with the idea because of what he saw as a contradiction between the videos young Muslims watch – often featuring scantily clad female dancers – and their desires to practice Islam in their day-to-day lives.

Okay. Is it just me or does this seem like a complete conflict of cultures here?

I’ll admit I’m not totally up on my Islamic studies, but aren’t some people who espouse “traditional Islamic values” kind of at odds with modern Western culture? And I’m not just talking about extremist Muslims either, who would like things to go back to the way they were in the 14th century – except for the guns and nuclear weapons of course. You try carrying out a large-scale terrorist attack with a sword.

“The main thing is how to think about God when you are working and playing,” Mr. Abu Heiba explains.

“The singer himself can go and make his recordings and speak about God and then go outside to any bar and drink. My singers are not like that. I make sure they feel it on the inside.”

Uh-huh. Not even gonna ask how he verifies that.

So I guess Mr. Abu Heiba is saying this is the Islamic equivalent of Christian rock. That’s a pretty big business, so maybe this thing isn’t as crazy as it sounds.

One problem 4Shbab will have to overcome is lack of viewers. Apparently hardly anyone in Cairo has heard about it.

The channel is difficult to access as its narrow band width means reception is jagged and it only broadcasts for two hours at a time. Its website is not live although clips are available on video sharing websites.

One young Muslim interviewed about 4Shbab had some advice for the channel.

“For Islamic pop music to appeal the singers should look like us,” said Habiba, 16. “They shouldn’t [just] be kneeling and praying. That is not realistic. We are diverse.”

The idea of a channel extolling the praises of traditional Islam also has some people concerned.

Said Sadek, Professor of Sociology at the American University of Cairo, worries that the arrival of 4Shbab shows an increasing conservatism on parts of the media and believes it causes an internal conflict amongst its young audience.

“The heavy dosage of religion through the media and the spread of intolerant views is not helping the youth,” he said.

“Mixing modern music genres with Islamic content confuses young Muslims’ identity and creates a schizophrenia inside them.”

Apparently his concern is well founded, the BBC reports the channel’s entire production staff is male, as is the presenter.

All the video clips had male lead singers. A viewer rang in to complain after a woman appeared in a video and the channel ended its broadcast with a tease for an upcoming future programme which would discuss conservative female dress.

Although Dr. Sadek tells the BBC, “Exposing and hiding women are the same thing. It is not acceptable to expose or hide them. There should be a balance,” it’s possible a channel broadcasting a one-sided, extreme point of view could succeed.

After all, look at Fox News.

Read the BBC’s complete coverage of 4Shbab here.