Something in the water
Travelers at Will Rogers World Airport may notice people waiting for large containers of water along with luggage in the baggage claim area.
In the last few days, many Oklahoma Muslims have been arriving back in the state from their Hajj journey and most of them have brought back Zam-zam water. Imad Enchassi, imam of the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City, said Zam-zam water is a precious gift that Hajj pilgrims bring back to share with others who did not make the Hajj journey. Hajj is observant Muslims’ annual religious pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the five pillars of Islams.
Enchassi said last year, the Travel Security Administration (TSA) developed specifications for pilgrims desiring to bring the holy water back to the United States. He said pilgrims don’t want to simply bring back a small bottle of the water. They typically want to bring back gallons of Zam-zam, which they consider miraculous.
Enchassi said the good news is customs officials in Saudi Arabia were aware of the complexity of traveling with the water, plus it was packaged to meet TSA specifications this year.
According to the Council on Islamic American Relations, many Muslims believe that the water from a well in Mecca is divinely blessed. According to Islamic tradition, Zam-zam water is water that Allah presented to Hagar, who cried out for water for her son, Ishmael when they were alone in the desert.
CAIR advised Hajj pilgrims to pack their Zam-zam water it in their checked baggage if the container was larger than three ounces, pursuant to the TSA’s liquids regulations.
Television’s Future: all digital, all the time
Back-to-back-to-back telephone calls to the business desk this morning revealed a key issue to me: Oklahomans are interested in the upcoming transition from analog to digital broadcasts.
What that means is that all the television stations will pull the plug on their analog over-the-air broadcasts on Feb. 17, 2009, rendering old non-digital capable televisions useless, unless they are connected to a cable or satellite service. Or a digital converter box.
For the estimated 14 percent of the U.S. population that relies soley on the over-the-air broadcasts of local televisions stations, the impending transition is a huge issue.
So, early this morning — Jan. 2, 2008 — I got three phone calls from Oklahomans wanting to know how they could get one of the subsidy coupons the government is issuing.
Congress authorized the coupons, which knocks $40 off the price of a digital converter box. The agency commissioned with the task of issuing the coupons began accepting applications for them on New Year’s Day.
We ran a short item in Tuesday’s paper about the process, which prompted the calls from readers.
So, if you or someone you know needs up to two of the coupons that will cover much of the estimated $50 to $70 cost for each of the digital converter boxes, here is the phone number to call: 1-888-388-2009.
Better still, log on here and order the coupons online.
Jim Stafford
Business News Reporter
