The Media and Muslims

[Kaysar_Rocks]

I know until I joined this forum I really was misinformed about Muslims and your religion. I know that I as well as plenty of others gathered their information from tv. So my question is how much influence do you think the media has on how some Americans feel about muslims?? I know that even now with learning a lot here I still hear things on tv and I now say that is not true. I thank you for enlightening me. When I see something that has happened I associate it with the people who did it, not a whole religion or certain people. Do you think the media will ever do this?? I'm sorry if this seems like a stupid question but I believe that the media should be accountable for what they report and should educate themselves before they do.

[cyounus]

No question is a stupid question.

If one mentions the Quran , the holy book of Islam, it is quite likely many people will recall images of an ayatollah intolerant towards American government. Most people would be shocked if they were told that the Quran supports the eight principles of western democracy as outlined in Today’s Ism’s by William Ebenstein and Edwin Fogelman.

Because of the media as it is today will only report the evil in this world. This is not exclusive to Islam but to many other religions as well.

[bambiangel]

Because of the media as it is today will only report the evil in this world. This is not exclusive to Islam but to many other religions as well.

I agree with this ..I have a reporter friend and he said that as long as fear sells the media will distribute...

[Nadirah]

Originally posted by Kaysar_Rocks
I know until I joined this forum I really was misinformed about Muslims and your religion. I know that I as well as plenty of others gathered their information from tv. So my question is how much influence do you think the media has on how some Americans feel about muslims?? I know that even now with learning a lot here I still hear things on tv and I now say that is not true. I thank you for enlightening me. When I see something that has happened I associate it with the people who did it, not a whole religion or certain people. Do you think the media will ever do this?? I'm sorry if this seems like a stupid question but I believe that the media should be accountable for what they report and should educate themselves before they do.


From many years of personal experience being a Muslim in this society, I can attest to just how deeply the media has affected how Americans feel about Muslims. It has always baffled me and saddened me the way the media has distorted Islam.

You can see just from some of the topics on this forum how the media has formed peoples' opinions. Looking back to the "Black Muslim" movement, people still may believe that only blacks can become Muslim in this country. I am a white female, and I can't tell you how many times I have been confronted and questioned about being white and being Muslim. It wasn't until the Bosnian tragedy that so many Americans actually realized that there are Caucasian Muslims in the world.

Then, as we all know, the media has for years connected terrorism to Islam or to Muslims to such a degree that thousands, if not millions, of Muslims have become afraid to walk the streets of America dressed as a Muslim. There is rarely a day that goes by that someone doesn't approach me in a store or on my job to ask questions or discuss the topic of terrorism.

This media attack has been heart-breaking for all of us, and that is why having the American public get to know Kaysar as a Muslim, respect him, and see Islam in a different light has been such a blessing. I read earlier today where someone mentioned that Kaysar was very courageous to go on BB6, because things could easily have gone another direction. God is very kind.

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but it does seem that the media purposefully continues to negatively portray Islam. All of the main Muslim organizations in America have repeatedly requested that the media not use "Islamic" or "Muslim" as an adjective for terrorist or terrorism, but to no avail. We cannot ever control the media, so we will just continue on trying to portray Islam in a positive light to people we meet along the way.

[Ali al-Mahdi]

The media constantly declares terrorism as Islamic when terror has no religion.

The Qor'an says:
5:32 - On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.

As we can see murder is not allowed in Islam, so how can terrorism be Islamic and how can the terrorists be Muslim?

[Hashman]

Originally posted by AliMahdi
As we can see murder is not allowed in Islam, so how can terrorism be Islamic and how can the terrorists be Muslim?
Read what al-Zarqawi has to say about Shias (sample here (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/407AAE91-AF72-45D7-83E9-486063C0E5EA.htm))...in some cases, the media is reporting it as it is. There are obviously many other aspects of Islam that are more positive and would help people get a true exposure to Islam, but stuff like "Islam has a lot in common with Christianity" isn't "newsworthy". That's just the nature of media and news reporting.

But having said that, there is quite a difference between US media and Canadian media; I think that stems from the different attitudes towards nationalism, global politics, and respect of other cultures in the respective countries.

[Ladyjinx]

The media is going to do whatever they think they need to get better ratings. And reporting good things usally does not sell so to speak.
I really think they should make one "Good news only" station.
Just like allowing reporters in with the soldiers in the very begining.
Great ratings, everyone wanted to see what was going on.
But i think it was such a wrong thing to do. People where dying.

[zuhra]

Definety Media has a big influence on people about Islam, when people ask me about my religion, they ask weird question once they know I am muslim.

[Ali al-Mahdi]

The Wahhabis (including al-Qaedah, Taleban, etc) hate us Shiah. They are our common enemy (both of the "western world" and Shiah).