Coverage of Islam by Western Media and Peace

             On 25^thOctober 2006 Seyede Katayon Kasmai delivered speech discussing the connections between the coverage of Islam by Western media and peace. Her speech was a part of the World Media Association Forum called “Western Media’s Coverage of Islam: A Help or Hindrance for Peace?” held in Washington, D.C.  Katayon Kasmai is a public relations director of Islamic Information Center in Washington, D.C. Her speech can be found on the web-page of the World Media Association.            

    Katayon Kasmai calls for “justice and equality in media” which is needed for peace. Katayon Kasmai is concerned about “questionable media coverage on topics which the western societies are less aware of”. She believes this is the case of Islam and Muslims. Katayon Kasmai was brought up in the US. As she writes, she was also a victim of media bias. Today she wears hijab but says that she believed hijab to have an “oppressive nature”. She knows from her own experience that media mislead her and only by contact with other Muslims and through reading Qur’an she was able to better understand.             

    In Katayon Kasmai’s speech we may read about various media. Nevertheless, Katayon Kasmai implies that the “corporate-owned media versus non-profit media” are the main sources of “misperceptions on key subjects such as Iraq”. Katayon Kasmai talks about bias of media to suggest it is influenced by the “Israeli Lobby”. As an example she  presents the coverage of Israeli invasion of Lebanon.            

    Katayon Kasmai as well as Bashy Quraishi (www.bashy.dk) seems to believe that “media has truly dehumanized Islam and Muslims and has created a social problem. Katayon Kasmai writes about cases where Islam or Muslims were claimed to be the problem but in fact it was not the case. For example she speaks about the riots in France. Katayon Kasmai writes: “it was riot based on unemployment, which is a rampant problem in France” and it was in no way problem connected to someone being Muslim or not.           

    Further, we read about the trend in Western media. This is the trend of inviting to debate instead of real authorities on Islam some “Middle Eastern journalist”. As Katayon Kasmai suggests also in Islam as in other religions there is a “process in becoming a religious leader and scholar”. She underlines that only such person should speak for other Muslims or be able to represent Islam. Katayon Kasmai and the Islamic Information Center offer help in “identifying qualified scholars for the media to consult”.            

    Katayon Kasmai speaks generally from the US prospective. She believes, as Quraishi, that accurate coverage of Islam and Muslims by western media is much needed. She believes it is a requirement for “sustainable peace”. Again we read about the lack of knowledge and effort by media, which causes “misperception among media viewers”. 

Works citied

Katayon Kasmai, Seyede. “Western Media’s Coverage of Islam: A Help or Hindrance for Peace?”World Media Association. 6 Dec. 2007. <http://www.wmassociation.com/proceedings/13wmf/skkasmai.html>.

“Islam in the Western Media” by Bashy Quraishi: The 10 Commandments

     

      

    I would like to bring to your attention an article by Bashy Quraishi “Islam in the Western Media” published on web-page of Multicultural Skyscraper. Quraishi was born in India and brought up in Palestine. He studied in US and Great Britain. Recently he lives in Denmark. He is a “prominent media watch activist, Chief Editor of Media Watch” (“Islam in the Western Media”). Quraishi wrote several books which talk about the problems of minorities. I would like to recommend also his web-page — www.bashy.dk . I found very useful his “Short Introduction to Islam” for people who are missing the basic information about Islam — http://www.bashy.dk/uk/islam/forside_islam.htm .           

    Quraishi in his article “Islam in the Western Media” discuses the stereotypes about Islam in Western media. It is an interesting insight from someone pursuing this problematic for longer time. I believe Quraishi gives us unbiased insight of someone living the problems of “being Muslim” on everyday basis. As Quraishi underlines, he is not “a religious person, nor […] a practicing Muslim” (“Islam in the Western Media”). He offers a “European prospective” of the relationship between media and Islam, but I would like to suggest that the situation is more or less similar across all Western cultures.         

    Firstly, Quraishi reminds us about the fact that the comments journalists generally make about countries with “Muslim background” are often in some way connected to words such as terrorism or fundamentalist. Quraishi is concerned about the worsen situation in media after the 11^th September 2001. He suggests that all seems to follow the “New World Order based on American leadership”. He claims that after the attack of 11^th September 2001 “Western politicians pointed the finger at Islamic groups” instantly without any proof of guilt. Quraishi feels the need to talk about media which seem “to inflame the situation”. He believes this is very non-console situation not only for Muslims, who are experiencing “hostility in Western societies”, but for the whole principles of Western cultures.            

    Secondly, we may see Quraishi’s very interesting point about Islam. Quraishi  reminds us that Islam is not nationality but religion. He writes about his personal experience of “hostility” in Western countries. Quraishi asks why Muslim’s “loyalty to Denmark” is being questioned. He seems to be concerned about the fact that media use some “intentional signals”; or he asks; “Is it a coincidence?”; which “is aimed at painting Islam as barbarian, fanatic and uncivilized”. Quraishi writes: “…no matter how secular and non-practicing I am, I would always be reminded by the media, the politicians and the people around me that I am Muslim, and thus not a natural part of the Danish, European and/or western culture”. Quraishi continues: “…all my efforts to be normal law abiding, tax paying, peace loving and contributing citizen of Denmark have no value to the society”.           

    Thirdly, an article by Quraishi talks about the power which media have. Quraishi writes that media “have become more and more sophisticated” and “one must be clever to use them”. Quraishi himself says that through the exclusion, for which we may partly blame media, he had found his “original [Muslim] identity back”. Quraishi claims that “Muslim minorities in Europe and Denmark feel very isolated, criminalized and neglected”. He writes about the “discrimination in labour market”. The media portrait according to Quraishi is overly bad. All this may perhaps make place for Islamist radicals.            

    Lastly, Quraishi calls for action of journalist to help the whole situation. Quraishi sees as one problem the fact that we have not enough knowledge about Islam. He calls for the end of “Eurocentric”. He suggests that a journalist that want to be “pluralistic and cosmopolitan” must become “think[ing] multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious”. Quraishi offers in his article “10 Media Commandments” for such journalist. They are as follows:

1. Freedom of speech is a basic human right and so is the right to be free of discrimination. Any reporting which enhances racism, perpetuates prejudices and divides the society must be avoided.

2. Reporting and covering ethnic minority issues should be done with the same objectivity and neutrality which is practiced in the case of the majority.

3. Journalists should be aware of the pitfalls of their own Eurocentric upbringing and ideological education when describing other cultures and religions, especially Islam. Use of contacts among minorities can be helpful.

4. Words like Nigger, Paki, Fundamentalist, Ghetto, Ethnic gangs, Criminal second generation immigrants are derogatory to minorities. One should not use terms which have a negative impression attached to them.

5. The culture, religion, ethnicity, colour or nationality of ethnic minorities should not be used as an explanation model to write or talk about an individual or a group of people.

6. Use of unconfirmed statistics, data or facts can be very dangerous, as they can be misused by anti-immigrant politicians, right wing movements and racist organisations. It can also damage a journalist’s own reputation and integrity.

7. While writing about a particular issue among an ethnic group, please use multiple sources so that one sided impressions and information do not dominate the story

8. Involve the opinions of ethnic groups while covering issues important to society such as environment, traffic, sports, foreign affairs or the general development. It will give them a sense of belonging

9. The ethnic minorities lack socio-political influence and the means to voice their own concerns. Therefore they are not in a position to defend themselves. Journalists are morally bound to give the underdog a voice.

10. The pen is mightier than sword. A spoken word, a written paragraph or a televised picture has a momentum of its own. It can not be withdrawn. Its damage takes time to repair. Journalists should realize the power they posses and act accordingly.             

    In conclusion, let me say that I believe Quraishi to be unbiased and extremely conscious about the problems media may cause or are causing by their sometimes irresponsible coverage. He offers good insight of a Muslim living in Western society. Quraishi does not just talk about problems but he also offers a solution. His article makes a very interesting point about the fact that irresponsibility of our actions may eventually backfire at us. Concretely, not respecting the number of Muslims living in Western societies and not reporting about them consciously may endanger all our own values.  

Works citied

Quraishi, Bashy. “Islam in the Western Media”. The Multicultural SkyscraperNewsletter. 6 Dec. 2007. <http://www.multicultural.net/newsletter/article/issue3- bashy.htm>.