Posted on 02/18/2005 6:18:24 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
WASHINGTON, 19 February 2005 — The Council for American Islamic Relations, CAIR, is known as the outspoken advocate for Islamic and Muslim rights in the United States since its inception in Washington ten years ago. A leading watchdog and Muslim advocacy group, CAIR has 31 chapters nationwide plus those in Canada.
Its mission, it says, is “to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.”
Nihad Awad, executive director of CAIR, recently discussed with Arab News how Muslim Americans are coming to grips with life in the US after the 9/11 tragedy, and CAIR’s role in helping Muslims in the US who have been targeted, and sometimes attacked, in the aftermath of 9/11.
The US media are not helping, but rather cultivating a misunderstanding of Islam, he says. “There is a developing trend in the US to portray Muslims as bad guys on entertainment shows,” said Awad. He cited the example of a weekly series, called “Fox 24,” which is broadcast throughout the US and the world, had an Islamic terrorist sleeper cell woven into its plot.
The unfortunate twist Fox used portrayed the terrorists as typical neighbors. Awad said CAIR was concerned that the portrayal of the family as a terrorist “sleeper cell” would cast a shadow of suspicion over ordinary American Muslims and could increase Islamophobic stereotyping and bias.
CAIR met with representatives of the Fox network and expressed its concern that the TV program could enflame anti-Muslim sentiment. The officials were cognizant of CAIR’s concerns and, to Fox’s credit, agreed to broadcast a CAIR public service announcement to network affiliates to be aired during “24.”
Fox also gave CAIR representatives assurances that the program would be balanced in its portrayal of Muslims. Network representatives said that they had already reviewed existing episodes and removed some aspects that could potentially be viewed as stereotypical.
CAIR then contacted its members nationwide with the news. “We thank Fox for the opportunity to address the Muslim community’s concerns and for the willingness of network officials to take those concerns seriously in an atmosphere of mutual respect and cooperation.”
It was all in a day’s work at CAIR. Nihad says TV shows and movies can create a negative impact against the Muslim community. “The saddest thing for Islam, with its 1.2 billion people, and one of the three Abrahamic faiths, is that it is so unknown and so misunderstood by the most sophisticated society on the Earth, the United States. It’s mind boggling.”
Awad blames the media for the stereotypes and misconceptions, which remains most Americans source of information about Islam, he said, and which he calls “ignorant and biased.” Asked if he thought networks were deliberately biased, Awad said: “In some cases, yes, if these networks carry out ideological trends and represent a certain constituency, you can see they’re try to send a certain message about Islam.”
But, Awad said the rest of the media are ignorant; and the problem is: “They don’t know they’re ignorant. When they bring credible individuals to speak about Islam, it benefits both the stations and the viewers. This happened a lot more before 9/11. Unfortunately, now I don’t see a realistic and positive coverage of Muslims in the media and therefore the attitudes are becoming ‘dangerously negative’.”
The result is easy to gage. According to a Cornell University poll, 25 percent of Americans believe in anti-Muslim stereotypes, and 44 percent approve reducing the Civil Rights of American Muslims. “This despite the fact that not one single American Muslim has been linked to 9/11, and that the hundreds of arrests after 9/11 have not led to any convictions,” said CAIR’s director.
This misunderstanding of one-fifth of the world’s population influences, in the worst way possible, how US public opinion and decisions are made vis-à-vis the Muslim world, said Awad.
“As Americans, we are already suffering from bad decisions and bad policies by the US toward the Muslim world.”
The administration, he said, should welcome input from qualified individuals who could offer expert advice on how to format policies that affect America and the Muslim world.
“To date, this administration has been perceived as relying on the rhetoric of the extremist Christian right regarding Islam and the Arab world. We have seen this in numerous statements by those close to the White House,” said Awad.
“Take, for example, Franklin Graham, the son of evangelist Billy Graham, who said Islam is a wicked religion; and evangelist Jerry Falwell who accused Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) of being a terrorist; and Gen. Boykin who claimed that Muslims worship an idol. This is very hard for any Muslim to swallow.”
It’s “no secret” that the image of the US is worse than ever in minds of both Muslims and non-Muslims, said Awad, who was born in Palestine and raised in a refugee camp in Jordan.
“We have reached the lowest point ever in US-Muslim relations due to our misguided policies. The US supports injustice against Muslims, supports regimes that do not promote democracy and sides with the ‘wrong guys’,” said Awad. To bridge the growing gap between the US and the Muslim world, Awad said, the US government “should utilize a very important component of American society - it should use the American Muslim community.”
Courageous lawmakers must rectify these policies to ensure the US does not repeat the mistakes of the past, said Awad, citing the “wrong, misguided policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is viewed by Muslims worldwide as a great injustice. There is also the war in Iraq. People believe the prison abuse issue runs through the political chain regarding torture.”
To ameliorate the situation, CAIR has met with officials at State Department and proposed they create an annual worldwide report on Islamophobia, which would enable them to monitor incidents and immediately address them. “This would be similar to the State Department’s annual report on anti-Semitism worldwide, because no one can deny there are growing anti-Muslim sentiments and misunderstandings in the US and in the West.”
“We have reached the lowest point ever in US-Muslim relations due to our misguided policies. The US supports injustice against Muslims, supports regimes that do not promote democracy and sides with the ‘wrong guys’,” said Awad."
That won't gain you any friends, Nihad.
Neither will CAIR's connections to Hamas.
This guy is right. America is no place for poor pacifistic Muslims. They should get out as soon as possible. That they should be subject to such a coarse and debasing culture as ours it a travesty. I'm sorry that we are not yet ready for such an advanced people as yourselves. Try back in a thousand years or so.
You may find this of interest - a week ago I was searching the internet for audio lectures that I could listen to while I worked on a manual project. I was hoping to find some art lectures or music lectures etc. To my astonishment, when I searched on Google for online lectures, page after page of Islamic sites came up, offering lectures and readings. Take a look for yourself and see the infiltration of the internet by these people. It's downright scary.
In many Muslim countries it is a crime to practice the faith of Christianity. We need not tolerate the intolerant?
How aboout a world-wide report on muzzle violence against Christians and Jews, hmm...?
They don't really want to convert us. Not most of us.
Conversion at the point of a sword not only encouraged but required.
the superiority of the Muslim
Yeah, this from people who don't even have flush toilets. Really advanced, aren't they?
Surah 4:34 As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all).
where there are 80,000 servants and 72 wives ???
What a crock LOL Sure there is HAHAHA
Bump!
BTDT
This is crap.
Islam is: 99 percent social control and coercion
..... ... ..... one percent religion.
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