Media Campaign in US to Dispel Islamophobia

Arab News ^ | 21 jun 06 | Javid Hasan

[white trash redneck]

A survey conducted by Cornell University recently found that around half of Americans have a negative view of Islam and would like the US government to curtail the political activity of Muslims in the US.

Addressing a press conference at the headquarters of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), Paul Findley, a former US Congressman, said that the cancer of anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic sentiments was spreading in American society and requires corrective measures to stamp out this malaise.

It was also announced that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) would be launching a massive $50 million media campaign involving television, radio and newspapers as part of its five-year program to create a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in the US.

Referring to the anti-Islamic sentiments in the US, Findley said that the campaign was being spearheaded by a tiny but influential section of society, including some politicians, academics and opinion-makers.

Findley commended CAIR’s initiative that he said could go a long way toward improving the image of Islam and Muslims, which has been badly dented in part due to the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Speaking on his interaction with the US media, Ibrahim Cooper, spokesman for CAIR, said that his own feeling was that American journalists are receptive to issues affecting Muslims. For this reason, nearly all American newspapers, print or online, refrained from reproducing the caricature of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that were at the center of a controversy earlier this year. He said CAIR took advantage of the issue by distributing DVDs free of charge, bringing out a book on the Prophet, and launching an awareness campaign.

“All of this had a positive impact,” said Cooper.

Parvez Ahmed, CAIR chairman, spoke on what he described as the most “vicious attacks on Islam” he has ever seen in recent years, adding that the campaign is being orchestrated by a minority fringe element in the US seeking to drive a xenophobic wedge between Muslims and non-Muslims.

He said a minority of Muslim extremists helps perpetuate anti-Muslim sentiment in the US, but that it is wrong for Americans to rush to conclusions based on these groups that have distorted or misinterpreted Qur’anic text. He compared it to making judgments on Christians based on the Crusades.

Elaborating on the CAIR campaign to dispel misunderstandings of Islam and Muslims, Nihad Awad, CAIR executive director, said that his group proposes to spend $10 million annually for five years in a media campaign. He said that CAIR would also recruit volunteers and produce educational material as part of its initiative.

“We are planning to meet Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal for his financial support to our project. He has been generous in the past,” he added.

[ClearBlueSky]

Cro-magnon
Abominable
Insane
Ragheads

[timydnuc]

The left, and that is the far left the near left and the moderate left, will do anything, will side with any enemy of this nation, will sell out any of our principals to regain power. They think that at the point that they do regain power they can take back what they have done. They are as bad as the Islamofacists, but different. That's way we can't really believe or logically understand what we are seeing. Of all people the left should never have taken up with the Islamofacists or the nation of Islam, it's so ridiculous on it's face, because of the 180 degree difference in their philosophy's that it is obvious to a 3rd grader. But they do it anyway. They really don't understand Islam. They will be the first to die.

That's what makes me think that they are in a power grab for this country and they don't care about the allies that they have.

[livius]

They honestly don't care, they hate the rest (non-left) part of the US, and they're too dumb to know what happens when you pave the way for totalitanarism.

During the Spanish Civil War, the flaky anarchists fought, lied, assassinated and died mainly on the side of the Communists, who were mostly from Russia. Whenever the Russians took over a territory (for example, Valencia or Barcelona), the first people they killed were the anarchists. After that, they went for priests, monks, nuns and sodality members, but the interesting thing is that the first group the Communists killed was the one that thought it was more or less in synch with them. The same will happen here when Islam has the power to attack on a massive scale, which it no doubt will have before long.

[mathurine]

The old saying that first impressions are lasting certainly applies here. Most of us in this hemisphere, where there are pleasantly few mohammedans, neither knew nor cared about this cult until recent years when they started attacking our domain and culture. Then we began to examine Islam and formed a poor opinion of it based on not only its current bestiality and hostility, but also the historical experiences of those elsewhere. Then we noticed that many of the ancient civilizations which came under Islamic domination plummeted from state-of-the art civilizations to mere goat dung. Then we noticed that in the African countries into which the mohammedans have and are expanding become poorer and less liveable.
Whoever is putting up 50 million to improve our view of Islam is as ignorant as mohammedans themselves characteristically are because of their chauvanistic world view. The only way to turn around public disapprobation of Isam is to turn around Islam! Fat chance of that!

[anglian]

[Jorge]

I'm so tired of see that stupid poster.

Yes, as a Christian I don't personally like or agree with Islam, but the fact is the huge majority of Muslims live in this country peacefully and have NO connections whatsoever with terrorism.

Our country is founded on religious freedom, and a bunch of hatemongers who want to condemn every Muslim in this country are only inflaming the problem.

[SaveUS]

"I don't trust any of them."

And it would be smart to keep that attitude. Any religion that teaches that it is ok to lie doesn't deserve trust. I stop believing in freedom of religion where it crosses the abuse or control line. I think Islam should be outlawed in the U.S. simply because it is anti-freedom.

[rawcatslyentist]

Maybe if they got saDan Blather to spread the words of muuuhhhamhead (Pigs be inseminating him)about IS-Slime, then we would all submit to the will of satanallah!

NOT!!!

[rawcatslyentist]

>"Our country is founded on religious freedom, and a bunch of hatemongers who want to condemn every Muslim in this country are only inflaming the problem."

Well Jorge,,, tell that to the 3000+ DEAD CIVILIANS, and the 19 hijackers/MURDERERS, and the mosques and communities that harbored them!

Tell me who inflamed what, and who is the problem again???

[Trailerpark Badass]

Proudly biased against Muslims.

[Windsong]

*crickets*

[FrankR]

I'm pretty well fed up with the phobia sh*t! Everytime anyone speaks up about any minority group, or just plain ol' plastic-banana-good-times-rock'n'roll liberals, we're supposed to be suffering from some sort of "phobia".

Sort of reminds me of a joke I heard about the old redneck woman who had made love with all 4,000 guys in the town, and and said, "There ain't a decent **** among them". Maybe she should have taken a look at herself, if all 4,000 were that bad.

If we have all these islamophobics, homophobics, et al, then maybe it's just the MSM/libs have some too, like decencyphobia, capitalistphobia, and bush-a-phobia.

If "phobia" is a fear of something, then they could have free-country-phobia, securityphobia, truth-phobia, or the ever-dreaded "allow-a-fetus-to-live-phobia.

They also suffer from God-phobia, Ten-Commandment-phobia, and freedom-of-speech-from-the-opposition-phobia.

Their hero-phobia is manifested in the many attempts they make to dispel the greatness of the founding fathers and make America the bad guy of the world.

But, I could go on and on with different "phobias" the left has, but the bottom line is they "fear" everything - ESPECIALLY BEING OUT OF POWER. I remember in the 60's when they came out with the infamous "peace symbol"...most of us called the the "Footprint of the American Chicken"...which just about summed it up.

The leftists are the losers in America; those who are lifelong wannabe's, but they are never-were's. They are the crowd who never felt quite equal to everyone else, and like crabs in a bucket, everytime one of them tries to climb out of the "bucket", all the others pull him back in.

We do need more decisive leaders, who will do what is necessary to protect us and to show the despots of the world - like N. Korea and Iran that if you muck with us, you're going to get slapped - and HARD.

But the left is so scared of the rest of the world, they would rather us go belly-up and kiss their collective arses than stand up and remain free.

There is one thing that will put a halt to their dreams - and that is Americans...Americans do not know how NOT to be free, and we will fight to maintain that status. What the MSM/libs do not know is, that taliban dipstick doesn't care that you're sheilding him and blaming us...if he wins, you'll probably lose your head(s) over it...just like the rest of us. All he will remember you for is being the "infidel" that once kissed his ass.

[Joan Kerrey]

He said a minority of Muslim extremists helps perpetuate anti-Muslim sentiment in the US, but that it is wrong for Americans to rush to conclusions based on these groups that have distorted or misinterpreted Qur’anic text. Qur'an text is quite clear thank you. There is little doubt that conflict, hatred, intolerance, war, blood and guts lubricating all the land is at the heart of this cult. The so called religion spread, not by winning hearts and minds and setting example but by intimidation, fear and brutal wars in which the losers had a choice, convert or die. And by the way, the crusades were no more brutal than the spread of Islam throughout the lands. At least the crusaders had only one goal in mind and that was to recapture only Christian lands lost during the spread of Islam by conquest. Islam was more brutal and it's purpose was to conquer the world and convert the world's population to Islam. And by the way, the silence from the so called moderate Muslims is deafening. I get a kick out of the voices who claim that only a small minority of fanatics are terrorists. But a huge majority are so quiet about that small minority that ones eardrums can't manage the silence.

[Joan Kerrey]

CAIR campaign to dispel misunderstandings of Islam and Muslims

Absolutely no misunderstanding. After reading the Koran one can only conclude that Islam is a religion of intolerance of non believers, bigotry, hatred and war against non believers.

The only misunderstanding is CAIR's belief that they can pull the wool over our eyes. This radical organization, whose leadership has supported terror and prosecuted as enabling terrorism, is the enemy. Make no mistake about CAIR's intentions. They are NOT honorable intentions.

[RobbyS]

Whatever the religious merits of the Koran, it is a book that preaches holy war. The whole history of Islam is a history of military agression and the subjugation of peeoples of different faiths. Only when opposed do they withdraw. The concept of religious toleration which has taken hold in the West is alien to them.

[Joan Kerrey]

CAIR spelled it Al-Waleed ibn Talal in this propaganda piece.

most U.S. press just use Al-waleed. He's that little runt of a jerk who tried to give Ruddy $10million after 9/11 with verbal strings attached as well. He controls Citicorp, 4season's hotels, fairmont hotels, eurodisney and a host of other badge companies in the world.

[blam]

"The "media" will not be able to change the minds of most Americans who can see through the BS they spew, IMO. Let them waste their time and money."

More lying media.

[RasterMaster]

[ClearBlueSky]

...the huge majority of Muslims live in this country peacefully and have NO connections whatsoever with terrorism.
You may be willing to bet your life on that, Jorge- but you have no right to wager mine! Never forget- the 9-11 hijackers lived in our society, and people like you thought the same of them. They were harmless---until they struck.

[Brandie]

OMG I can't believe a freeper saying what you just said. You are wrong, there are no moderate muslims.