The author's problems begin in the first sentence. He makes the assumption, perhaps an invalid assumption, that Islam's problems begin with the West's perceptions. He never considers the possibility that this may not be a public image makers issue but rather an issue of reality. Islam may have more of a reality problem than a PR problem.
We must not forget though that this propensity to distort the image of Islam and Muslims is not new. It is, instead, the revival of a tendency whose roots go back more than ten centuries.
A conflict that goes back to the birth of Islam becomes the rallying cry for a PR campaign. Again, the failure to accept the possibility that there is any thing beyond a perception problem misses the point. Can wars on virtually every border between Muslim countries and non-Muslim countries be attributed to bad press? Can stoning and beheading people who fail to follow the incomprehensible idiocies of Sharia law be swept under the rug for an advertising campaign? It takes a lot of hard work to undo the favorable press that Islam has received in the United States but somehow this misunderstood religion has managed to do it.
The second factor is to have an environment in the West, susceptible to such a change
Despite the ability to freely enter this country as citizens, residents, workers, and students living here and enjoying the rights and freedoms that have been extended to them, he questions whether this nation has been able to view them in an unbiased fashion. It's only now after being repeatedly attacked both literally and figuratively that people are even becoming suspicious.
Islam had better wake up to the fact that it is not being descriminated against and accept responsibility for its own actions. That's the way we would want to handle our problems here and they need to come to terms with it. In this country many have become our guests. Not only could this end but so could their welcome elsewhere.
This seems to be very common in editorials concerned about improving Islam’s “image” in the west. I suspect the concern isn’t as much about Islam’s image but rather the potential economic losses stemming from more hostile relations with the West. There’s no reason to think he’s at all uncomfortable with the reality of militant Islam.
Despite the ability to freely enter this country as citizens, residents, workers, and students living here and enjoying the rights and freedoms that have been extended to them, he questions whether this nation has been able to view them in an unbiased fashion... Islam had better wake up to the fact that it is not being descriminated against and accept responsibility for its own actions.
I doubt he would accept the idea of Moslems integrating into the mosaic of American life, particularly the concept of secular loyalty to America in a conflict with, largely (entirely) militant Moslems. In his view, it’s America’s job to accept their discordant views and actions. All the PR in the world won't change that.