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Don't complain about the media, become the media By Sadia Virk* Montreal, July 26, 2002 (MMN) - Post 9/11, the realities of being a Canadian Muslim are not what they used to be. Throughout all spheres of life, Muslims are seeing themselves being vilified and stereotyped on a daily basis. Furthermore, there exists a growing stigma associated with Islam and its teachings, creating an overwhelming misunderstanding of the religion professed by nearly 1.6 billion people around the globe. Most noticeably, Muslims in Canada, as well as elsewhere in the world, have come under attack by the media. From Halifax to Vancouver, there hardly remains a city newspaper in Canada that has yet to contribute to the hate-inspiring verbal assault against Muslims. Many Muslims are still unable to understand this phenomenon, and consequently busy themselves pondering over why this is happening to us. Yet then there are others, who busy themselves not only in answering this question, but more importantly, focus their attention on what they can do to address this growing concern. Conspiracy theories have become perhaps a Muslims'
favorite fable. Be it a young schoolchild, or an elderly member of our
community, few have trouble explaining why the mainstream media hates us so;
"It's all because of the Jews I tell you, there's simply nothing we can do
about it." Many have lost all hope in ever restoring the truth and clearing
up the deceptive fog that hovers around Islam and Muslims in the minds of
the general public. They seem to be more content on conserving their energy
to pass on their conspiracy theories from ear to ear; meanwhile,
Islamophobes continue to spew hatred against us, distorting and twisting the
beautiful message of our religion, whilst their In the dawn of these confusing times, Canadian Muslims need to take a step back to carefully explore what is really going on. Only by a rational and coherent analysis will we be able to fully comprehend the situation at hand and then consequently define a set course of action. Putting our trust in Allah first and foremost Muslims need to understand that belief in conspiracy theories hurts no one but ourselves. In believing that we are helpless to change our image in the media, we are making the mistake of thinking that the unbelievers have power over us. As Muslims, we have faith and trust that all Power comes from Allah and nothing comes to pass except that which He wills. Though the enemies of Islam may plot against us, surely Allah plots against them as well, and no doubt He is the Best of those that plot. (See Quranic verses 3:54, 8:30 & 13:42) The detrimental nature of thinking that we are powerless and vulnerable leads to dissipation of our energy. We concern ourselves with pointing fingers and assigning blame; moreover, we are eager to relieve our guilty conscious and giving validity to conspiracy theories enables us to do just that. This way of thinking clears us of any responsibility and/or obligations and hence facilitates easy sleeping at night. Jihaad of the pen Simply wearing hijab or sporting a beard does not a Muslim make. As Muslims we need to realize and understand the duties and obligations laid upon us by Allah . Islam is not a religion of passive observance. When one is witness to injustice or evil, one should be compelled to take action to restore justice and the truth. This we know from the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet [peace be upon him], a Muslim's ultimate example: Abu Sa'id Khudri related that Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] said: "If one of you sees something evil, he should change it with his hand. If he cannot, he should speak out against it, and if he cannot do even that, he should hate it in his heart, this being the weakest form of faith." [Sahih Muslim] No one can deny that it is indeed depressing and discouraging to open up the newspaper each day and have to read article after article, editorial after editorial, each which seems to have no purpose other than to vilify Islam and make a mockery of the supposed freedom of speech we enjoy. However, it is at these times that the lines of battle are set and that jihaad of the pen becomes an obligation upon all Muslims. This is not only a duty enjoined upon the leaders of our community; in fact, just as every individual will be held accountable for his/her own deeds, each one of us is responsible to for themselves to stand up for Islam and set the record straight. A simple commitment, long lasting results and rewards Now be honest with yourself, complaining about the media is really not an act that could be deemed as praiseworthy. It is those who seek to rise to the occasion, those who actually take a step into the real world and at attempt to get their voices heard that are worthy of applause. What is amazing is that all that is required from us is a simple commitment. This opportunity to defend Islam and serve Allah is open for all Muslims, regardless of their age, gender, or education. Furthermore, we must always remember is that though we may not immediately see the results right in front of us, what matters is that we are trying and that the ultimate reward comes only from Allah . The need and importance for Muslim participation in
the "mainstream media" has always existed. After September 11th, this need
and importance has only been augmented. The more the media distorts our
faith, the harder we must push ourselves to get our voices heard. As
Muslims, it is not befitting for us to simply sit back while our beliefs are
disparaged in the media. In the Holy Quran, Allah commands us to establish
justice; hence we must realize that if we are ever to bring about a positive
change in our world, we must act now; "And of those whom We have created
there is a community who guides (others) with the truth, and establishes
justice therewith." (7:181) There are many feasible ways by which people of conscious can take concrete steps towards defending Islam and improving the image of Canadian Muslims in the media. Organizations such as CAIR CAN, the Council on American-Islamic Relations CANADA, (see http://www.caircan.ca ) and CIC, the Canadian Islamic Congress, (see http://www.canadianislamiccongress.com ) are devoted towards doing just that; through grassroots membership, they seek to provide an accurate image of Islam in the media and to fight discrimination against Muslims in Canada. On an individual level, one does not have to be a journalist, political scientist or religious scholar in order to contribute. As Muslims, we must never underestimate the importance of educating ourselves. It is essential that we remain on top of the media each day, so that we are aware of what is being said about us and where. This way, we will be effectively able to react and respond to negative and defamatory coverage. Through letters to the editors and opinion pieces, we are able to reach out to the general public and present our views. Responding to Action Alerts generated by community leaders and organizations such as CAIR CAN and the CIC are also a simple, yet effective way of asserting ourselves. In addition to participating in the mainstream media, there also exists the growing need for us to support and sustain Islamic media outlets. This support comes in many forms, ranging from writing articles and covering Muslim events, to providing financial support, and even to offering moral support. Many Islamic organizations are actively encouraging our youth to enter the field of journalism in order to take this endeavor to a professional level. For example, just recently, the Canadian Islamic Congress announced that it would be co-sponsoring the scholarship of four Canadian Muslim students pursuing post-secondary education in a school of journalism, each valued at $3,000. (see: http://www.montrealmuslimnews.net/cic.htm for more details) Hence, it is most evident that the overwhelming need
for Canadian Muslims to participate in the media is a bona fide one. The
ball is in our court now; if we are worth our words, we will take it and
play hard. ---------------- * Sadia Virk lives in Montreal and is a student at Vanier College. She wrote this article for MMN. |
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