Media Representation of Muslims
Added on 2023-05-28
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Running head: MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF MUSLIMS
MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF MUSLIMS
Name of the Author
Name of the Student
Author Note
MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF MUSLIMS
Name of the Author
Name of the Student
Author Note
1MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF MUSLIMS
Immigration, Terrorism and Backwardness are the three aspects with which the muslim
community and Islam are associated with in the media discourses. The news broadcasting
agencies categorically highlight and portray the muslims as the perpetrator of the all antisocial
incidents, by neglecting the contribution that they make in the social setting where they are
placed. Also the fact that they too are victims of the crimes against humanity invariably is
ignored. Naturally the net result is that muslims and islam are misconstrued by the portrayal of
the media in a negative way. This particular essay shall be dealing with the issue of the
misrepresentation of the muslims by the media with specific emphasis on certain chosen
incidents to substantiate the central question of the essay ("Spreading Islamophobia:
Consequences Of Negative Media Representations", 2018).
In his lecture at the Afghan Canadian Islamic Community, in Toronto, British Shiite
Islamic Scholar Dr. Sayed Ammar Nakshawani of Iraqi origin had said that the role of media in
portraying the muslims as backward and primitive is quite substantial. He had objected to the
fact that media houses categorically chooses people who have a very clichéd Islamic demeanour,
wearing a traditional Islamic head cap, cladded in long robes, sporting a huge beard like that of
Osama Bin Laden to represent them in social media for expressing their view on Islam and the
Qoran. Such persons in the opinion of Dr. Sayed Ammar Nakshawani are the ones who have just
arrived from Pakistan and they find it very difficult to express themselves in English, and they
are clerics hold extremist opinions. While on the other hand, to oppose those clerics media pits a
handsomely dressed, highly educated, broadminded and articulate persons. This in the opinion of
Dr. Sayed Ammar Nakshawani works wonders to establish the fact that muslims are the ones
who are incompatible with the western values and society. He had also expressed with a lot of
disdain that persons like him who are educated, articulate and have liberal values besides being
Immigration, Terrorism and Backwardness are the three aspects with which the muslim
community and Islam are associated with in the media discourses. The news broadcasting
agencies categorically highlight and portray the muslims as the perpetrator of the all antisocial
incidents, by neglecting the contribution that they make in the social setting where they are
placed. Also the fact that they too are victims of the crimes against humanity invariably is
ignored. Naturally the net result is that muslims and islam are misconstrued by the portrayal of
the media in a negative way. This particular essay shall be dealing with the issue of the
misrepresentation of the muslims by the media with specific emphasis on certain chosen
incidents to substantiate the central question of the essay ("Spreading Islamophobia:
Consequences Of Negative Media Representations", 2018).
In his lecture at the Afghan Canadian Islamic Community, in Toronto, British Shiite
Islamic Scholar Dr. Sayed Ammar Nakshawani of Iraqi origin had said that the role of media in
portraying the muslims as backward and primitive is quite substantial. He had objected to the
fact that media houses categorically chooses people who have a very clichéd Islamic demeanour,
wearing a traditional Islamic head cap, cladded in long robes, sporting a huge beard like that of
Osama Bin Laden to represent them in social media for expressing their view on Islam and the
Qoran. Such persons in the opinion of Dr. Sayed Ammar Nakshawani are the ones who have just
arrived from Pakistan and they find it very difficult to express themselves in English, and they
are clerics hold extremist opinions. While on the other hand, to oppose those clerics media pits a
handsomely dressed, highly educated, broadminded and articulate persons. This in the opinion of
Dr. Sayed Ammar Nakshawani works wonders to establish the fact that muslims are the ones
who are incompatible with the western values and society. He had also expressed with a lot of
disdain that persons like him who are educated, articulate and have liberal values besides being
2MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF MUSLIMS
religious are not represented in media to speak about Islam, as that would defeat their purpose of
furthering the stereotypical image of islam and muslims to the world. The point which Dr. Sayed
Ammar Nakshawani had raised was extremely pertinent as just one part of the reality is
highlighted by the media. He is on one hand critical of the orthodoxies of islam and the muslims
and on the other hand he is also critical of how the muslims are portrayed which makes the world
feel like that all muslims are terrorists, extremists and backward, which is not the case ("Toronto
Lecture By British-Iraqi Shiite Scholar Sayed Ammar Nakshawani: Criticism Of Islam Is
Legitimate, Does Not Constitute Islamophobia", 2018).
The terrorist attack which had taken place at Stade de France, which had taken the lives
of a huge number of spectators. Media had highlighted the fact that the attack was launched by a
muslim origin but the fact that a muslim man had laid his life down in making an attempt to save
the lives of the people was somehow ignored ("The myth of a 'hero Muslim security guard' in
Paris", 2018). In this regard the issue of hijab in the country and the factor of tagging the muslim
population that resides in the banlieus, the French alternative of sub urban area of a city with
ignominy must be made in order to substantiate the central argument of the essay that the
muslims are represented in a wrong way to the world by the media. The debate over the issue of
women in France wearing the hijab, the Islamic headscarf covering the hair and neck of the
women became an issue heated debate in the country (Weaver, 2018).
Several strands of logic were provided to oppose the practice and support the imposition
of legal penalties on the offenders. Some had cited for the sake of maintain the security and for
making identification of potential offenders easier. Some others had cited the logic of secularism
which is one of the core principles of the constitution and the foundational basis of the Republic
of France. Wearing of the hijab at public places essentially meant a violation of the principle of
religious are not represented in media to speak about Islam, as that would defeat their purpose of
furthering the stereotypical image of islam and muslims to the world. The point which Dr. Sayed
Ammar Nakshawani had raised was extremely pertinent as just one part of the reality is
highlighted by the media. He is on one hand critical of the orthodoxies of islam and the muslims
and on the other hand he is also critical of how the muslims are portrayed which makes the world
feel like that all muslims are terrorists, extremists and backward, which is not the case ("Toronto
Lecture By British-Iraqi Shiite Scholar Sayed Ammar Nakshawani: Criticism Of Islam Is
Legitimate, Does Not Constitute Islamophobia", 2018).
The terrorist attack which had taken place at Stade de France, which had taken the lives
of a huge number of spectators. Media had highlighted the fact that the attack was launched by a
muslim origin but the fact that a muslim man had laid his life down in making an attempt to save
the lives of the people was somehow ignored ("The myth of a 'hero Muslim security guard' in
Paris", 2018). In this regard the issue of hijab in the country and the factor of tagging the muslim
population that resides in the banlieus, the French alternative of sub urban area of a city with
ignominy must be made in order to substantiate the central argument of the essay that the
muslims are represented in a wrong way to the world by the media. The debate over the issue of
women in France wearing the hijab, the Islamic headscarf covering the hair and neck of the
women became an issue heated debate in the country (Weaver, 2018).
Several strands of logic were provided to oppose the practice and support the imposition
of legal penalties on the offenders. Some had cited for the sake of maintain the security and for
making identification of potential offenders easier. Some others had cited the logic of secularism
which is one of the core principles of the constitution and the foundational basis of the Republic
of France. Wearing of the hijab at public places essentially meant a violation of the principle of
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