The media, amalign influence on islam*

From; ALHASSAN HADI AZINDOW. FINAL YEAR STUDENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE,

KNUST.KUMASI.

Tears almost always run down my cheeks when I read and see images of bad

media journalism by elements manipulated and controlled by the 'West' and

their stooges attempting to portray Islam with terrorism. It is not the

purpose of this piece to defend the killings and activities of terrorist

groups but to attempt to dissociate terrorism from Islam. I am no

theologian of any religion but I want to aver emphatically that Terrorism

has no historical antecedents or grounding in Islam neither do the Islamic

teachings preach terrorism.

Events after the September 11th attack on the world trade center has

provided more arsenals to some western media houses and their crony

government to put Islam in bad light and further associate it with

terrorist groups. Admittedly, we have, as Muslims provided more fuel to

this burning desire to malign Islam. Our actions and in-actions have

enabled some media houses to denigrate Islam and further drag its name

through the mud. The current religious war in the Central African Republic

is quintessential of what the loud silence of Muslims can do to innocent

lives. Statistically, they may be just seven hundred and fifty thousand

(750,000) Muslims in the Central African Republic but they represent the

humanity behind each statistic. You may conclude that your country is

peaceful and so nothing of external problem bothers you but remember that

the ramifications of war knows no boundaries. The cock belongs to one house

but when it crows, it is heard by the whole village- Chinua Achebe.

The word 'terrorism' suffers from a definitional sloppiness but it has

become so easy for some western media houses to use it as a catch all

phrase for any heinous activity that involves an Arab name to Islam. It

took the United Nation ten (10) years of negotiation and convention to come

up with a definition for terrorism in 2005. That notwithstanding, terrorism

today has come to be so synonymous with Islam, thanks greatly to some media

outlets.

When you subject the UN definition of terrorism to strict analysis devoid

of bias you come to a sound conclusion that the United States is the

biggest terrorist group the world has ever witnessed. The UN definition of

terrorism reads 'the targeting and deliberate killing of civilians and

non-combatants'. The question I ask is, how many non-combatants and

civilians has the US killed since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 to

present and still counting. "The war launched by the United states as

'Operation Enduring Freedom' in 2001" according to the Guardian has killed

as many as 20,000 Afghan civilians. When you do the computation it is as if

for every individual killed in the September 11th attack (approximately

3000 innocent people were killed) seven (7) Afghan innocent lives shall be

killed in retaliation. At the end the only excuse we get is, as usual, they

were collateral damage. The irony of the situation is that the operation

has 'freedom' as its bottom-line but has enslaved a huge number of people

directly and indirectly.

Will I therefore be cynical to assume that some western media houses are

just answering the call of their pay masters by trying hard, even if the

facts are to the contrary, to paint Islam black? I have never heard any

western media house, correct me if I am wrong, pronounce the US a 'civilian

terrorist' rather we are bundled with all kinds of phrases like 'an Islamic

terrorist', 'a jihadist', 'an extremist jihadist terrorist', 'a Muslim

terrorist' and a whole lot of banal 'nonsense.'

It is indeed true that most of these terrorist organizations are strong in

Islamic states and regions but does that give a justification to lump them

as 'Islamic terrorist'. It is as if saying that you eat pork simply because

your father ate it before he gave birth to you. The reasoning is counter

logic and a complete fallacy of sweeping generalization.

I agree totally with the argument that Muslims are the enemies of

themselves. Until we come together as one and redefine our outlook as a

united people, until we understand the unity with which our forebears

fought for us, until we come to terms with the fact that an Arab Muslim is

equal to an African Muslim, until we agree to mend our deep cracks, and

until and unless we appreciate our differences even as we strive for unity

we shall continue to be the laughing stock of the media.

According to Kramer "The only way to apply the brake to suicide terrorism,

is to undermine its moral logic, by encouraging Muslims to see its

incompatibility with their own values.' All hope is not lost because there

are genuine non-Muslims who understand the Islamic teaching far better than

many of the so called world acclaim journalist who puts the Islamic

religion in disrepute. I urge all Muslims to live a lifestyle that is

exemplary of the teachings of the Holy Quran and accept non-Muslims as part

of the many creations and diversity Allah has created.

I dedicate this piece to the many people who are surprised globally through

religious intolerance and perverted understanding of the Good Books of God.

Shalom.