islamophobia

In the days following the horrific September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, you may have noticed Steven Emerson on a number of media outlets spewing his theories about "who did it?". When it comes to Emerson, nine times out of ten, right or wrong, the finger is automatically pointed at Muslims. 

A number of churches and organizations though, are interested in doing more. They want to know how to reach out to their Muslim neighbors and friends in this difficult time. Below are some suggestions of simple things they can do to express their support for Muslim-Americans.

For Americans the feeling of security is not what it was prior to September 11, 2001.  For Muslim Americans a sense of caution and uneasiness has quickly become a constant state-of-mind.  For Muslim American women, stray glances cause thoughts of fear to emerge where comfort has previously existed.

Why not jump on the bandwagon and start reading more about Islam? Understanding Islam is key to building bridges between people at this critical time when tension and emotion are both still high. 

The small, fledgling Muslim media needs much support to keep publishing and producing content that accurately and authentically represents Islam and Muslims. Here are 10 ways every Muslim can and must support our voice. 

In over 30 years, Muslims and the media have gone from being a virtual non-issue to becoming the subject of books, conferences, articles, meetings with media outlets and PhD.. dissertations. This relationship has undergone continued strain, and more recently, positive change.

In this interview with Dr. Ahmadullah Siddiqi, author of "Islam, Muslims and Media: Myths and Realities", Siddiqi shares his journey to becoming a Muslim media scholar and activist, as well as providing an important analysis of the ongoing negative coverage of Islam and Muslims in Western media, along with practical advice for activism in this area.