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The Importance of Having a Muslim Voice in the Media - Dana Afana

7/30/2012

1 Comment

 
Today’s media consists of Middle Eastern political stories from multiple sides with little objectivity. Such a lack of objectivity stems from biases and improper knowledge of certain topics. I, as an Arab-American, notice these things because I directly receive information about politics and the little things going on from my relatives in Palestine. I believe that having an Arab and Muslim voice in the media is important because not only does it bring diversity in demographics among writers, but it also brings diversity in perspective. One’s culture is a valuable resource for learning as well as teaching. The Middle East is a predominately Muslim region with people who find their religion and culture top priorities. I also believe that Arabs and Muslims share a certain pride and want to share the stories of their lives with the world, politically and otherwise.

From my past experiences, I noticed people’s viewpoints are limited to what they see and hear from the American media. While I deeply respect the American media, I do believe certain outlets are flawed, biased, and portray certain groups in a negative light. I have been able to inform certain groups more about Islam as well as explain what is really going on in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through truth yet respect for the other side. I also noticed that many people may not have time to look into things or they simply do not have the interest researching facts. A Muslim voice could allow more information. This “more information” could come from experience on top of research. There is right and wrong on both sides of stories, but the media has shown wrong on Palestinians for a very long time.

 Islamophobia is a current issue in today’s society. A Muslim voice could help reduce Islamophobia. It will help people understand and get used to the fact that Muslims are people. That good Muslims exist, not only what the media portrays. Muslim voices could also help because they could easily reduce the biases against their own people. A grand amount of Muslims are unhappy with what’s portrayed about “their type.” Therefore, this voice serves as a weapon to kill biases and show the norm, that Muslims are people who also have dreams and hopes to pursuing their interests.
1 Comment
Ali
8/11/2013 10:05:13 pm

Well said!!

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