FRIENDSHIP IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER RELATIONSHIPS: ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF COMPANIONSHIP

FRIENDSHIP IS DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER RELATIONSHIPS: CONCEPT OF COMPANIONSHIP IN ISLAM

by Syarif Hidayat

     Friendship is different from all other relationships. Unlike acquaintanceship, it is based on love. Unlike lovers and married couples, it is free of jealousy. Unlike children and parents, it knows neither criticism nor resentment. Friendship has no status in law. Business partnerships are based on a contract. So is marriage. Parents are bound by the law, as are children.

     But friendship is freely entered into, freely given, freely exercised. "Friends never cheat each other, or take advantage, or lie. Friends do not spy on one another, yet they have no secrets. Friends glory in each other's successes and are downcast by the failures.

     Friends minister to each other, nurse each other. Friends give to each other, worry about each other, stand always ready to help. Perfect friendship is rarely achieved, but at its height it is an ecstasy." - Stephen E. Ambrose's book: "Comrades".

    Thanks to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Linkedin, Friendster and Multiply etc, now we have better facilities to bridge and enhance national as well as international friendships and to form a powerful worldwide "real time" social media. Through which, we could get many "first hand information" from almost any corner of the world and have a better understanding about each other cultures and in the end we would have a mutual understanding among all people in the world. 

FRIENDSHIP by - Eleanor Roosevelt: 

- Friendship with oneself is all-important because without it one cannot be friends with anyone  else in the world.

- Many people will walk in and out of your life, But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

- To handle yourself, use your head; To handle others, use your heart.

Anger is only one letter short of danger. If someone betrays you once, it is his fault; If he betrays you twice, it is your fault.

- He who loses money, loses much;

He who loses a friend, loses much more;

He who loses faith, loses all.

FRIENDSHIP by -Nancy Studnicka:

- A friend is someone we turn to when our spirits need a lift,

A friend is someone we treasure for our friendship is a gift

A friend is someone who fills our lives with beauty, joy, and grace

And makes the world we live in a better and happier place. 

- Friends are people who do not judge you, that stay by your side through good and carry you through the bad times.

- Friends are people you can call night and day, and they are still happy to hear from you. They are there emotionally, and feel your pain. They shied a tear for your sorrow, and rejoice with your glory.

- Friends will say a prayer for you each night, until the good lord answers it. When you are sick they bring you a bowl of soup, and when you are feeling blue, they bring you some sugar cookies and a smile.

- Friends give you hugs, and words of encouragements. They tell you the truth when you don't want to hear it. And their love for you is Unconditional.

“A great and lasting friend is like the world's ocean within its waves lies constancy, within its rhythms lies vitality,  and within its depths lies truth.” - M. Repeaux “A GREAT FRIEND”

      Perfect friendship is rarely achieved. A faithful friend is indeed hard to find. The German proverb says: “Freunde in der Not, gehen 1000 auf ein Lot.” - Translation: “In time of need, 1000 friends shrink to a lot (16.5 grams).” - Meaning: “In bad times you have very few friends.” - Equivalent1: A friend in need is a friend indeed! - Equivalent2: Remember man and keep in mind: A faithful friend is hard to find!

Concept of Companionship and friendship in Islam

     Human Beings in all phases of life, from the very beginning of childhood and youth, old age till his death, are in need of friendship and association with others. Owing to his social nature, man is compelled to live in society and with other individuals. And most of our lives depend on interaction with others.

     Friendship is such a beautiful gift. A friend in need is a friend in deed after all. A friend is a very important person in one's life. Those who have worthy friends are never lonely and friendless in the world, since in joy and sorrow, their true friends help and support them. Naturally, a human being feels happy at the companionship of friends, and is sad at being lonely and distress and having no worthy companions.

     Islam has placed tremendous importance on the aspect of sociability and friendship. This sense of companionship holds a lot of significance in any relationship. In the Noble Qur'an, Allah (SWT) clearly states that He too chose friends for himself; who were none other than Prophet Ibrahim, Khalil Allah (as), and Prophet Muhammad, Habib Allah (saw).

     Today, we see intense disputes and altercations arising even between parents and children and as well as among siblings. This is chiefly due to the fact that, though their relationship is marked with blood ties, the all-important sentiments of fellowship and friendship are sorely missing. Our experience will tell us that friendship often takes precedence over blood relations. Man tends to heed his friends more than his relatives. He trusts his companions more than his own kin. The youth today, confide in their friends, while being discreet with their parents.

     Islam is in complete harmony with man's nature. Hence, it has dealt with this topic of friendship in detail. Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) and Ahlul Bayt (as) were at pains to explain the etiquette and decorum of true friendship, so that we can acquire benefit out of companionship; a benefit whose effects will be manifested in the world as well as the hereafter. Imam Ali (as) observes, "He indeed is unfortunate who does not have any friends, but worse is the one who has friends, but loses them."

     Imam Ali (as) Says: "Live amongst people in such a manner that if you die they weep over you and if you are alive they crave for your company (friendship)."

Imam Ali (as) also said, "Try to have as many as possible true friends, for they are the supplies in joy and the shelters in misfortunes." In another tradition it is narrated, "Acquire more and more friends, because on the Day of Judgment each believer shall exercise his right of intercession (shafa'at)." Thus a person with maximum believer companions not only happy in this world but also enhances his chances of intercession and consequently, salvation in the Hereafter.

     For us Muslims who are living in a society where we are clearly a minority, the issue of choosing right companions is essential for preserving our religion (Deen). Befriending righteous and virtuous Muslims is an essential means for staying on the Straight Path. Strong individuals are the core of a strong community, something that Muslims should always strive for.

    We all know that Allah (SWT), the Most High has brought us to life in order to test us. Thus we are here for a relatively short period of time and that we shall meet Allah (SWT) one Day, so we need to use our present life for what is best for us in the Hereafter. Once we know our purpose and our goal in life, we should seek ways to achieve them so as to benefit our own selves.

     Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) considers real friends as the treasures of this world and the hereafter, and he says: "Find friends for yourself from among your coreligionist brethren, since they are the treasures of this world and also the next world."

     The point to which the leaders of Islam pay great attention in connection with friendship, is that, it may be considered worthy only if it is fostered for the sake of Allah (SWT), and a reliable friend is the one whose friendship is based on spirituality. Imam Ali Reza (as) elucidates, "One who takes up a friend to please Allah (SWT), has reserved for himself a house in Paradise." To choose someone for friendship purely on the basis of his piety and faith, only to satisfy Allah (SWT) is akin to earmarking a place in Paradise.

     This was one facet of friendship. Now let us look at the flip side. A friendship that is made for the sake of wealth, position, beauty and such things will disappear automatically when those factors come to an end. No material thing can act as the basis of a lasting friendship or produce happiness. Imam Ali (as) narrates, "Any friendship and companionship that is not for Allah's pleasure, is deviation and to rely on such ties (of friendship) is impossible."

     Lot of people establishes their bonds of friendship and enmity based on the gain they are likely to accrue on a personal level. That is, if a person has some utility, he qualifies as a friend, else he is an enemy. However, that should never be the benchmark for Muslims.

     Another point to which Islam attaches much importance is the choice of a friend. From the viewpoint of Islamic leaders, one should not make friends with each and every individual, since there are some persons whose friendship is harmful and dangerous. Without any doubt, every friend affects the material and spiritual affairs of his own companion, and each of them unconsciously influences the ideas, morals and conduct of the other.

Friends are by no means only a means for 'time-pass' or entertainment:

      Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) Says: "Make friends with ones who are higher than you so that you progress." Friends are by no means only a means for 'time-pass' or entertainment. Indeed friendship is more profound than that. Friendship and companionship are inseparable aspects of an individual's life. Experience has shown, too, that many friendships have changed the destiny of individuals and their course of life. Friends influence each other's ways, faith and religion. That is why while Islam has emphasized the importance of friendship, it has also stressed on the qualities that a friend should necessarily possess. It has clearly demarcated who is worthy of friendship and who is not.

     Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said: "Man is influenced by the faith of his friends. Therefore, be careful of whom you associate with." And at another place Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said: "A person is likely to follow the faith (Iman) of his friend, so look whom you befriend."

     Prophet Muhammad (saw) who has the noblest character and dealings with fellow humans gave us a very clear and simple message and advice in regard to friendship.

Friendship with worthy individuals is a great factor of happiness; and friendship and companionship with impure and polluted fellows are a cause of decline and distress.

     Some people are so confident of their own purity and nobility; they imagine that they will not be subject to any harm in their association with wicked persons. They consider their personality as strong enough not to be influenced by vices. However, they forget that cotton wool gets aflame by proximity with fire, and glass breaks when it comes in contact with stones. Unfortunately, corruption and impurity can very quickly affect the human spirit, and easily make it catch fire like gunpowder, and burn the entire world with their flame.

     Supposing you are so dignified and noble that you aren't influenced by the wicked persons you associate with. What will people say about you? Will they not consider you as one of the rabble when you associate with them?

    One of the Hadith says as: "Don't judge anyone's goodness or badness until you see his friend, since a person is recognized by his likes and companions, and is related to his friends."

     It would be impossible not to be affected deeply in our character by association with those around us, since man is by nature, an imitator, and everyone is more or less influenced by the conduct, manners and ideas of friends and companions.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Man imitates his friends. Hence, you must consider them whom you want to befriend."

     Association with biased and selfish people produces great losses since the effect of their character leads to the obscurity and limitation of thought, and to the death of the spirit of manliness and noble qualities. If association with them continues for a long time, the heart becomes heavy and hardened, moral powers are weakened, and willpower, sense of progress and excelling are destroyed in man. On the contrary, friendship and contact with those who are wiser, more experienced than us, are very valuable since their association breathes a new spirit into us, teaches us better way of life, and reforms our views about the attitude towards others. It appears as if they make us share their wisdom, knowledge and experience.

     Thus, for building up morality nothing is more useful and effective than association with learned and active individuals, since such contact enhances our mental powers, adds to our willpower, sublimate to our objective in the world, and prepares us for managing our own affairs and assisting others.

How should we choose our friends according to Islam?

      We should choose the friend that believes in and abide by our religion (Islam) and gives great respect to what Allah (SWT) and Prophet Muhammad (saw) had ordered us. And we should stay away from the one who is not well mannered and gives no attention to what Islam is about or what pleases or displeases Allah (SWT), for he will surely affect us negatively. There is no good if the companion drowns us in sins and displeasing Allah (SWT). The bases for the actions of those who follow the evil ways are corrupt; their actions are built upon misguidance and deviation.

     Good friends are those who share with their companions both happiness and sadness. If we share our feelings with the wrongdoers whose actions are worthless and based on corruption, then we are following the same ways and standards as they are doing, and we will end up being as corrupt as they are, and then we are in a big trouble, how can we face Allah's (SWT) dissatisfaction and displeasure? Instead of making friends with the misguided ones we should befriend the righteous, yet treat the rest in a gracious and just manner.

     Staying at sufficient distance is necessary; yet treating everybody in a noble and kind manner is required. The danger of having corrupt friends isn't confined to the worldly life. Such friendships produce repentance on the Day of Resurrection, too!

    Allah (SWT), the Exalted says in the Noble Qur'an: "And (remember) the day when the unjust one shall bite his hands saying: O! Would that I had taken a way with the Messenger! O woe is me! Would that I had not taken such a one for a friend! Certainly he led me astray from the reminder after it had come to me;" (Surah Al-Furqan, 25:27-29)

     The two main regrets on the day of judgment are:

     - (1) Not following Prophet Muhammad (saw) on the path of guidance and;

     - (2) Befriending a person who diverted one from the truth.

Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) has said: "The felicity of this and the next world lie in two things: firstly, keeping secrets; and secondly, friendship with the good. And the miseries of this and the next world are summed up in two things: firstly, divulging secrets; and secondly, friendship with wicked persons."

    So take heed before the inevitable day of judgment comes and we are reckoned for our acts. Allah (SWT), the Exalted says in the Noble Qur'an: "Friends on that Day will be enemies one to another, except al-Muttaqun (i.e. those who have Taqwa/Piety)." (Surah Az-Zukhruf, 43:67)

     It is wise to choose moderation in dealing with friends. Excessive love and confidence in friends are unacceptable since it happens that a friend may change into an enemy and use the secrets that he had shown as weapons. Allah (SWT), the Exalted says in the Noble Qur'an: "And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression." (Surah Al-Maeda, 5:2)

    Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "When you cherish someone you should cherish him moderately for he may be your enemy someday, and when you hate someone you should hate him moderately for he may be your friend someday." Also said: "If you intend to cut yourself off from a friend, leave some scope for him from your side by which he may resume friendship if it so occurs to him some day."

    Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "The secrets that you must show before your friends are only those through which your enemies cannot harm you, for a friend may change into an enemy."

Who should not be befriended according to the philosophy of Islam?

      When choosing our friends we should ask ourselves first: Are they going to help us achieve the purpose for which we were brought to life? Or will they take us away from it? Will they desire for us Allah's (SWT) pleasure or is that completely irrelevant to them and not their concern at all? Are they leading us to Paradise or to the Hell?

      Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as) narrates from his father who said, "O my son don't befriend five types of people:

1. Don't befriend a liar (Kadhib). For a liar is like a mirage. He shows the distant as near and the near as distant. He will always deceive you and trouble you.

2. Don't befriend a transgressor (Ghasib). For he will forsake you for a paltry sum and make your sins appear very alluring to you. He will make you a victim of Allah's chastisement through his petty sins and take you farther away from His obedience and satisfaction. He will make Allah's worship appear as His disobedience, and His disobedience as His worship. He will drag you along with himself in the fire of hell.

3. Never befriend a miser (Bakheel/Kanjus). For in your time of need and distress, he will withhold his wealth from you, while he is in a position to assist you. (He values his wealth more than anything else. And to that end he is prepared to forsake even his friends)

4. Do not befriend a fool (Ahmaq). For (in his foolishness) he will harm you while he intends to help you. (That is why it is said, 'A shrewd enemy is better than a foolish friend')

5. Don't befriend the one who breaks relations (with his relatives/Khata Rahmi). For, such a person has been cursed in the Noble Qur'an in three places. He is engrossed in his own affairs with scant regard for others. (Friendship with such a person will eventually lead the individual towards sins and disobedience of Allah)"

    Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "Do not befriend a sinner (Fasiq/Fajir) because he will sell you for a morsel."

Imam Sajjad (as) said: "Do not make anyone your enemy even though you consider him harmless and do not turn down a person's friendship even if you think he will not benefit you."

    The Noble Qur'an says, "The hypocritical men and the hypocritical women are all alike; they enjoin evil and forbid good and withhold their hands; they have forsaken Allah, so He has forsaken them; surely the hypocrites are the transgressors." (Surah Al-Tawba, 9:67)

On the other hand, Noble Qur'an discusses the believers in the following manner, "And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Messenger; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise." (Surah Al-Tawba, 9:71)

    The two Qur'anic verses mentioned above only go to show how critical a role friendship can play in our lives. A true friend then, is the one who takes us closer to Allah's (SWT) compassion and grace.

     Having deliberated at length on who should not be befriended, we shall now see what kind of people should be befriended. Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) narrates, "Friendship entails certain trusts and duties. Then the one who observes these obligations is a true friend and the one who breaches this trust is unworthy of friendship.

These obligations are as follows:

1. He should be the same outside as he is inside. In other words, he should not have a dual personality. (In this age however, we often come across people who are exceptionally humble and modest on the outside, with little, if any humility, on the inside)

2. He will consider your virtues as his virtues and your misdeeds as his misdeeds. (In other words your virtues will cheer him and your faults will grieve him. God forbid, he must not feel relieved after observing some vice in you, and take solace from the fact that he himself is above that vice.)

3. If he acquires a position of power and authority, it must not bring about a drastic change in his attitude. In other words, prosperity must not transform the individual adversely. (There are some people who make the best of friends in adversity. But a positive change in their financial condition reveals a dark, hitherto unknown side of their personality. On the other hand we see some people who make good friends in prosperity, but misfortune transforms them, disclosing their fickleness.)

4. He must give his friendship (with you) priority over all his worldly possessions. In other words in times of adversity, he must be willing to give his all to redeem you.

5. He must never leave you alone in times of misfortune and distress."

There are three types of 'friends'...

    Those that are necessary like nourishment and you cannot live without them; those that are like medicine and are beneficial, so you need them sometimes; and finally, those that are like a sickness and you do not need them at all!

    Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said, "The believer is like a mirror to other believers (in truthfulness)." Like a mirror, your friend gives you an honest image. He forgives your mistakes, but does not hide or exaggerate your strengths and weaknesses.

Once Prophet Muhammad (saw) was asked, "What person can be the best friend?" "He who helps you remember Allah (SWT), and reminds you when you forget Him," the Prophet Muhammad (saw), counseled.

    Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) said: "A friend cannot be considered a friend unless he is tested on three occasions: in time of need, behind your back and after your death."

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) also remarks, "My best friend is the one who gifts me my weaknesses and shortcomings." In other words one who brings to your notice your defects and flaws is indeed your true friend.

     However, there is one very imperative point in the above-mentioned tradition of Imam Jafar Sadiq (as). When one presents an offering to a close friend, he does so with utmost care, not willing to overlook anything. He offers the gift with total respect and regard. For, even the most valuable gift if not presented with correct etiquette, can look very ordinary.

     While presenting the offering, the friend tries to make the most expensive gift seem very ordinary so as to not embarrass the recipient. On the other hand, the recipient of this gift tries to make even the most ordinary gift seem very precious, so as to please his friend.

    Similarly, when we wish to point out certain shortcomings to a friend, we must do so with a degree of respect and sincerity. Our sole intention must be to reform the friend and there should be no hint of any malice and self-righteousness. Likewise, when a friend highlights for us, our defects, we must acknowledge the same with respect and gratitude without any ill will and hostility. Imam Hassan Askari (as) Says: "Those who advise their friend secretly are respecting them, and those who advise them openly are humiliating them."

    Indeed if we establish these as the standards of friendship, the believers shall soon find themselves enveloped with friends who will take them closer to Paradise and farther away from the fire of hell.

   Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an: O you who believe! Take care of your souls; he who errs cannot hurt you when you are on the right way; to Allah is your return, of all (of you), so He will inform you of what you did. (Surah Al-Maeda, 5:105)

There are certain tips to remember if you wish to keep a stable friendship.

1.Do not dispute with him and do not be hostile to him.

2.Do not ridicule him. Do not quarrel with him. Instead accord friends the respect they deserve.

Imam Hassan (as) Says: "Befriend people in the same manner you would like them to befriend you."

3 Do not hold him in contempt nor consider him to be lower than you. Instead guard the honor of your friends during their absence and after their death.

4. Do not claim precedence and supremacy over him. Instead forgive the short-comings of your friends, because everyone makes mistakes in life.

5. Do not crack indecent jokes with him.

Finally, we ask Allah (SWT) to make us of the righteous ones and give us companions that will take us away from His Wrath and lead us to His Pleasure and Paradise. (HSH)

Bibliotheque:

1. Stephen E. Ambrose's book: "Comrades"

2. “FRIENDSHIP” by - Eleanor Roosevelt

3. “FRIENDSHIP” by - Nancy Studnicka

4. http://www.ezsoftech.com/stories/friendship.in.islam.asp

5. http://www.ezsoftech.com/stories/friends.in.islam.asp

6. The Holy Al Qur’an‘s Tafsir (The Holy Qur'an ProgramVersion 8.0) by Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Khan

7. INDONESIAN VERSION: PERSAHABATAN SEJATI DIDASARI KEJUJURAN DAN KEIKHLASAN

Eid in Muslim Society: Eid Fitr Celebration (Ramadan Celebration): EID FITR IS A DAY OF THANKSGIVING TO ALLAH (SWT)

Eid in Muslim Society: EID FITR IS A DAY OF THANKSGIVING TO ALLAH (SWT)

       Eid Fitr is one of the two great Islamic festivals, the other being Eid-ul-Azha. Its importance can be judged from the fact that Almighty Allah Himself ordered the believers to celebrate it. 
        It is celebrated at the end of the month of fasting (Ramadan) and has a special significance for the Muslim society. Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) established the Islamic egalitarian society, free of all kinds of exploitation and corruption, and maintaining the sanctity of this society was made the obligation of the believers in every age. 
       For this purpose, the holy month of fasting (Ramadan) was selected to help prepare believers for this responsibility. In this training, during the specific fasting periods believers are required to refrain from enjoying such things, which are otherwise lawful for them.

The purpose of this exercise is mentioned in the following verse of the Holy Quran: "So that you may learn restraint." (2:183)

       Believers happily obey these injunctions to please Almighty Allah. Such an exercise has pleasant effects on the practical life of believers and, in their practical life, helps them refrain from adopting corrupt ways.

Some jurists maintain that Itikaf (Etekaaf) during the last 10 days of the month of Ramadan is also a part of this training. In this worship, the believer confines himself in a mosque for the specified period of time.
       The Islamic society, established in the light of the above teachings was a symbol of the greatness of Almighty Allah on this earth. Actually it was a gigantic achievement, which deserved all kinds of rejoicing. That is why Almighty Allah Himself asked the believers to enjoy this occasion, In this respect the Holy Quran says: "Say in the grace of Allah and in His mercy in that they should rejoice." (Chapter Yunus, Verse 58)

Simplicity a symbol of the Islamic society

       The celebration of the festival of Eid Fitr is itself a model of an egalitarian Islamic society, and Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) best explained this model by his personal example. It is reported that he used to wear a special dress to grace the occasion, but it was never a costly one and was always within the reach of everybody. Once Umar brought a costly dress for him requesting him to wear it on Eid days and other ceremonial occasions. Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) immediately returned the dress observing that it did not behave a believer to wear such a costly dress.
        The result was that all the Companions dressed simply on this occasion and consequently this simplicity became a symbol of the Islamic society.

        Today, the provision of shelter, dress and food are enumerated as the three basic human needs, and equality in meeting these needs results in all egalitarian society. Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) already solved the issue of shelter once and for all. He himself lived in a simple house and expected his Companions to follow him in this respect.
        Once when a wealthy Companion built a palatial building, Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) disliked it to such an extent that he socially boycotted that Companion (Sunnan Abu Daud, vol.4, p. 487). As a result of the Holy Prophet's stern attitude in this respect, none of the Companions ever dared to have an edge over his fellow believers in the matter of construction of buildings. Due to this policy, even the poor in the society were able to have shelter for themselves.

        By dressing simply on this happiest occasion of Eid Fitr, Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) solved the issue of the second basic need of the society.

         The third basic need of society is food. Today this need has attained such an importance that it results in political change in many developing countries. By taking various steps, Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) ensured that nobody was deprived of this basic need in the Islamic society. But the situation on festivals is usually different. On this day, everybody tries to enjoy special dishes, which normally the poor cannot afford.
         Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) held this point in view, and he made such an efficient arrangement that not only was good food guaranteed for all the poor of the society on that day, but also some of their other needs were met.

 Sadaqa-ul-Fitr (Zakat-e-Fitr

      He ordered the rich believers to pay a fixed amount of money to the poor on that day or before that day. This is known as "Sadaqa-ul-Fitr (Zakat-e-Fitr)", and its rate varies according to the price of grain.

         A huge amount of money can be collected under this system which may be sufficient to meet the needs of the poor on this day, and some of it may be saved to meet their needs in other difficult times.

         Nowadays in many localities, (Sadaqa-ul-Fitr) is adjusted against the emoluments of the Imams of the local mosques, and the poor in the Muslim society air deprived of a big chunk of money which may practically convert the present-day Muslim society into an egalitarian society.

       It may be mentioned here that the sacred festival of Eid Fitr has been selected by Almighty Allah Himself to guide the believers to establish an egalitarian Islamic society on the face of this earth. The Holy Quran was revealed during the month of Ramadan about which it was marked: "It (the Holy Quran) is better than that which they hoard." (Chapter Yunus, Verse 58)

       Hoarding symbolizes a non-egalitarian society, which encourages the hoarding of essential articles. This is done to fleece the needy persons. The Holy Quran was revealed to eliminate this evil in all its details, and the month of Ramadan was selected for this purpose. The successful completion of all the various steps for establishing such an egalitarian society deserves rejoicing.

       Nowadays the Muslims with great pomp and show celebrate Eid Fitr, but unfortunately its real spirit is ignored. That is why the present-day Muslim society age, instead of becoming an egalitarian one, has been divided into haves and have-nots.
       This state of affairs has not only robbed the majority of Muslims of their peace of mind, but has also converted them into the weakest nation of the world. Such a situation demands that steps be taken to celebrate this occasion of Eid Fitr in the same sprit as during the life of Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.).

In this way Muslims will be able to convert their present day society into an Islamic egalitarian one. It will prove beneficial for humanity as it proved so during the early periods of Islam.

End of Ramadan Festival

       The day immediately following the end of the holy month of Ramadan is called Eid Fitr. In other words, it falls on the first day of Shawwal Al-Mukarram. It is one of the greatest Islamic festivals.

       Eid Fitr is the Day of Thanksgiving to Allah, for giving His servants the opportunity to fast and to worship Him in the month of Ramadan. On this Day, Muslims leave their jobs, wear clean clothes, offer special Eid Prayers, and after prayers go to visit one another and take part in festivities. 
       Small children wear beautiful new clothes, and are very busy enjoying the festival. Their angelic faces beam with joy.

       Islam wants that all Muslims, whether rich or poor, should enjoy Eid. It has, therefore, commanded all the well-to-do people to pay the Zakat-e-Fitr. This Zakat-e-Fitr is paid on the very day of Eid Fitr. It consists of 3 kilograms of one's daily food or its equivalent in cash.

       The payment of Zakat-e-Fitr is obligatory upon every person who is adult, sane and free at the time of the sunset on the last day of Ramadan, and is also not dependent upon others for means of subsistence. If the person concerned is the head of a family, it is incumbent upon him to pay his own Zakat-e-Fitr as well.

       Zakat-e-Fitr is the right of the poor and the needy, and can be spent for those purposes only, for which Zakat, payable on property, is expendable. This includes helping the deserving people and building hospitals, bridges, schools, etc.

       Nowadays, Zakat-e-Fitr is paid without any planning, with the result that the deserving people do not derive any suitable benefit from it. It would be better if the Zakat-e-Fitr paid by all the people, is collected in one place and spent after proper planning, so that the condition of a good number of needy persons may improve. (HSH)

Source: http://www.ezsoftech.com/ramadan/ramadan12.asp 

Covering Islam & Muslims in the Western Media

Covering Islam & Muslims in the Western Media

  

By Dalia Yusuf *

 "Journalists describe reality from within a framework that is usually established subconsciously over a long period of time."

Have you ever read an article featuring Islam and Muslims and your comment was "It's not like that, I can't find myself in this article". Well, if it has been like that for you before, you should be interested in this article.

It may sound repetitive but I still need to emphasize it;" Imaging people become to be the role of the media after it has been, relatively, of the literature".

Sometimes in the western media "Islam is equated with aggression, oppression, violence, intolerance, and backwardness. Islam is portrayed as subscribing to a different, and essentially inferior, standard of humanity. There are several factors that explicate this phenomenon apart from "conspiracy theory" that obscures more than it reveals."

We should make it clear. It's not always hatred that causes the misrepresentation of Islam and Muslims in the Western media; it could be ignorance, or structural and institutional reasons in the media itself as well as a lack of skills in dealing and engaging with the media from the side of Muslims.

Opening your mind to break the stereotypes and changing your established opinions are not easy to do as you have to raise your ideological suspicions.

Journalists & Structural Problems

Many people acknowledge that journalism should be informed, critical, and pluralistic but after working in the media, one notices the recurring problems in covering and featuring various complicated phenomena and events.

For example, meeting deadlines is a real tyranny in the media. Any journalist experiences this kind of pressure that may lead to oversimplifying a sophisticated scene.

Moreover, marketing the process of informing people has the effect of creating more obstacles against the journalist's mission in unfolding the truth and enlightening the public. To sell your media product, many will advise you by saying "harmony is boring while conflict draws the audience". The hot exciting stories top the headlines. "News is bad news" is another rule in producing information which may cause different kinds of misunderstandings.

In the same context, the concentration of media ownership and the fact that a small number of people own so many of our means of obtaining information, is a threat to a pluralistic worldview. When the media depends on advertising, the advertisers can exert pressure to protect their interests.

Such an environment may push the journalist to depend on often inadequate sources of information in order to face pressing requirements, while journalists should consistently question their line of information which is regularly introduced in a controlled way. Avoiding producing one-sided biased stories; journalists should give space for different voices and bring the required backgrounds. 

The Contact List: How to Interpret?

Another important keyword in this respect is "the contact list" of experts and commentators on the events. Edward Said previously showed how these experts (academics, politicians…etc) work as "communities of interpretations".

Having a certain mindset or mental approach in analyzing events, which are loaded with concepts and realities, those communities of interpretations may paint different events with the same brush.

Diversified views should be presented without sweeping any problems under the rug. Journalists in dealing with the contact list issue, may face two problems: One, they may not have enough contacts to form a larger picture while featuring any incident or addressing any cause. Two, it is known that one of the most dangerous defects of mainstream classical media is the filtering device that is used to get rid of different independent views causing what Noam Chomsky has called "manufactured consent" that leads the public to structured choice; to what the elites or interest groups want.

While attending "OxfordMuntada" in 2003, Roger Hardy, Middle East Analyst on the BBC, mentioned how the editors of religious affairs used to be marginalized in the Western Media as media environments are mostly secular. He added that this fact has somehow changed after 9/11. 

 

More Time … More Sympathy

Another institutional problematic issue is that most foreign correspondents do not spend enough time in traveling and studying certain countries and phenomena.

As soon as they become familiar with the people of that country and their causes, they may be asked to leave to perform another task without gaining adequate information and understanding.

It is said, "People are enemies of what they ignore." It is evident that the journalists and correspondents who spend some time in certain countries and those who learn the language of those countries or study their religions and cultures sympathize with those countries' people and causes more than those who do not.

Foreign journalists - most of them young, inexperienced and excitable – may not observe the cultural sensitivities of the people about whose issues they are covering. The majority may not speak the local languages.

To meet the dead lines and the market's requirements, as mentioned above, they may only work from clippings, producing reductionist writings. With the possible exception of some international foreign correspondents none of them has attained the expected status and influence.

What is the expected status and influence?

One of the solutions, especially for journalists, is to go through many eye-opening experiences and to put forward questions, not fast answers, when covering events.

"Framing": A More Problematic Cause.

Ignoring is caused by too 'little research' and causing too 'many clichés'. But at the end of the day this problem may be overcome by gathering information and seeking correct information. The more complicated problem is "framing"; "Journalists describe reality from within a framework that is usually established subconsciously over a long period of time".

Opening your mind to break the stereotypes and changing your established opinions are not easy to do as you have to raise your ideological suspicions. One of the solutions, especially for journalists, is to go through many eye-opening experiences and to put forward questions, not fast answers, when covering events. 

It is expected that working within certain frameworks will affect the formatting of the story and may lead to a biased approach toward a certain attitude, for example, using language to highlight certain phrases to hide or distort dissident views, labeling people who hold dissident views as extremists; their views are meant to be ignored and are rarely argued against coherently.

Also hiding the facts or distracting from the main issues, as well as adopting certain techniques that used use generalizations and irrelevant arguments.

Journalism: The Secular Religion

While attending "Oxford Muntada" in 2003, Roger Hardy, Middle East Analyst on the BBC, mentioned how the editors of religious affairs used to be marginalized in the Western Media as media environments are mostly secular. He added that this fact has somehow changed after 9/11.

This places misrepresenting Islam & Muslims in the Western media in a larger context; it indicates the fundamental characteristic of the Western media that it engages with religion generally, including Christianity, the religion of the majority in the West. 

To emphasize the same idea Lars Lundsten discussed in his paper "Journalism as Secular Religion" why Christians and Muslims are equally misunderstood". He claimed that after a close reading of a limited number of news reports that touch upon certain religious arguments, one can draw the general conclusion that religious thinking and reason is alien to leading journalistic institutions in the Western Media.

His analysis seems to indicate that the principles of "Objective and Neutral Journalistic Reporting"(ONJR) constitute a form of secular religion in the public sphere of the Western World and most specifically among the most honored actors within the media.

Religious institutions from their side give another reason for the problematic engagement between religion & the media. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, said, "Perhaps observers of religious broadcasting should concentrate not on the time or space given to simple and static representations of religious views and activities but on how this method of following the ‘real time’ of religious knowing and experiencing can be fostered. The recent speech by the BBC Director General, Mark Thompson, to the Churches’ Media Conference seemed to endorse very clearly the significance of this dimension to religious broadcasting – allowing religious knowledge to be complex and engaging in a way that any serious person must be".

The differences between the structure of religious knowledge and the dynamics of the media need more discussion and studies to reach a suitable means of covering and engaging between each other.

After reviewing all the pervious media structural and institutional problems, 'truth' and not only Islam and Muslims, is the victim of media dynamics and tyrannies.

Now to - "Covering Islam"

So, covering Islam shares the same problems with any sophisticated entity that needs to be imaged by the media. At the same time and like other religions, it has the same structural differences between it and media dynamics. But certainly there are some specifications, one of the most effective reasons behind Islam being misunderstood is the oversimplification of Islamic definitions that may be adopted by journalists.

As the Reverend, Bob Bettson, indicated, "In its broadest definition, Islam is expressed through many cultures, languages, and civilizations. In its narrowest definition--the one usually reflected in the media--it can simply be viewed as a religious belief. There are about one billion Muslims in the world today. They do not all share identical goals, motivations, political persuasion, or interpretations of their faith, any more than the world's billion or so Christians".

Noticing the absence of a central orthodoxy in Islam should help journalists to distinguish between the fixed principles of a complex faith and any individuals or groups that cloak themselves with the banner of Islam and claim they are governed by Islamic Shari'ah. 

Simplifying complex cultural and historical backgrounds and consequences in defining Islam turns a lot of media reporting to be journalistic clichés. According to Edward Said the narrow expression of defining Islam in the Western media is deeply rooted in an "Orientalist" context.

Moreover, the legacy of the colonial era could enhance the same understanding of Islam deepening a rooted feeling that Islam and the West contradict each other and therefore cannot coexist.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, said, "Perhaps observers of religious broadcasting should concentrate not on the time or space given to simple and static representations of religious views and activities..." 

Avoiding Misleading Language

It was said that the uninformed readers of the Western media can, at times, be forgiven for confusing the terms "Muslim" and "terrorist." A major factor, which contributes to Islamic stereotyping in the West, is due to the media's ignorance of selecting their words that describe Muslims.

Some common names heard or seen in the news about Muslims are "extremist" or "terrorist". These words are misleading in different ways.

Another factor was writing affirmation about this religion and its adherents without any proof or by using doubtful references. This affirmation is put in a very direct way so that the reader may not even ask for proof.

The problem does not end with the selection of authentic sources but it continues to the point where these sources are also misquoted especially with regard to the Qur'an & Hadith; the truncation if the Qur'an and Hadith are not mentioned as a whole and interpreted by including the necessary contexts, the end result may indicate the opposite of what is really meant.

The experts or the "communities of interpretations" play a crucial role here to highlight the most important concepts and realities that lie behind the quotations and texts.

Seeking a comprehensive image of any sophisticated phenomena should not only depend on providing the audience with a few numbers of unbiased objective "experts" but also to provide diverse sources of information that cover a wide spectrum of backgrounds while avoiding promoting certain understanding or interpretation.

In an Analogical Way

Understanding Islam in an analogical way to Christianity is one of the causes of negatively covering Islam and Muslims. For example, it was assumed – incorrectly- that since Christ is the basis of Christian faith that Prophet Muhammad PBUH was to Islam as Christ was to Christianity. Another example that may explain the unconditional Western support for writers like Rushdie and Nisreen that evolve from the history of European secularism and the revolt against the Church, which perceived as an obstacle hindering the progress of Europe during medieval times.

In some circles the same theory has been extended to Islam although Islam has no such theocratic institution.

  "On different occasions Muslims complain that because Western journalists know so little about Islam, sometimes they quote ill-informed people or people misusing the religion. But on the other hand, Muslims should deal with their own ignorance about how the Western news media works."

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Muslims & Self-Criticism

The problematic structural problems of the Western media or the misinformation of some western journalists (out of their ignorance or even their hostility) can not be the only reason for misrepresenting Islam and Muslims in the western Media.

Islam can be easily distorted by its adherents through the ugly models that some of them portray as the products of malpractice and narrow interpretations.

 "The behavior of some Muslims either living in the Muslim world or in the West, is repulsive. Muslims in many places integrate some of their retrograde practices and customs into Islam; the same practices that Islam came to obliterate such as oppressing women and depriving them of proper education".

Vice of the Ghettos

Western Muslim communities play a central role here; some times they have partly contributed to the distortion of the image of Islam and Muslims. For example, the distortion can be caused by living in a closed parallel society and denouncing and condemning their states as un-Islamic while benefiting from their systems, institutions, and values. These tendencies portray Islam as threatening to the foundations of the Western societies.

The weak engagement between Muslims and the media flourish the environment that breeds misunderstanding of Islam and Muslims. To be media-friendly requires conditions that will help in breaking the shackles and changing the stereotypes.

On different occasions Muslims complain that because Western journalists know so little about Islam, sometimes they quote ill-informed people or people misusing the religion. But on the other hand, Muslims should deal with their own ignorance about how the Western news media works.

In the Chicago Conference it was stated that, "Islamic scholars passionately debate such topics as abortion, divorce, "suicide" bombings, and the rights of women in an Islamic society. Many journalists may know that Muslims believe in one God and that Muhammad was His last prophet.

They may not realize that there is no one authority on Islam’s teachings, or on Shariah, Islamic law. An imam, or prayer leader, may offer his studied opinions of the meaning of verses in the Qur’an, Islam’s holy book. But another respected scholar may hold an opposite opinion".

In the same conference on of the most important protective techniques that was discussed alongside advising journalists to develop a sound basic knowledge of the religion’s teachings, was "nurturing relationships with Muslim leaders before a crisis. In that way, journalists will be better able to discern the valid spokespeople from those who espouse extremist views that do not represent the beliefs of mainstream Muslims".

Painting a religion and a whole community with the same brush of terrorism or extremism is offensive and vindicates the argument that many in the media have much to learn.

Something Has Changed

After visiting IslamOnline.net to feature it and after browsing the different sections, NPR correspondent Eric Weiner told me that for many Americans, the word Fatwa is a synonymous to "verdict of death".

The reason behind that was media coverage of Ayatollah Khomeini's Fatwa concerning Salman Rushdie .So the word 'Fatwa' was introduced by the media without enough background to the extent that it gave the word a different partial connotation. Coining terms and encouraging certain perceptions seem partially to be the result of the media coverage.

In "Covering Islam" Edward Said considered, "The Iranian Revolution" was a main modern turning point in introducing Islam and Muslims to the West through the media."

Said undertakes a classical illustration of this phenomenon by examining the American coverage of post-revolution Iran, and especially the Iranian hostage crisis, which for most Americans was their initial experience with Islam and the Middle East. He illustrates the irresponsible imagery and vocabulary used by media personalities to rally "patriotism" and demonize the "irrational" and "cruel" enemy acting out of a pathological hatred of the West.

Thus, he demonstrates how the use of racist vocabulary, fictional "reports," and mis-characterization of the conflict as a religious rather than a predominantly political one, influenced the average American’s experience with Islam, especially in the Middle East".

After the Iranian revolution, a series of events took place, but September 11 was to become another turning point in many respects. Among them is imaging Islam and Muslims in the Western media. Although there is not enough analyses or media studies to prove this assumption until now, initial observations could indicate what kind of changes have taken place.

Unexpectedly, not all the changes are negative. There are remarkable positive changes as well; at the top of them is the real need of lay people to know more about Islam. This makes writing about or covering Islam, somehow, marketable. 

The more journalists and media workers become interested in covering Islam & Muslims, the more they discuss the editorial policies and the professional rules that guide their coverage.

To give an example assessed their tries and referred to the BBC to emphasize his point that "since September 11, we have tried to ensure that 'Islamic terrorist' and similar phrases are not used. We only succeeded to some extent as we are still in a minority. There is still reluctance to change the Islamophobic culture. But there is also a lot of ignorance about Islam and Muslims. We still have a long way to go.

Painting a religion and a whole community with the same brush of terrorism or extremism is offensive and vindicates the argument that many in the media have much to learn. The BBC, however, says that it has done a substantial amount in trying to change the Islamophobic culture. Linda Mitchell, BBC head of diversity, says a term such as Islamic terrorism is used much less than it used to be because journalists are much more aware of the significance and importance of the words they use".

Emergence of New Media

Such changes would not have the same impact without the characteristics of the so- called "new media". The revolution of information represented mainly in the internet and satellites make the manipulation of the truth and the dominance of a certain point of view more difficult. "The user’s immediate access to both the producer and the rest of the audience radically undermines some of the power of the producer". While the classical media outlets claim to serve democracy they do not provide the audience with the same opportunities as the new media.

Expanded effects are profiled in different ways. Among them is what Alexandre Fedorovski mentions in his paper "Evangelical Control over American Foreign Policy and "New Media" Potential in Ideological Counteraction to it "."Deep penetration of the internet into the American people's lifestyle created a powerful potential for the "new media" to reach a fundamental shift not only in their political consciousness, but also in international relations ".

The flourishing alternative media outlets, i.e. websites, blogs, broadcastings …etc. create more options for the readers to compare and analyze what they used to perceive from the mainstream media in a one-way process.

 According to Chomsky alternative media is not simply different from mainstream media in presenting another worldview but it is institutionally distinguishing; working in a different way. These alternative media outlets including the Muslim media and satellites can represent other sources of information for Western journalists as well as Western audiences.

The differences between the structure of religious knowledge and the dynamics of the media need more discussion and studies to reach a suitable means of covering and engaging between each other.

Suggestions & Tips

To address the problems of misrepresenting Islam and Muslims in the Western media, expanding the journalist's knowledge of Islam and considering the political and socio-culture complexities among the Muslims in their different communities should go side by side with discussing the structural dynamics and the institutional problems of the media.

The different institutions across the Western and Muslim societies should work harder to provide journalists with the essential knowledge and to host the necessary discussions.

Exchanging experiences and hearing the stories of failure and success are useful in this respect. The intellectuals, scholars, politicians, and academicians should be involved in such discussions as they represent what was mentioned above; 'communities of interpretations'.

The new media and especially the web can be effectively used to deal with the different professional problems; here are some suggestions that may help in collecting efforts and views to deal with the fundamental problems of covering Islam and Muslims:

- Series of digital questionnaires can indicate: a) the actual difficulties among Western journalists in covering Islam & Muslims, b) the main complaints from both Muslims and non-Muslims in reading and perceiving the media coverage of Islam & Muslims

- A wide use of databases for different authentic sources of information, specialized scholars and experts, interested groups, and true representatives (student movements, media workers, activists, youth movements …) in assisting journalists to put their contact lists and sources)

- Guides for culture sensitivities among Muslim communities (foods, clothes, body language, social codes…)

- Glossary for classical and modern terminologies.

- Forum to discuss and frame various relevant issues and introducing multi-perspective viewpoints

Searching the web for the previous writings about "covering Islam and Muslims", I came across a huge number of materials, and among them I noticed some practical tips that may be useful for journalists in covering Islam. I prefer to republish it as a way of opening the door for more tips and suggestions.

"Abbreviated religious affiliations which convey some dramatic connotation are usually misleading. How can journalists covering stories affecting Muslims or countries with large Muslim populations be more effective and accurate in their reporting?

• Consider the relevance to the story of a person's religious beliefs or cultural practices. Is it necessary at all?

• Try substituting the word "Muslim" with Christian, Jewish or any other grouping. In the Oklahoma bombing case, imagine the reaction if the call had been for a "Jewish-looking" man.

• If you include a reference to a person or a group's religious affiliations, explain why you are doing so and ensure that a religious label is not being affixed to political, cultural, or social practices.

• If you are unfamiliar with Islam or with Islamic studies, consult someone who is. They will be able to help to distinguish culture and politics from religion in the context of Muslim societies.

• For those photo-ops, do they fairly represent the subject being covered? Women wearing headscarves make a supposedly dramatic statement. What about the hundreds of millions of Muslim women who do not ordinarily wear headscarves?

• If you are going to cover religious beliefs, whose interpretation of the faith are you covering? There are many different sects and interpretations of Islam. For some, their religion is a personal search within the context of their interpretation of their faith".

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Dalia Yusuf is a writer. She is European Muslims Page's founder and former managing Editor. She received her postgraduate diploma in journalism from Cairo University .She is working towards her master's degree in Journalism at the American University in Cairo
http://www.islamonline.net/en/IOLYouth_C/1278407316992/1278406708816/Covering-Islam--Muslims-in-the-Western-Media

Islam and The Western World: Media Biased News Reporting, Prejudice and Ignorance

Islam and THE Western WORLD: MEDIA Biased News Reporting, Prejudice and Ignorance

 

Description: Stereotypes and misconceptions about Islam in the media are rooted in prejudice and ignorance!
Source:ISLAM COVEYED 

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the West. Nevertheless, the West has many stereotypes and misconceptions about Islam that are due to: the media, Prejudice, and Ignorance. Islam is often looked upon as a "extremist", "terrorist", or "fundamental" religion. Many people hate Islam and do not want to acknowledge its true teachings.

In many cases, the media’s reports about Islam are incorrect due to ignorance. This is one of the reasons why the West often hates Islam.  In contrast to what many Westerners think of Islam, Islam is a peaceful religion, which does not promote any injustice or crime. Stereotypes about Islam are not new to Western culture. Problems can be traced back 1400 years. At that time, Islam and Christianity were involved in the Crusades in the 1100’s and in the Ottoman and Moorish control in Europe. Islam spread quickly to the West, and started to threaten the position of the Christian Church and the ruling class.

The Western elites, mainly the governments and the churches, then became highly involved in seeing that negative images were presented about Islam. As a result, not only were battles fought against Islam, but also a war of words was initiated to make sure that Islam would not have any converts or sympathizers in the West. These kinds of actions and feelings that the West had long ago still seem to be the case in the West today.

Today, the West, with little or no understanding of Islamic history, has identified a new enemy, "a new demon that has replaced the Red menace of the Cold war, i.e., radical Islam". This "radical Islam", a stereotype common to Western thought, portrays Muslims as fundamentalists or potential terrorists. Some of these ideas that the Western people have about Islam are due to the mass media of the West. Reporters who cover the Muslim world often know very little details about it. The media then develops a distorted image of Islam that Western culture adopts.

A major factor which contributes to Islamic stereotyping in the West is due to the media’s ignorance of selecting their words that describe Muslims. Some common names heard or seen in the news about Muslims are "extremist" or "terrorist". These words are misleading and are mainly anti-Islamic. The media rarely uses more neutral terms such as "revivalist" or "progressives". The Western media also creates the idea that Muslims are "returning" to Islam. This is not true in most cases, because many Muslims have never left Islam in the first place. Islam has always been a big part of their lives.

"Islamic Fundamentalism" Misinterpreted

A more accurate and just way to describe this idea is to say that there is a revival of Islam and it is becoming more and more influential to everyone. Adding to the fact that the media creates inaccurate ideas about Islam, the Western media is also very influential to its audiences in making negative Islamic stereotypes, such as the assertion that all Muslims are fundamentalists. The term "fundamentalist" is actually a term that is misinterpreted by the western media.

A fundamentalist, in fact, only represents a normal Muslim who follows his or her religion. Fundamentalism means an attitude, an effort, or a movement that an ideology, group, or religion tries to promote in its fundamental beliefs. The "fundamental" beliefs of a Muslim is to believe in only one God (Allah) and the Prophet Mohammed is His messenger(PBUH), to pray five times a day, give alms to the poor, fast the month of Ramadan, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca.

This means that all Muslims are fundamentalists if they believe in their own religion’s fundamentals. Although the media is uncomfortable with religious groups, it focuses heavily on "Islamic fundamentalism". A majority of the media’s reports that talk about Islamic fundamentalism usually describes most Muslims as extremists. This shows how the media is ignorant, because Islam specifically prohibits any forms of extremism.

The Prophet Muhammad PBUH said, "Those persons who go to extremes (in practicing their religion) were cursed (by God)". The media most often portrays Muslim "fundamentalists" prostrating themselves before God in prayer. For example, in the October 4 issue of Time, Muslim soldiers were shown performing prayers with guns. The caption on the bottom of the picture said, "Guns and prayer go together in the fundamentalist battle". The part that the reporters omitted or failed to state was that the Muslim soldiers were praying on a battlefield in Afghanistan.

Common sense of the situation meant that the soldiers had to remain armed at all times in case of an ambush at any time. This is a clear example of the media’s biased and inaccurate reporting.

Another Great Misconception

With regard to the soldiers, another great misconception that exists is the truth about Jihad or "holy war" in Islam. The ideas of war and violence have become related to the Islamic religion from the media. Jihad is so often apparent in the news because the media thinks it is Islam’s justification for war and violence.

Al Quran (Muslim Holy Book) says "Fight for the sake of Allah those that fight against you, but do not attack them first. Allah (God) does not love aggression".

Jihad literally means "The struggle in the path of God", or "holy war". However, the Western media often abuses the meaning of jihad by referring to it as a holy war where Muslims unreasonably kill non-believers. But the fact is, is that jihad can mean a numbers of things that a Muslim does for the sake of God.

Rarely has the Western media used this kind of a definition in their reports. The way the media represents jihad is wrong. The media often takes the word "jihad" out of context to propagate negative views on Islam. The association of Islam and violence is a common misconception that the general Western public has developed about Islam.

An example of this kind of misconception is that the Western media and some historians often say that Islam was a religion spread by the sword, meaning that Muslims went from one end of the world to the other forcing people to either convert or die. Islam spread by people learning about it and some by holy wars, but they did not force people to convert or die. Since majorities of the American public only get their information about Islam through the media, they believe this wrong idea.

The media’s reports about Arab or "Islamic" events, such as the Gulf War, are often misunderstood. The media usually fails to give background information about these Islamic events that it reports on. The media infrequently distinguishes between the religion Islam and the political affairs that occur in most Islamic countries. For instance, what Saddam Hussein, the former president of Iraq, did in the Gulf War was not Islamic and totally wrong (to attack other people for no reason).

But the media still makes reports about Islam and how Islam is made of war-crazed people. For example, to help put things into perspective, Hitler was a person of the Christian faith. This does not mean that all of his actions were consistent with the Christian beliefs. Likewise, Saddam Hussein is of the Islamic faith, but all of his actions do not necessarily represent Islam. So you can see that the media’s reports about "war-crazed Muslims" are incorrect. The notion of associating of Islam and Muslims with the terms Arabs and Middle East are in fact misleading. Arabs only account for 18% of the Muslim population across the world.

The Profit-oriented Creation of False Images

Aside from the fact that the media misrepresents Islam because of ignorance, the media is also a profit-seeking organization which often seeks to create a false image of reality. Islam is often news of an unpleasant sort for the general public of the United States. Islam has often been presented as a menace or a threat to the West. These negative images do not correspond to Islam, but are the belief of certain sectors of a particular society. These prominent sectors can propagate negative images of Islam, which sometimes influences people’s views on Islam.

The Western media actually poorly represents Islam. Most of these problems of poor representations come from poor language translations, the absence of developed news agencies with international networks and native reporters, and biased reporting by many Western reporters. Some biased reports come from negative images that have happened in the Muslim world in the past like the hijacking of airplanes by Palestinians, the occupation of the United States Embassy by students in Tehran, the fact that there are no democratic governments in most Islamic countries, and the Gulf War.

For most of these events, the media has misinterpreted and misrepresented them. The media sometimes unintentionally blows things out of proportion, sometimes because of biased feelings toward Muslims. However, many positive developments in the Muslims world rarely go noticed. Some inaccurate representations of Islam are often due to the media’s incorrect representations of Islamic countries, such as jihad, or Islam women’s rights.

Waseem Sajjad, former Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan explains the situation of Islam and the media: The Islamic world is poorly represented in the West in terms of press and media coverage. Not only are there just handfuls of news agencies in Muslim countries; there is the concern over the number of inexperienced reporters. Many reporters don’t understand the local cultures nor speak the language, leaving them with access to only those English or French speaking Westernized elites.

Thus their representation is often a biased account of the political and social events from the point of view of the ruling minority in Muslim countries. A negative image of Islam is becoming more inherent in the Western culture from inaccurate media coverage. The media helps to make an image of Islam to unsuspecting audiences. The Western public often is misinformed about Muslims through the images on television, motion picture screens, magazines, radios, and comic strips in newspapers, which promote strong messages among their audiences.

Unrestrained ethnocentrism, cultural, and even racial hatred

Western reporters often say that Muslims are terrorists. This becomes a common image to the general person that all Muslims are terrorists. Edward Said’s book, Covering Islam, talks about how the media and experts determine how we see the rest of the world. He says that: The term Islam as it is used today seems to mean one simple thing, but in fact is part fiction, part ideological label, part minimal designation of a religion called Islam.

Today Islam is peculiarly traumatic news in the West. During the past few years, especially since events in Iran caught European and American attention so strongly, the media have therefore covered Islam: they have portrayed it, characterized it, analyzed it, given instant courses on it, and consequently they have made it known. But this coverage is misleadingly full, and a great deal in this energetic coverage is based on far from objective material.

In many instances Islam has licensed not only patent inaccuracy, but also expressions of unrestrained ethnocentrism, cultural, and even racial hatred, deep yet paradoxically free-floating hostility. As well as creating inaccurate images about Islam, the Western media usually identifies Islam in Muslim conflicts. The media hardly points other religions out in their conflicts. For example, the news would say, "five Israelis may have been shot, but they were shot by five Muslims", instead of saying "Five Israelis were shot by five Palestinians".

The media often reverses this action when a conflict is against Muslims, for example the news would usually say "Bosnians are being killed by Serbians", but instead rarely says, "Muslims are being killed by Christians". In addition to the media’s inaccurate representations about Islamic conflicts, human rights of women in Islam, such as women veiling and women authority are big topics that Western media often confuses and misinterprets. The media often represents Islam as a male dominant religion where Muslim men have complete authority over all groups of people.

Prophet Muhammad PBUH - one the greatest reformers for women

The media often says that Islam discriminates against women, and that women have no power or authority. However, it is ironic of what the media represents, that the Prophet Muhammad PBUH was one the greatest reformers for women. In fact, Islam is the only religion that formally teaches women’s rights and finds ways to protect them. When Islam is practiced correctly, it becomes the best example of a fair society.

As Islam came around, traditional pre-Islamic roles of women were replaced by new Islamic roles that women followed. Islam allowed women to have the right to be educated and the right to participate in political, economical, and social activities in their community. This created upward mobility in their communities. Women were given the right to inherit property and take charge of their possessions. While most of these rights are denied to Muslim women today as a result of cultural tradition, one should not associate this with Islam, because they do not correlate with it.

Islamic women wearing veils is another commonly misunderstood concept in the West. Westerners often think that this is a harsh custom that Islam requires of women. Westerners often say these women have no freedom or dignity for wearing these veils. But in fact, these veils actuality help protect women and help them remain in chastity. In Islamic societies there are very few rape cases and AIDS victims as opposed to the Western societies, were there are thousands of rape cases and AIDS infected victims a year. God will do anything He wants to her in this world and the after.

Islamic women are indeed supposed to be granted these rights, but the media often fails to inform its audiences about this fact. The media also fails to report that most of the Islamic countries have a high illiteracy rate. This means that it is "virtually impossible for many Muslim women to challenge cultural male authority when the women themselves do not know the difference between village customs and actual Islamic law".

The Western media would be able to better represent women’s issues in Islamic countries if they identified how and why governments have limited women’s rights that are guaranteed to them by the Quran (Muslim Holy Book). Most so-called Islamic countries such as Syria are corrupt (according to Islam) in their religion and should be addressed in the media’s reports. But instead "the media falsely portrays Muslim women as victims of a harsh and suppressive religion".  With regard to Islamic women’s rights, Islam is also a hot topic of Western governments. Western powers do not usually easily tolerate Islamic movements or governments.

One main reason is that in an Islamic government, in contrast to Western governments, there is no separation of church and state. Judith Miller states in her book Challenge of Radical Islam, "that anyone who believes in universal human rights, democratic governments, political tolerance, and peace between the Arabs and the Israelis cannot be complacent about the growing strength of Islamic militant movements in most Middle Eastern countries". Miller says that the Western governments should oppose these kind of Islamic movements. This statement shows one Western’s views about how the West opposes Islamic movements.

The West False and Misleading Ideas about Islam

Observers often say that the goal of Islamic fundamentalism is to wage a holy war against the West. These observers believe the idea that Islamic leaders only wanting the redress legitimate political grievances is totally nonsense. They think that even if Israel or any other opposing regime in the Middle East would disappear, "the appetite of the Islamic fundamentalists would only have been whetted". These ideas are false and also misleading. The Western media often portrays Islam as a "militant Islam" or a "fundamental Islam" threat to the West.

Edward Said states that: For the general public in America and Europe today, Islam is "news" of a particularly unpleasant sort. The media, the government, the geopolitical strategists, and although they are marginal to the culture at large - the academic experts on Islam are all in concert: Islam is a threat to Western civilization. Now this is by no means the same as saying that only derogatory or racist caricatures of Islam are to be found in the West...What I am saying is that negative images of Islam are very much more prevalent than any others, and that such images correspond, not to what Islam "is"...but to what prominent sectors of a particular society take it to be: Those sectors have the power and the will to propagate that particular image of Islam, and this image therefore becomes more prevalent, more present, than all others.

John L. Esposito’s book, The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality, states the question, is Islam a threat to the West? He tells us that the answer lies in the West’s views. He says that if the Western powers continue to defend the unjust status of the Middle East in the name of an illusory or fleeting stability, Islam will be a threat. "But if the Western powers begin to appreciate the legitimacy of grievances in the Middle East, the West and Islamic movements will get along peacefully".

With the Western media’s spotlight and some Western governmental attitudes, the West is a place where Islam is a name of negativity. The Western media has contributed a great deal to this negative image of Islam. The media often misrepresents and inaccurately explains Islam and its manifestations. Sometimes the media seems to be biased against Islam. When the media distorts the image of Islam, the general public tends to believe it, because the media is a major source of information that the public gets about Islam. This ignorance that the West accumulates from the media leads them into making stereotypes about Islam and associating all Muslims and Arabs together.

The West often times views Islam as "fundamental" "extremist" or "discriminatory", but all of these terms have be manipulated, purposely because of biased feelings and accidentally because of ignorance, by the media to present a negative image about Islam.

Islam is actually a fair religion that most often does not correspond to the media’s reports. As Islam grows more and more in the West, Westerners will eventually learn the truth about Islam and find out that these negative stereotypes are incorrect.  Islam will become one of the biggest religions in the United States. As more people follow Islam, the media will start to learn about it, understand it, and report about it in positive ways. As long as the Westerners are educated about Islam, they will probably learn to accept it as well. (HSH)

Source:ISLAM COVEYED (http://www.islamconveyed.com/pages/index.php?id=181)