i.e. Muslims need a better propaganda effort? Image problem would disappear when nearly ALL the terrorists stop being Muslims. B
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=48071 Image problem of Muslim in US The image problem of Muslims and their organizations in the US has taken a center stage at the annual convention of the ISNA. CAIRO - The image problem of Muslims and their organizations in the U.S. has taken a center stage at the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America, amid calls for the government to stop its suspicious treatment of the minority, The New York Times reported. "Muslim Americans feel an increasing level of tension and scrutiny in contemporary society," Ingrid Mattson, ISNA president, told the closing session of the four-day congress. Six years after the 9/11 attacks, Americans should distinguish between mainstream Muslims and the radicals who hijacked the faith, Muslim leaders said. They attributed the growing intolerance to global terrorist attacks in the name of Islam, the Iraq war and pro-Israel politicians who are tarnishing the image of Islam in the public eye to undermine the Palestinian cause. Since 9/11, American Muslims have become sensitized to an erosion of their civil rights, with a prevailing belief that America was targeting their faith. With the presidential election approaching, they predict more problems with some candidates playing the terror card, which was one of the main factors that gave incumbent George W. Bush a second term in office. In her speech at the convention's opening session on Friday, Mattson said that many American Muslims are still feeling under siege, which prevented them from engaging actively in their societies. "Socially, some of us who want to be engaged find we are rebuffed because of the eroding trust between Muslims and the general society," Mattson said. ISNA is the largest Muslim umbrella organization in North America and its annual convention draws nearly 40,000 Muslims. This year's event, which kicked off Friday, August 31 and concludes Monday, features a series of seminars on how to shake off stereotypes about Islam and Muslims and learn American Muslims how to play a more robust role in defending their civil rights. Contradictory Muslim leaders have also described the government's relationship with Muslim organizations as contradictory. They said it is a paradox that the administration seeks to improve soured ties with Muslims, while treats their leading organizations and charities like ISNA and the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) as suspect. Last month, the Justice Department announced a list of some 300 Muslim individuals and organizations, which included SINA and CAIR, as unindicted co-conspirators in the trial of the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. Yet, the Justice Department is a co-sponsor of the ISNA convention. Representatives of at least eight federal departments and agencies also attended the convention. The FBI had a booth which it said aimed to dispel any myths Muslims might have about the agency. Damaging Effect Muslim leaders have also complained of the damaging effect media had on the image of Islam in America. Imam Zaid Shaki, one of the most respectable and popular Muslim scholars in the U.S., cited talk shows that demonized Muslims. In one radio show, he heard comments from ordinary Americans who were "making stuff up about Islam." Among the most egregious, he said, was from a person in Kentucky who denounced the sunnah Siwak (a short wood stick some Muslims use to clean their teeth as the Prophet did), saying, "They are really sharpening up their teeth because they are planning to eat you, yes they are." Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism the U.S. largest Jewish movement has named and shamed Christian fundamentalist talk show hosts like Pat Robertson and Franklin Graham for demonizing Muslims. Attending the ISNA convention for the first time, he also singled out Dennis Prager, a well-known Jewish radio host. Many critics have blamed Western media for promoting prejudice and stereotypes against Muslims and Arabs in the West. Famed US academic Stephen Schwartz had criticized the Western media for failing to meet the challenge of reporting on Islam and Arab issues after 9/11. A recent British study accused the media and film industry of perpetuating Islamophobia and prejudice by demonizing Muslims and Arabs as violent, dangerous and threatening people. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? 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