Source & Credit: St. Louis Islam Examiner | March 8, 2010
By Basiyr Rodney | St. Loouis, MO
Over the past decade, faith based communities the world over has used modern media to promote their message and deliver their stance. Jehovah Witnesses, Latter Day Saints, Muslims and most communities of faith maintain an active web presence. There are high levels of book publishing and media usage among members. It is therefore surprising that some groups continue to deal with the same criticisms that they have been faced with for centuries.
When we look at the Muslim community, we continuously hear that the community does not condemn violence. The enduring perception is that Muslims in general and Muslim leadership in particular does not condemn violent attacks on people. In the wake of the recent Muslim and Christian violence in central Nigeria we are sure to hear more of these criticisms.
Muslims however have been speaking loudly and forcefully on their position. At the international level some Muslim groups have maintained a position that Islam is committed to peace as a part of their doctrinal position. They have used media and public gatherings to promote this message. The Ahmadiyya Movement for example, launched a worldwide satellite TV network (Muslim Television Ahmadiyya) that constantly streams their message across the world via Free to Air Satellite, SkyTV in Britain and on the World Wide Web at www.mta.tv.
At the regional and national levels other Muslim groups have pushed for similar calls. Most recently European Muslim clerics have called for peace in Pakistan (http://www.euro-islam.info/2010/01/02/european-muslims-call-for-peace-in-pakistan/). Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri a Muslim cleric from recently issued a Fatwa against terrorism Certainly this is not the first time that this has been done even among mainstream Muslims, however this one was covered with much fanfare from the international media.
Muslim youth especially has been active on the Internet promoting the voice of Islam in its purist sense. For more than two years, two Muslim law students have recorded a live show on blogTalkRadio called the Real Revolution (http://www.therealrevolution.org). The name of the show goes back to a 1950's Islamic lecture entitled "The Real Revolution". The radio show deals with all things Islamic. They now have an active group of weekly worldwide listeners. Their message - Islam is a faith of peace and tolerance.
Here in St. Louis, area Muslims also promote their position through online and local media. There is a website www.stlislam.org that acts as clearing house for information on the faith. It links to some area mosques and gives some insight into the local Muslim community. Local Muslims also participate in the Interfaith partnership and other community gatherings. Recently The MSA at St. Louis University (http://msa.slu.edu) hosted a national gathering of Muslim youth called Saving the Deen.
It is not so much that Muslims have not been talking or promoting peace with and in the media. Today's news is characterized by sensationalism and divisiveness. Its hard to hear the sound from the noise. We all have to go searching to find truth.
Read the original article here: The real revolution - Islam and media
Basiyr Rodney is a faculty member in the School of Education at Webster
University in St. Louis, MO. Basiyr speaks locally and nationally on
Islamic subjects in school and college forums, as well as at interfaith
gatherings. His advocacy is based on the Islamic maxim, "love for all,
hatred for none," aimed at fostering mutual harmony, tolerance, and
cross-cultural understanding among diverse individuals.
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