Western+Stereotypes+about+Islam+*DimaW.*

 Most people might know Muslims to be 'extremists' or 'terrorists', but the fact is that those classifications are not always true. Many people hate Islam and don't realize the true beauty behind this religion. The media reports on this religion are often false due to the ignorance of the media. Islam, as a matter of fact, is a peaceful religion and doesn't promote any type of terrorism. "//Stereotypes and misconceptions about Islam in the media are rooted in prejudice, and ignorance,"// says Bassil Akel, a Chinese blogger who hopes to expose the truth behind Islam and break the stereotypes of others. I hope to do the same; to break these nasty stereotypes people all over the world make about these wonderful people.

 Today, the West, with hardly any understanding of Islamic history has identified a new enemy with the help of the Western media. However, this stereotyping and hostility has persisted for as long as 1400 years ago back when Islam and Christianity were involved in the Crusades, a series of religious wars attempting to take back Christian access to the holy places in Jerusalem. Christian opposition to the Islamic invasion of Jerusalem started the Crusades. This started a ton of religious controversy and hatred, thus beginning the hatred toward Islamic people.

This hatred still continues today, especially in America, the country whose estimated Christian population is 76% (as of 2009). This 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 public often is misinformed about Islamics by the media and the media will promote strong messages among their audiences. You may be opened to the classic stereotype of Muslims praying constantly by the television. But what you probably didn't know is that a statistic taken in June 2011 shows that Muslim Americans are as likely to say that they extremely strongly or very strongly identify with the United States as they are to say about identifying with their religion. You can’t stress enough about how inaccurate media coverage can be, especially about a religion that is classified as hostile by the population watching.



 A giant stereotype that most of the West thinks about when they talk about Iran is the classic powerless woman. They think the woman is mistreated and greatly overlooked. This has to do with the forcing of the wearing of the veil and Iran's theocracy mostly. The book //Persepolis// by Marjane Satrapi helps break this stereotype by illustrating Satrapi's life as a child. Even though she was forced to wear the veil, she protested and projected her opinion powerfully. (Notice how Satrapi does not draw herself in this photo of //Persepolis//. Instead, she draws the disappointed and almost saddened faces of he classmates wearing the veil.This shows how disappointed women are after the government has forced this law onto them.)

After being forced to wear a veil by the government, she reads about how bicycles are like revolutions: 'when the wheels don't turn, it falls' (Satrapi 10). She then goes on a quest to protest throughout Iran to stop the misdeeds done by the Iranian Police. This proves that women in Iran are not powerless and in fact can be very bold, as with every other woman living in this world.

 One other stereotype that really provokes Americans' hatred of Iran is the thought that all Iranians hate Americans. If you think someone despises you, would you think the same of them? Clearly a lot of Americans do. Images that tend to spring to the American mind are pictures of bearded fanatics burning American flags, or hatchet-faced women in black Chadors. The fact is that this isn't true, mostly. Americans have gone to Iran and come back with video evidence showing that Iranians do like them. And as a matter of fact and a bunch of them are saying that it's the Iranian government that doesn't get along with the American government. For example, Rick Steves' Iran documentary shows Rick, and American, perfectly getting along with Iranians who have never seen him and are speaking English with him! This cooperation demonstrates that Iranians -at least the ones in Rick Steves' iran documentary (but I guarantee more)- do like Americans and America itself. So, I ask Americans to stop making this ugly stereotype and understand that these people don't think we're the worst thing on earth, but quite an inspiration!



Bibliography:

 1/5/12 Agha, Dr. Olfat Hassan. "http://bertie.la.utexas.edu/research/mena/acpss/english/ekuras/ ek25.html#Heading5." 'Islamic Fundamentalism and Its Image in the Western Media'

 29/4/12 "http://www.islamfortoday.com/media.htm" 'Islam For Today: Islamic Stereotypes'

 26/4/12 "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam" 'Islam'

 2/5/12 'http://www.matthewferrara.com/rssfeed/housing_misinformation/' 'Misleading Media' (Bad News photo)

 2/5/12 'http://planetpov.com/2011/03/04/friday-music-thread-peace-love-and-taking-it-to-the-man/' "Peace, Love, and Taking it to the Man." (Peace photo)

 2/5/12 Justin Elliot 'http://www.salon.com/2011/08/06/gallup_muslim_americans/' 'Debunking Muslim Stereotypes' (Statistic)

Marjane Satrapi. //Persepolis.// L'Assosiation Paris, 2003.