Dr Mohamed Kirat
By Dr Mohamed Kirat
For decades, the Islamic World has been suffering from stereotypes, manipulation, distortion and misinformation. This situation has been worsening after the dramatic events of 9/11 and the spread of terrorism all over the world. What did Muslims do throughout to correct the misconceptions and the stereotypes? What did they do to counter Islamophobia and to provide an alternative to the prevailing discourse? What about the Arab media, are they addressing the Western audience with a different discourse that presents the true image of Islam and its teachings? Do they know the Western audience? How do they address it? What about Arab satellite channels, have they considered opening a dialogue with viewers in the West? What is their contribution to a dialogue of civilisations, cultures and religions? What did the Muslims do to bridge the gap?
How does the West look at the Muslims? And how do Muslims look at the West? What are the real intentions from both sides? Is it cohabitation, understanding and dialogue or is it conflict, misunderstanding and confrontation? Unfortunately, there are stereotypes, misunderstandings, and misconceptions on both sides. What role does media play in all this? Does it create misunderstanding and confrontation through misinformation and stereotypes, or they help each side understand and comprehend the other? What are the causes of failure of dialogue? What are the solutions?
The issue of the dialogue between Islam and the West and how Arab media have failed to address western audience professionally and efficiently has been discussed for decades, but still many things need to be done to bridge the gap. Media in the Muslim world suffers from a crisis of credibility, professionalism, dependency, and most importantly, freedom. Media in the Muslim world has no identity, no strategy and no straightforward objectives to address the Western audience and to refute all kinds of stereotypes, and negative portrayal of Islam and Muslims. Unfortunately, this alarming situation has affected the dialogue between Islam and the West. Muslims have to invest in the media and cultural industries to present their side of the story and to provide Western audience with alternative views on themselves and their religion.
The relationship between the West and the Muslim world is a critical dynamic in today’s world. The elements creating tension, doubt and misunderstanding are many and varied, as are those who would exploit them. Yet, there is nothing inevitable about this state of affairs. All religions of the world uphold the value of peace. History of mankind has shown it is quite possible to live with a diversity of cultures and religions and that societies can be enriched rather than threatened as a result. Today, peace and stability are critical for economic growth and opportunity necessary to meet human needs in a sustainable fashion on a global scale. Dialogue is a must for the welfare of all, rich and poor, West and East. The key to success is respect for the other’s culture, religion, traditions, beliefs and opinion. Dialogue as the exchange of ideas oriented to action involves communication among individuals and groups, public and private, religious and secular. Such exchanges may include face-to-face encounters or an exchange of views from a distance. They engage a variety of participants, including religious leaders, scholars, academicians, intellectuals, elected officials, civil servants, representatives of non-governmental organisations, members of the professions of law and medicine, the business community and other citizens. Over time, dialogue within and across these groups has the potential to increase knowledge and understanding, build relationships, establish trust, tolerance, harmony, love, peace and foster collaboration. But it can also lead to nothing — to mere talk, hate, vengeance, or, even worse, to exchanges of accusation and counter-accusation that make relations worse.
Dialogue does not take place in a power vacuum. Dialogue between the West and the Muslim world is conditioned by military, political and economic asymmetries. The material predominance of the West too often tends to shape the dialogue agenda. The implication, stated or unstated, is that the Muslim world should become “more like us”. Any dialogue – including Muslim-West dialogue – will often involve efforts to change the other, consciously or not. People with strong ethical convictions, religious or secular in inspiration, try to build a world more in keeping with those convictions. But efforts to transform the world, however peaceful, never take place on a completely level playing field.
Any analysis of dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims must take into consideration power asymmetries and how they shape agenda and frame issues. For instance, many dialogue efforts pose the question whether Islam is suitable and can accommodate democracy. The question whether and how democracy measures up to the ideals of Islam rarely frames the debate. What are the perceptions of the state of West-Muslim relations in global public opinion and in the global media? In an era of globalisation and instant communications, public opinion polls followed closely by elites in politics, business and civil society reproduce widespread views of the Western and Muslim “other” and their interrelationship. Television, radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet depict topics related to Islam and the West with varying frequency and with positive and negative assessments. The dialogue between Islam and the West should address the following major issues: International politics, citizenship and integration, religion, ethics and ideology, education and intercultural understanding, and economic and social development. Karen Armstrong once said: “There is no point in dialogue if we are not prepared to change our minds, alter our preconceptions and transcend an orthodoxy that we have long ceased to examine critically”.
The Peninsula
The writer is a professor of Public Relations and Mass Communication at the Department of Mass Communication, Qatar University.
By Dr Mohamed Kirat
For decades, the Islamic World has been suffering from stereotypes, manipulation, distortion and misinformation. This situation has been worsening after the dramatic events of 9/11 and the spread of terrorism all over the world. What did Muslims do throughout to correct the misconceptions and the stereotypes? What did they do to counter Islamophobia and to provide an alternative to the prevailing discourse? What about the Arab media, are they addressing the Western audience with a different discourse that presents the true image of Islam and its teachings? Do they know the Western audience? How do they address it? What about Arab satellite channels, have they considered opening a dialogue with viewers in the West? What is their contribution to a dialogue of civilisations, cultures and religions? What did the Muslims do to bridge the gap?
How does the West look at the Muslims? And how do Muslims look at the West? What are the real intentions from both sides? Is it cohabitation, understanding and dialogue or is it conflict, misunderstanding and confrontation? Unfortunately, there are stereotypes, misunderstandings, and misconceptions on both sides. What role does media play in all this? Does it create misunderstanding and confrontation through misinformation and stereotypes, or they help each side understand and comprehend the other? What are the causes of failure of dialogue? What are the solutions?
The issue of the dialogue between Islam and the West and how Arab media have failed to address western audience professionally and efficiently has been discussed for decades, but still many things need to be done to bridge the gap. Media in the Muslim world suffers from a crisis of credibility, professionalism, dependency, and most importantly, freedom. Media in the Muslim world has no identity, no strategy and no straightforward objectives to address the Western audience and to refute all kinds of stereotypes, and negative portrayal of Islam and Muslims. Unfortunately, this alarming situation has affected the dialogue between Islam and the West. Muslims have to invest in the media and cultural industries to present their side of the story and to provide Western audience with alternative views on themselves and their religion.
The relationship between the West and the Muslim world is a critical dynamic in today’s world. The elements creating tension, doubt and misunderstanding are many and varied, as are those who would exploit them. Yet, there is nothing inevitable about this state of affairs. All religions of the world uphold the value of peace. History of mankind has shown it is quite possible to live with a diversity of cultures and religions and that societies can be enriched rather than threatened as a result. Today, peace and stability are critical for economic growth and opportunity necessary to meet human needs in a sustainable fashion on a global scale. Dialogue is a must for the welfare of all, rich and poor, West and East. The key to success is respect for the other’s culture, religion, traditions, beliefs and opinion. Dialogue as the exchange of ideas oriented to action involves communication among individuals and groups, public and private, religious and secular. Such exchanges may include face-to-face encounters or an exchange of views from a distance. They engage a variety of participants, including religious leaders, scholars, academicians, intellectuals, elected officials, civil servants, representatives of non-governmental organisations, members of the professions of law and medicine, the business community and other citizens. Over time, dialogue within and across these groups has the potential to increase knowledge and understanding, build relationships, establish trust, tolerance, harmony, love, peace and foster collaboration. But it can also lead to nothing — to mere talk, hate, vengeance, or, even worse, to exchanges of accusation and counter-accusation that make relations worse.
Dialogue does not take place in a power vacuum. Dialogue between the West and the Muslim world is conditioned by military, political and economic asymmetries. The material predominance of the West too often tends to shape the dialogue agenda. The implication, stated or unstated, is that the Muslim world should become “more like us”. Any dialogue – including Muslim-West dialogue – will often involve efforts to change the other, consciously or not. People with strong ethical convictions, religious or secular in inspiration, try to build a world more in keeping with those convictions. But efforts to transform the world, however peaceful, never take place on a completely level playing field.
Any analysis of dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims must take into consideration power asymmetries and how they shape agenda and frame issues. For instance, many dialogue efforts pose the question whether Islam is suitable and can accommodate democracy. The question whether and how democracy measures up to the ideals of Islam rarely frames the debate. What are the perceptions of the state of West-Muslim relations in global public opinion and in the global media? In an era of globalisation and instant communications, public opinion polls followed closely by elites in politics, business and civil society reproduce widespread views of the Western and Muslim “other” and their interrelationship. Television, radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet depict topics related to Islam and the West with varying frequency and with positive and negative assessments. The dialogue between Islam and the West should address the following major issues: International politics, citizenship and integration, religion, ethics and ideology, education and intercultural understanding, and economic and social development. Karen Armstrong once said: “There is no point in dialogue if we are not prepared to change our minds, alter our preconceptions and transcend an orthodoxy that we have long ceased to examine critically”.
The Peninsula
The writer is a professor of Public Relations and Mass Communication at the Department of Mass Communication, Qatar University.
