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Ananda Lewis, Oprah Offer Insights
into Islam and Muslims
By Mohammed Ayub Khan 12/10/2001
One of the worst casualties of the September 11 terror attacks was the image of Islam in the West. Even before the perpetrators of these heinous crimes were identified, so-called experts and pundits were already pointing their fingers at and blaming Islam for this clearly un-Islamic act. The association between Islam and terrorism was immediately made. Newt Gingrich talked to Bill O'Reilly about "Islama" Bin Laden. Columnists like Ann Coulter and Daniel Pipes went into full gear spewing venom against Muslims. This fed into an atmosphere of anti-Muslim sentiment that eventually escalated into violence in many instances.
To counter the prevailing misconceptions about Islam and the growing phenomenon of anti-Muslim hatred in America, two popular talk show hosts devoted their recent programs to tackling these issues.
Ananda Lewis is a relative newcomer to the talk show scene. Previously, Lewis had worked for MTV and BET in various capacities. Her nationally syndicated one-hour talk show,
The Ananda Lewis Show, first premiered on September 10th and is geared primarily towards young women. On September 28th, she devoted one full show, entitled "Racism is Terrorism Too", to addressing the issue of hate and tackled the question of how we as a country should address our concerns and vent our frustrations and anger without misdirecting that anger and harming innocent American citizens. Towards fostering this new understanding, the show presented both sides of the issue.
Speaking from the Muslim perspective was Aasma, founder of Muslims Against Terrorism, a new organization formed immediately following the attacks. On the opposite side of the discussion was Frank Borzellieri, author of
The Unspoken Truth: Race, Culture and Other Taboos.
Aasma clearly outlined the Muslim position that terrorism goes totally against the teachings of Islam and that most Muslims condemn it. Borzellieri, on the other hand, blamed illegal Arab immigrants for the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. He said that the United States needs tougher immigration laws and even went on to say that immigration should be banned altogether. His comments led to a lively debate in which Aasma bested him on a number of points.
The audience comprised a diverse group of youth from various backgrounds and religions. Several Arab and Muslim youth described their experiences in the light of the September 11 attacks and the racism and bigotry they continue to face. Zehra, an Arab-American university student, described how two white men tried to run her over with their car. She explained that she was so frightened by the ordeal that she decided to highlight her hair in an effort to look less Middle Eastern.
The show also had its fair share of Americans who said that they hate Arabs and want them out of the country. Regina, a black woman, also expressed this very sentiment. Ananda reminded her that that same sentiment was directed against blacks in the past.
Over all, this show did a pretty good job and allowed for frank discussion on the most pressing issues of the day.
Oprah Winfrey, the undisputed queen of talk show hosts, offered her audience an excellent crash course called "Islam 101". Broadcast last Friday, the show began with the basics and went on to discuss more controversial issues. To help Oprah in her presentation was Professor Akbar S. Ahmed of American University. Ahmed, a former Pakistani diplomat is well known for his production of
Jinnah-The Movie and the highly acclaimed Living Islam video series.
Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan and Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistani ambassador in Washington also appeared via satellite and described their lives as Muslims. "The majority of Muslims do not hate Americans," said Queen Rania, adding that the attacks Washington has blamed on Islamic extremists have been condemned across the Arab world.
The majority of Muslims "do not hate the American way of life. In fact many countries look at the American model as one they want to replicate," she added.
Oprah remarked to the Queen, "You look as modern as anyone can imagine. Are you accepted in your country not wearing the scarf?"
The Queen replied, "There are different degrees of conservatism. It's a personal choice. Some people are more conservative than others. The important thing is the spirit of Islam. And that is all about tolerance, all about doing good, about diversity, equality, human dignity."
It should be noted, however, that the Queen did not discuss the issue of modesty in the context of Qur'anic mandate.
Maleeha Lodhi said that Islamic principles "enjoin us to respond ... to bring the perpetrators to justice. From day one ... my government came forward and made it quite clear it was part of the global coalition."
She said the most common misconceptions about the religion and women who practice it derive from "local influences" that are mistakenly attributed to Islam itself. "There is nothing in my religion, nothing in Islam, that does not afford women equal rights," she said.
The show also presented a day in the life of Noreen Azmathullah, a reporter with the
Chicago Tribune. "I run once a week, I swim. I will wear spandex leggings and a T-shirt on top of my swimming suit. I'll wear a swim cap to follow the regulations," she said.
"These are hard times right now," added Azmathullah. "I think we had progressed far in terms of helping America understand what Islam was about and kind of enter mainstream America. But now I think people suspect all Muslims of being terrorists. We're just leading our lives, practicing our faith, doing everything else that normal America does."
Despite all the good intentions of these two talk show episodes, there were flaws, including various misrepresentations by some Muslims that others might find offensive. But credit should be given to people like Oprah and Ananda Lewis who have, on their own, made these attempts to understand Islam. They have done their job and done it well. Now it is up to Muslims to carry their message forward and share the pristine beauty of Islam with the masses.
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