assalam o alaikum
we are allow to eat pig to save our life but not to drink alcohol even as a medecin your comment pl.
yazak-allah
Answer
This is not a fatwa session. Please submit your question tomorrow in our General Fatwa Session.
Name
nagi
-
Profession
Question
Islam is greatly misunderstood in the west. whether this misunderstnding is due to bais or lack of understanding, what action shoud muslims and islamic countries do to change this preception.
Answer
The first thing that needs to be done is to understand the power of modern media and communication. Muslims are far behind others in this regard. They can utilize the existing means of communication in uniting the Muslim Ummah regardless of race, ethnicity, and different geographic origins. While Muslims may have the temptation to place the blame of their bad image and disunity on non-Muslims, Muslims need to put their own house in order by analyzing our own internal weaknesses. Prior to the invention of the Internet, communicating with the world was much more difficult then it is now. But because of the unavailability of Internet facilities among the masses in the developing countries we can only communicate more effectively through short wave radio programs in modern languages.
Muslim governments should pay attention to basic literacy among their masses and allowing them the freedom of thought and expression without which individual creativity and innovation remain dormant and disused.
Name
Abdul
-
Profession
Question
Is there a connection between the contemporary portrayal of Islam in the Wesertn Media establishment and the historical relationship between the muslims and europe as some authores suggest?
Answer
Yes there is a linkage based on two historical events:
1) The Crusades and Colonization
2) Oil Politics and the establishment of Israeli.
The media followed the following sequence in the context of the second set of events (i.e. Oil Politics).
The first phase was all Palestinians are not bad only those who are opposed to the establishment of Israel are bad. Phase 2 was all Arabs are not bad only the Palestinians are bad. Phase 3 was All Muslims are not bad only Arabs are bad. Phase 4 was all Muslims are bad because they fail to follow the peaceful faith of Islam. Phase 5 was Muslims are bad because Islam is violent and teaches Muslims to be violent. Phase 6 was Islam and Muslims are a threat to the West. Phase 7 was that Islam and Muslims are a threat to global peace. In the current phase they tend to equate Islam with Terrorism and violence.
There main thrust throughout all of these phases has been searching for an enemy. All of this has been from the perspective of economic exploitation of the developing nations resources especially the Muslim world.
Name
Hani
-
Profession
Question
How would you explain the apparent schizophranic portrayal of muslims and Islam in the media? On the one hand we see an attempt tp portray Islam as a postive religion on the other hand legitmate muslim politcal causes are portrayed as extreme and fundmentalist.
Answer
You are right in observing this schizophrenic attitude. This reflects the double standard on the part of anti Islamic forces because the portrayal of Islam may not necessarily be from the kindness of their hearts but a tactic of persuasion and propaganda. The tendency on their part to demonize Muslims is for political and economic reasons. Because according the theory of rumormongering, if you want to kill your enemy show him as a dog and when you kill the dog nobody mines. So demonization becomes a tool of war against the innocent victims of wars and economic exploitation. If we say that the victims have a cause, we have to address the cause by doing justice. On the other hand, if you persuade the world to believe that the victim is the oppressor and the oppressor is the victim then you need not do justice.
Name
Mark
- United States
Profession
Question
In your oppinion, is the western media tailoring western establishments(governments and big bussinesses) when covering important events like wars or are they really trying to report the facts?
Answer
In order to understand this problem, we need look at the concentrated ownership of the Western Media. The large conglomerates are in control of most of the print and electronic media in the West. For example, The Wall Street Journal is owned by the Dow Jones Industrial and The Dallas Mourning News is owned by Bello corporation which is in the business of oil and mineral exploration all across the globe. The main goal of the media in the West is not searching for the truth but to make profit. Hence, objectivity in reporting is almost impossible especially in foreign affairs.
Name
Adam
- Germany
Profession
Engineer
Question
As a new American Muslim revert, I can see many things now that I did not see or understand about my country before. Do you feel that the West is slowly trying to unveil our sisters and will use the Christian media to help lure blacks away from Islam? I have also heard that many white American woman are starting to convert becuase of the values of Muslim men. Can you comment please
Answer
There is a lot of pressure on Muslim youth these days where ever they are living as minorities to give up their healthy practices. In one of the books recently titled Towards Mecca They Turn to Pray the author says that if you want to frustrate the efforts of Muslims to spread Islam in the West, then give Muslim girls the idea that if they want to be free they should abandon Islam. That kind of pressure both subtle and no so subtle is being brought to bare on muslim youth. '
What the Muslims should understand is to realize that they are accountable to Allah for their action and not to be afraid of such pressures to give up Islamic Practices
Name
amina
-
Profession
Question
dear sir, what do you think muslim can do in the west on the level of the mediatic presence? is there a way a simple citizens can get in contact with eventual muslim media groups settled in the west to help ?
Answer
Sorry, the time for the session ran out before we can answer your question. Please join us and resubmit your question in our next live dialogue on Wednesday Feb. 20 which will address issues related to your question.
