Does the media put too much focus on the the extreme muslims rather than the peaceful ones?

Question

note:saying that there are no peaceful Muslims is not an acceptable answer.

Answer 1

Yes, The news media has the "man bites dog" syndrome.

Answer 2

Most likely the media does not put enough focus on the extreme Muslims, for it does not matter about the peaceful ones, if they are unwilling or afraid to go to the Mosques or inmans, clerics and demand that these extreme groups be condemned and forced to stop doing the horrific things in the name of Islam and therefore all of them. It is up...to the peaceful to control those that are not.....the question then becomes, why don't they do so, and stop this madness in the world now, today?

Answer 3

That's the way the media is. They always put the extremely bad new s and never any of the good news. I have no doubt that there are many good and peaceful muslims in the world.

Answer 4

Of course it does. What would be the point of them focusing on peaceful ones? There is not sensationalist story there for them, why would they? I'm afraid sister good acts don't grant headlines. Less than 1% of the Muslim population of 1.5 billion Muslims are extremist but we are all branded as such, you do the math.


Chocolate

Yosuf Islam also known as Cat Stevens
Jermain Jackson member of Jackson 5
Mohammad Ali world champion boxer
Imran Khan world famous cricketer
Zinadine Zidane french footballer
Dave Chappell american comedian and actor
You asked for one peaceful muslim in the media is this enough or do i have to go on?????

Answer 5

Yeah..they were..
Too much focus on the extreme muslims inevitably make the whole worlds thing that Islam is bad, like to war or something like that...
Media play a prominent role in this misunderstanding and miscommunication...

We must find a solution to fix up this matter...
Looks like the media have a massive work to do...lol

Answer 6

Of course it does, most of the media are controlled by politicians so they only present what they want you to believe.
for the people who said that no one has stood the terrorism i wish you read What Does Islam Say about Terrorism

Islam, a religion of mercy, does not permit terrorism. In the Quran, God has said:
God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your homes. God loves just dealers. (Quran, 60:8)

The Prophet Muhammad used to prohibit soldiers from killing women and children,1 and he would advise them: {...Do not betray, do not be excessive, do not kill a newborn child.}2 And he also said: {Whoever has killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise, though its fragrance is found for a span of forty years.}3

Also, the Prophet Muhammad has forbidden punishment with fire.4

He once listed murder as the second of the major sins,5 and he even warned that on the Day of Judgment, {The first cases to be adjudicated between people on the Day of Judgment will be those of bloodshed.6}7

Muslims are even encouraged to be kind to animals and are forbidden to hurt them. Once the Prophet Muhammad said: {A woman was punished because she imprisoned a cat until it died. On account of this, she was doomed to Hell. While she imprisoned it, she did not give the cat food or drink, nor did she free it to eat the insects of the earth.}8

He also said that a man gave a very thirsty dog a drink, so God forgave his sins for this action. The Prophet was asked, “Messenger of God, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals?” He said: {There is a reward for kindness to every living animal or human.}9

Additionally, while taking the life of an animal for food, Muslims are commanded to do so in a manner that causes the least amount of fright and suffering possible. The Prophet Muhammad said: {When you slaughter an animal, do so in the best way. One should sharpen his knife to reduce the suffering of the animal.}10

In light of these and other Islamic texts, the act of inciting terror in the hearts of defenseless civilians, the wholesale destruction of buildings and properties, the bombing and maiming of innocent men, women, and children are all forbidden and detestable acts according to Islam and the Muslims. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the vast majority have nothing to do with the violent events some have associated with Muslims. If an individual Muslim were to commit an act of terrorism, this person would be guilty of violating the laws of Islam

Answer 7

Islam is without doubt the best religion but the media is in the hands of the westerners who are afraid of Islam. The media is continuously broadcasting and printing information against Islam. They either provide misinformation about Islam, misquote Islam or project a point out of proportion, if any.

When any bomb blasts take place anywhere, the first people to be accused without proof are invariably the Muslims. This appears as headlines in the news. Later, when they find that non-Muslims were responsible, it appears as an insignificant news’ item.

If a 50 year old Muslim marries a 15 year old girl after taking her permission, it appears on the front page but when a 50 year old non-Muslim rapes a 6 year old girl, it may appear in the news in the inside pages as ‘Newsbriefs’. Everyday in America on an average 2,713 cases of rape take place but it doesn’t appear in the news, since it has become a way of life for the Americans.

Let us analyze this allegation of ‘fundamentalism’ and ‘terrorism’:


1. Definition of the word ‘fundamentalist’


A fundamentalist is a person who follows and adheres to the fundamentals of the doctrine or theory he is following. For a person to be a good doctor, he should know, follow, and practise the fundamentals of medicine. In other words, he should be a fundamentalist in the field of medicine. For a person to be a good mathematician, he should know, follow and practise the fundamentals of mathematics. He should be a fundamentalist in the field of mathematics. For a person to be a good scientist, he should know, follow and practise the fundamentals of science. He should be a fundamentalist in the field of science.


2. Not all ‘fundamentalists’ are the same


One cannot paint all fundamentalists with the same brush. One cannot categorize all fundamentalists as either good or bad. Such a categorization of any fund amentalist will depend upon the field or activity in which he is a fundamentalist. A fundamentalist robber or thief causes harm to society and is therefore undesirable. A fundamentalist doctor, on the other hand, benefits society and earns much respect.


3. I am proud to be a Muslim fundamentalist


I am a fundamentalist Muslim who, by the grace of Allah, knows, follows and strives to practise the fundamentals of Islam. A true Muslim does not shy away from being a fundamentalist. I am proud to be a fundamentalist Muslim because, I know that the fundamentals of Islam are beneficial to humanity and the whole world. There is not a single fundamental of Islam that causes harm or is against the interests of the human race as a whole. Many people harbour misconceptions about Islam and consider several teachings of Islam to be unfair or improper. This is due to insufficient and incorrect knowledge of Islam. If one critically analyzes the teachings of Islam with an open mind, one cannot escape the fact that Islam is full of benefits both at the individual and collective levels.


4. Dictionary meaning of the word ‘fundamentalist’


According to Webster’s dictionary ‘fundamentalism’ was a movement in American Protestanism that arose in the earlier part of the 20th century. It was a reaction to modernism, and stressed the infallibility of the Bible, not only in matters of faith and morals but also as a literal historical record. It stressed on belief in the Bible as the literal word of God. Thus fundamentalism was a word initially used for a group of Christians who believed that the Bible was the verbatim word of God without any errors and mistakes.

According to the Oxford dictionary ‘fundamentalism’ means ‘strict maintenance of ancient or fundamental doctrines of any religion, especially Islam’.

Today the moment a person uses the word fundamentalist he thinks of a Muslim who is a terrorist.


5. Every Muslim should be a terrorist


Every Muslim should be a terrorist. A terrorist is a person who causes terror. The moment a robber sees a policeman he is terrified. A policeman is a terrorist for the robber. Similarly every Muslim should be a terrorist for the antisocial elements of society, such as thieves, dacoits and rapists. Whenever such an anti-social element sees a Muslim, he should be terrified. It is true that the word ‘terrorist’ is generally used for a person who causes terror among the common people. But a true Muslim should only be a terrorist to selective people i.e. anti-social elements, and not to the common innocent people. In fact a Muslim should be a source of peace for innocent people.


6. Different labels given to the same individual for the same action, i.e. ‘terrorist’ and ‘patriot’


Before India achieved independence from British rule, some freedom fighters of India who did not subscribe to non-violence were labeled as terrorists by the British government. The same individuals have been lauded by Indians for the same activities and hailed as ‘patriots’. Thus two different labels have been given to the same people for the same set of actions. One is calling him a terrorist while the other is calling him a patriot. Those who believed that Britain had a right to rule over India called these people terrorists, while those who were of the view that Britain had no right to rule India called them patriots and freedom fighters.

It is therefore important that before a person is judged, he is given a fair hearing. Both sides of the argument should be heard, the situation should be analyzed, and the reason and the intention of the person should be taken into account, and then the person can be judged accordingly.


7. Islam means peace


Islam is derived from the word ‘salaam’ which means peace. It is a religion of peace whose fundamentals teach its followers to maintain and promote peace throughout the world.

Thus every Muslim should be a fundamentalist i.e. he should follow the fundamentals of the Religion of Peace: Islam. He should be a terrorist only towards the antisocial elements in order to promote peace and justice in the society.

Answer 8

Are there peaceful muslims. Yes, of coarse there is. However, look at all the countries that are dominantly muslim and look how the christians are treated there. They are persecuted, sometimes tortured, and killed. Is that the peaceful religion that you want to support? I think that there is too much media saying that this religion is so peaceful and ignoring these basic facts. I'm not talking about radical islam. I'm talking about fundamental islam.

Answer 9

i do think that the media puts too much focus on the the extreme muslims rather than the peaceful ones. all we ever hear about is car bombs in the middle east and muslim people on high terrorist alert....it bugs me....i hate depressing news....

Answer 10

Part of medias job is to stir up hate and discontent. If it isn't between black and white, it's between young and old, or men and women.

Internationally speaking, Muslims are now being vilified by mainstream media. They are being associated with terrorism, even though most of them are peaceful, decent people.

I have always despised mainstream media. Besides inundating us with propaganda, they are the primary source in our cultural decline. When you watch Jerry Springer, you are opening your mind to mainstream media.

Muslims are just like the rest of us. The media are your real enemies.

Answer 11

Yes, I think they do. 95 percent of Muslims are just normal people. Since all the media has to report about Muslims is violence, many people believe Islam is a violent religion which is a shame.