10 Facts The Mainstream Media Fails To Report About Islam
By
Haider Ali in
Facts
On 22nd December 2015
Ever made it through 10 minutes of Fox News without turning it off? No, me either.
What’s scary is that not only do a large number of people watch Fox News for more than 10 minutes, they also rely on it as their primary source for news.
However, this article isn’t going to solely focus on Fox News; rather, it’s going to focus on the mainstream media in general. This is because in America today, six corporations control 90% of the media. These six corporations include General Electric, Disney, News-Corp, CBS, Viacom, and Time Warner. CNN, HBO, Fox, NBC, the Wall Street Journal, ABC and the New York Post, are only a few among many that are owned by these six corporations. These media outlets are what people have generally come to consider as the “mainstream media.”
Why is this important and how does it relate to Muslims and Islam? Well in short: terrorism sells. More specifically, terrorism sells when it’s carried out by Muslims. The mainstream media knows this, and as a result, whenever there’s an attack or controversial incident involving a Muslim, they pounce and report it as breaking news.
This isn’t to say that media outlets shouldn’t report of acts of terrorism, it’s rather to say that the media should be fair and honest in their reporting. For example, when the Boston Marathon Bombing occurred – which was a tremendously tragic event – the mainstream media wouldn’t stop reporting about it for weeks, completely ignoring the thousands murdered by U.S. drone strikes in Iraq and Pakistan around the same time. This is really important, because if the media doesn’t report on the atrocities carried out by select Western governments, people will never be able to understand the factors that breed terrorism in the Middle East.
The writer has not written this article to offend anyone or point fingers. This article is to expose facts that are disregarded by the vast majority of mainstream media outlets. Ultimately, if people don’t become informed in regards to the facts about Muslims and Islam, Islamophobia will grow and an increasing number of people will fall for dangerous myths.
#1 Less Than 20% Of Muslims Come From The Middle East
How many of you, before reading this, knew that only one out five Muslims live in the Middle East? Indeed, roughly 20% of Muslims come from the Middle East, whilst the other 80% are found all over the world. The countries with the largest population of Muslims are Indonesia (12%), Pakistan (11%), India (10.9%), and Bangladesh (9.2%). This is an important fact that the mainstream media should report on, as today there exists a scary number of people who believe all Muslims come from or live in the Middle East. What's also very dangerous about people believing this myth is that it paints the false picture that all Muslims live in or come from an area of the world largely plagued by war and turmoil.
#2 We All Benefit From Islam
During the Islamic Golden Age (8th-13th century AD), Muslims invented more than two-hundred surgical instruments, developed algebra as well as algorithms, established the first degree-issuing university and first hospital that required all doctors to have medical diplomas. Muslims have also played prominent roles in the areas of optics, physics, astronomy, architecture, and art. Overall, without Islam's incredible achievements in medicine, mathematics, education, and health care as well as a number of other significant areas Western and World civilization as it exists today would be dramatically different.
#3 Majority Of Terrorist Attacks In The U.S. Haven’t Been Carried Out By Muslims
You know that phrase, "not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are muslims"? Well that phrase is both false and incendiary. However, following the 9/11 attacks, a lot of U.S. citizens have become inculcated to believe this dangerous myth that all terrorists are Muslims. What the mainstream media needs to do is report the fact that the overwhelming majority of terror attacks carried out in the U.S. are not carried out by Muslims. According to official FBI records, only 6% of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil from 1980 to 2005 were carried out by Islamic extremists. The remaining 94% of terrorist attacks were carried out by other groups, in particular 42% from Latinos and 24% from extreme left wing groups.
#4 Many Muslims Respect And Believe In Jesus
Did you know that Muslims consider Jesus a prophet? Indeed, the Quran mentions Jesus 93 times, making him a significant figure in Islam. On top of that, the Quran also mentions Moses 136 times and Abraham 69 times. In contrast to the bible, the Quran teaches that instead of Jesus being crucified, he ascended up to heaven with the help of God. However, despite the number of differences between Islam and Christianity, this is one of many facts that helps prove how intertwined the world's major religions are.
#5 Allah Is Just An Arabic Word For God
Ever woken up hung over and downed a glass of water only to proclaim seconds later that water is "a gift from God"? If you have, then it's nice to know I'm not alone, and if you haven't then you've never truly been hung over. However, the point here is that if you speak Arabic and proclaim that water is "a gift from god," you'd refer to that water as a gift from Allah. Simply put, Allah is the Arabic word for God. This explains why Christian and Jewish Arabs refer to god as Allah.
#6 Muslims Make Up The UK’s Most Charitable Donors
According to an ICM Research poll revealed in The Times newspaper, Muslims were among Britain's most generous givers in 2012, topping a poll of religious groups that donate to charity. Muslims gave an average of $567 to charity in 2012, whilst Jews gave $412, Protestants $308, Roman Catholics $272, and atheists $177. This research poll followed an international survey by the Pew Research Center that revealed 77% of Muslims give to charity.
#7 Western Air Strikes In Iraq And Syria Encourage Islamic Extremism
Contrary to what the governments of France, the US and Great Britain would lead you to think, increased air strikes in Iraq and Syria actually strengthen the Islamic State, not weaken it. Although airstrikes do target and kill ISIS militants, they also kill civilians and destroy whole communities as well as valuable infrastructure. When civilians are murdered and communities are reduced to rubble, their friends and families are incentivized to perceive the countries responsible for the airstrikes as the enemy. In fact, it's now a well known fact that it was two decades of Western military intervention that led to the creation and expansion of ISIS. If Western governments refuse to learn from the errors of history, ISIS will grow at a faster rate and terror attacks on home soil will increase.
#8 Majority Of Terrorist Attacks In The EU Haven’t Been Carried Out By Muslims
The attacks at Charlie Hebdo and in Paris earlier this year struck fear into the minds of millions living in Europe. However, what the mainstream media has been reluctant to report is the fact that the vast majority of terror attacks committed in Europe have been carried out by non-muslims. According to Europol, the European Union's law enforcement agency, in the last five years less than 2% of all terrorist attacks in the EU were "religiously motivated." In 2009, only one out of 294 terrorist attacks were considered "Islamist." In 2010, only three out of 249 terrorist attacks were considered "Islamic."
#9 Terrorism Is Forbidden In Islam
The generally accepted definition of terrorism is "the use of violence in the pursuit of political or religious aims." Based on this definition, Islamic law and tradition strictly forbids acts of terrorism. First, the Quran states that the murder of innocent non-combatants is forbidden and that the killing of one person is the equivalent to the killing of all mankind. Second, if the motivation for terrorism is religious, it is not permissible under Islamic law. This is exemplified in verse 2:256 of the Quran, where it specifically forbids coercive attempts to impose Islam on other people. Lastly, not only is suicide forbidden in Islamic law, it's also considered one of the greatest sins in Islam and a sure way to hinder one's spiritual journey. In conclusion, if a Muslim engages in any act of terrorism, they are not following Islam.
#10 Muslims Suffer More From Jihadi Terrorism Than Non-Muslims Do
According to the Global Terrorism Database at the University of Maryland (between 2004 and 2013), about half of all terrorist attacks, and 60% of fatalities due to terrorist attacks, occurred in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan all of which have predominantly Muslim populations. However, the primary reason why Muslims suffer more from Jihadi terrorism than non-Muslims isn't because of casualties, it's because of the fact that their entire religion is becoming broadly painted as one of intolerance, violence, and fear. This is despite the evidence that only a very small minority of Muslims are terrorists. The truth is that the large majority of Muslims are not people to be scared of, rather they're individuals very similar to yourself. Just like you, Muslims want to better understand the world, live harmoniously with others and, most importantly, take care of their loved ones and communities.
