Beyond scapegoats and stereotypes

Four ways newspapers can help resist hate, hysteria directed at American Muslims

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The growing number of incidents involving attacks on American Muslims - and other Americans mistaken for Muslims - are stark reminders of how ill-informed many Americans are about Islam. Unfortunately, for many people, this vacuum is being filled by the ignorance and hate circulating on countless Web sites and chat rooms.

Newspapers have a special responsibility at this critical moment to fight against bigotry and to guard against creating scapegoats by reporting accurately and fully the truth about the religious dimensions of this crisis - including the relationship of Islam to the perpetrators of the attacks on our nation.

Here are four suggestions:

Use terms carefully. The terrorists in these attacks may claim to be Muslims motivated by Islam, but that does not make them "Islamic terrorists." To the contrary, the vast majority of Muslim clerics and scholars agree that the actions of the terrorists are contrary to the teachings of Islam. Moreover, this is no "jihad" in the Qu'ranic meaning of the term. The fact that terrorists pervert the meaning of Islam and Islamic concepts does not mean that reporters should accept these false definitions.

Don't be afraid of religion. The reluctance of many in the media to tackle the religious dimension of the news has distorted much of the coverage of events that require an understanding of religious worldviews. Religious perspectives are often presented with little or no context (Jerry Falwell's ill-timed comments on the 700 Club are another current example). Lack of context translates into stories that mention religion but fail to provide an adequate understanding of religious beliefs, practices or historical roots. Americans need to understand why people see the world the way they do if they are to make any sense of these events - and distinguish among the various voices claiming to be "Christian," "Islamic" or otherwise.

Do your homework. Few reporters or editors have a background in religious studies. That makes it difficult for newspapers to adequately cover the news in the United States (the most religiously diverse nation in the world) much less the many international events that involve religious issues and convictions. Nevertheless, newspapers have a civic and professional duty to ensure that religious voices are heard in the public square in ways that are fair and balanced. The long-term solutions might include more opportunities for continuing education in religion, more religion specialists among reporters, and perhaps a religious-studies requirement for journalism majors. But in the current crisis, reporters can fill the gap by contacting organizations dedicated to promoting accurate education about Islam. One of the best is the Council on Islamic Education (www.cie.org). Another helpful resource for understanding the religious landscape of America is the Pluralism Project at Harvard University (www.pluralism.org).

Teach the controversy. Muslim leaders in America and in most of the world condemn terrorism (the Qur'an teaches that taking one life unjustly is like taking the life of all humanity). Nevertheless, there are differences among American Muslims and between Muslims and other faiths about many issues - including many public-policy questions facing the United States. Too often, however, the nuances of the debate within religions and among religions are lost in generalizations about the beliefs and practices of adherents. Most of the most difficult social issues facing Americans - abortion, homosexuality, religion in schools - involve clashes of religious worldviews that are rarely explained in the media.

Americans can't understand these conflicts, much less find common ground with others, without understanding the religious differences among religions and between religions.

Chaynes@freedomforum.org