Blog Entry XI - Bewildering Interdependence

Said's article in "The Nation" highlights the influence that the media has on public thought and opinion in regards to Islam. He brings to light in particular the hostility and ignorance that is diffused through time and space based media alike--television, internet, and newspapers--which promotes an atmosphere of fear and misunderstanding in non-Muslims. It's important to note that the inherent subjectivity of the media is bolstered even further by important nationals and public figures adhering to the notion of "West" versus "Islam," by openly and admittedly deconstructing the complex issues of international relations and "interdependence" to such a base degree that, as Said explains, that their so-called enlightened commentary can be compared in nature to simple catch-phrases like "War of the Worlds." I found that assessment slightly humorous, because in fact, so much of non-Muslim ideas about "Islam and the West" that come from the media are prefaced in such a ridiculous way, and yet, sometimes these ideas are not questioned.

Unfortunately, ideas that mainstream media present to us about Islam are like any other ideas; they are sensationalist and for the most part, are uneducated and uninformed. Living under the umbrella of importance and prominence of the "West" is naturally accompanied by living in a culture where we are constantly compelled to feel threatened, and whether the threat is immediate or not is determined by the media and what the media chooses to transmit. When such a powerful society as the West feels threatened by the unknown, they feel the need to retaliate rather than understand. Retaliation is quicker, simpler, than making an effort to understand, and making an effort to educate the public in this same manner of understanding would not belong to the realm of "quick and simple". The media is known for over-simplified, over-hurried presentation of ideas. To summarize crudely, most public discourse on "Islam and the West" perpetuates a circle of ignorance.

I would like to mention that I couldn't access the full article by Hirschkind and Mahmood, and thus am unable to comment on it!