Raising Your Voice -- Part 1

Written by Administrator

Friday, 16 December 2005 22:09

This issue of the Muslim Link had a lot to do with the relationship between mainstream media and the Muslim community.

Our front page article "Masajid and the Media" shows how different area masajid take different approaches to the media. Dar Al-Hijrah's public relations face is Brother Johari Abdul-Malik. He readily engages with the media, even though Dar Al-Hijrah became one of the most maligned area masjids after 9/11. On the flip side, there was a very positive portrayal of the Dar Al-Hijrah community in a piece by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch earlier this month.

The ADAMS center in Herndon is easily the most proactive masjid with regards to the media. Rather than wait for reporters to show up at their door step, ADAMS sends out press releases and invites media to their events. Again, on the flip side, last month's TIME article on ADAMS Imam Muhammad Magid showed that -- even with the most media friendly -- things can and do go wrong. The always outspoken activist Mauri Saalakhan opines in that regard in an editorial piece in this issue.

Trying to get the best of the mainstream media is a little like hide and seek. When things are going well, and the media needs some cute diversity pieces to balance out the pieces on the Iraq war, the political scandals, and the like, reporters seem to be all ears for the Muslim community. But, when there is scandal -- an arrest, an indictment, an accusation against a Muslim or an Islamic organization -- the media trumpets the scandal, and the Muslims try and hide away long enough for the cavalry to pass them by.

Using the media to our advantage -- to spread the truth about Islam and Muslims -- is a wise and necessary undertaking. But, in our opinion, doing so without establishing our own, independent Muslim media outlet is a sign of weakness. Every political and ideological group -- conservatives and liberals, democrats and republicans, Zionists and peaceniks -- uses the mainstream media whenever and however they can. But, the strong groups and communities among them all have their own newspapers, radio programs, and television shows.

Our own media is where we speak and express our values, lifestyle, and principles; mainstream media is where we dialogue.

We hope the Muslim community in the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas considers the Muslim Link its voice. We ask that you judge us on our 5 year track record. We ask that you reflect on the issues we covered, as well as the issues we didn't cover. Reflect on our calls as well as on our silences. This paper is a seed we are planting at the footsteps of the nation's capitol. It has taken root by Allah's leave. If you believe in that, we ask that you help us water it and grow it.

Our first fundraising dinner is Sunday, January 22. The support that you show on that night will be a gauge of the commitment area Muslims have to their own media. Please be there.