Collage
As was discussed in this seminar, there are a vast multitude of instances in which the media has perpetuated a negative image of Islam. This phenomenon was sparked by the acts committed on 9/11, and has heightened dramatically in recent times, due to the many terrorist acts wrongly committed in the name of Islam. Oftentimes, Islam as a whole is portrayed as a religion that espouses violence and is wholly opposed to the West. This notion is ultimately highly detrimental, as it incites the concept of a “clash of civilizations”, typecasting all Muslims as the violent “other”. In addition to this politicization, the media also portrays aspects of Islam, such as the hijab, as symbols of oppression. As such, it has become common for the media to radicalize the religion, without regard for what Islam as a faith truly entails. Many, for example, turn a blind eye to the fact that the Qur’an itself espouses peace and tolerance, and that, as Muslims believe, it was revealed in the context of a war, which accounts for its passages concerning armed conduct. Furthermore, as was discussed in class, the concept of “Jihad”, which the media often claims to signify a holy war, primarily means “struggle”. In response to this apparently widespread religious illiteracy, in this creative response, I chose to create a collage that showcased images or words commonly, but wrongly, associated with Islam in the media as well as a few that signify a more accurate interpretations of the religion.