Creating a negative image of Muslims

U.S. Media Watch

Creating A Negative Image of Muslims

By Laila Yaghi

6/17/02

I often watch the news and it is amazing how I can almost predict what the media is trying to do. Many times I am grateful to God that I come from two cultures, being half American and half Palestinian, which made me very aware of my surroundings and what is going on, in this world.

When I was watching the CBS news and flipping the TV channel also to ABC (June 12) news, they had the same topic. The story was about Saudis holding their American children against their will. I immediately opened my eyes and ears to the story knowing exactly what the news stations were trying to do, distort the image of the Saudis and portray them as insensible and ruthless!

My thoughts were backed up immediately when the next morning I was reading an article in the Washington Report by Ba-lsa. Ba-lsa reports that, "there are many more like them in the Saudi Kingdom, who could give lectures and presentations to various groups in the U.S. and help counteract the image of the Kingdom which the Zionists are trying to create."

Zionists indeed are trying to create a negative image of Muslims in the media. Ba-lsa states in the Washington Report that, "They control many members of congress through their political donations or simply through the threat of withdrawing support from their political companies."

Ba-lsa furthermore writes, "In addition to their political activities, they constantly review which businesses are showing any sort of support for Arabs and they threaten to boycott these companies if the support continues." He furthermore continues to add how the Washington Report has. "Received obnoxious packages and letters, they answer obscene telephone calls nearly every day. Moreover, the Washington Report has had a

"Problem attracting the funds needed to produce the Washington Report. The only companies or groups who take advertisement in the magazine are those with strong ties to the Middle East. Other companies are discouraged from advertisements because the threat of boycott and negative publicity that will be heaped on their companies by the Zionists."

Near the end of the report on the news about the Saudis, who hold their American children against their will, the reporter then added that, "West Europe also kidnaps and holds thousands of American children against their will"!

But the news did not show an American mother pleading with the Congress to help her get her child back from Europe as they did show an American mother pleading with the Congress that they should change the law and help her get her child back from Saudi-Arabia! And yes, why doesn’t the congress pass a law that forbids fathers from taking their children against their will in all countries, not just singling out Muslim countries?

For all the mothers who cannot see their children, I pray and hope that you do get them back. And to the media, I pray that one day the media will start looking beyond hate and prejudices and view people the same weather they are Arabs, European or otherwise.

* Laila Yaghi is a contributing columnist in aljazeerah.info.