CAIR-Chicago Gives Media Presentation Daily Herald Review: A Muslim Reader’s Perspective By Musab Siddiqui July 17, 2007 This July, CAIR-Chicago presented a review of the Daily Herald’s reporting on Islam and issues pertaining to Muslims. The CAIR-Chicago report was commissioned by the Daily Herald and presented as part of a weeklong diversity forum at the Daily Herald to increase awareness in media coverage. [VIEW REPORT] The presentation was welcomed by a room full of Daily Herald reporters and editors, forging greater awareness among journalists interested in reporting on Muslim American communities. As a case study, CAIR-Chicago reviewed news sections of the Daily Herald from May 20, 2007 to June 3, 2007. In the selected two week span, the majority of stories involving Muslims covered the war in Iraq, the war on terrorism, violence in Lebanon and Palestine, and to a lesser extent, events in Iran and Afghanistan. Muslims were primarily presented in contexts of foreign affairs, and predominantly in relation to terrorism and war. CAIR-Chicago’s Communications Coordinator Reem Rahman and Executive Director Ahmed Rehab outlined the significant role the media’s choice of editorializing and reporting plays in shaping the public perception and understanding of Muslims. Most Americans are poorly informed about their Muslim neighbors and their role in society. For many, the media may be the only source of knowledge regarding Muslims. Analysis of Iraq war coverage found that the majority of stories discussing the human toll focused on U.S. causalities, citing the number of U.S. loss and personalized stories of its effects locally. Few discussed the toll on Iraqis or personalized their loss. The few stories in which Iraqis were the focus were accompanied by photographs featuring U.S. troops. The choice of reporting and editorializing reveals an unequal presentation of the human cost of the war on U.S. lives versus Iraqi lives. The review stressed the need for Muslims to be shown in contexts that reflect shared humanity and experiences. Vital opportunities were either missed or misplaced. The few images available of Muslims often featured Muslims in either anger or strife. Even when the story content spoke of grief and tragedy, images that may have humanized Muslims and reflected empathetic emotions were not shown. In coverage of the Muslim population, the review highlighted problematic titles such as “Hanging Angers Sunnis” (Daily Herald 1/07). Titles such as these reduce the entire “Muslim World” to a single, often angry, monolithic entity. Such reductionism obscures accurate understanding of Islam and Muslims. The fact that Islam is the faith and that its practitioners are Muslim are often conflated. Consider the terms: ‘Islamic fundamentalism,’ ‘Islamic militants,’ Islamic fascism,’ etc. The use of “Islamic” as a qualifier inaccurately associates the whole of the religion of Islam with radicalism. It is necessary to distinguish the faith from its practitioners as a reminder that all faiths are subject to human myopia. It is much more accurate to use Muslim as the qualifier. The need for greater understanding about the Muslim community grows more urgent. Since the 9/11 attacks, acts of discrimination and hate crimes have annually averaged double-digit growth rates. The media plays a significant role in the understanding of Muslims and has significant impact based upon its choice of reporting and editorializing. Chicago has among the most vibrant, diverse, and historically based Muslim Communities in the nation. Islamic centers, Mosques, and organizations are abundant throughout Chicagoland and are good starting points for reporting on the Muslim community. Comedian and lecturer Azhar Usman followed CAIR’s findings with an intelligent routine intended to dispel stereotypes of Muslims. The presentations fostered a unique contribution to the framing of Muslims by the media. Copyright 2007 CAIR-Chicago --- Contact: communications@cairchicago.org CAIR-Chicago: “Daily Herald Review: A Muslim Reader's Perspective 2007" CAIR-Chicago: “Glossary of Common Muslim Terms and Phrases"