JEDDAH, 18 May 2003 — A problem in the Muslim world is that a small number of people have arrogated to themselves the right to offer a “true” interpretation of the Holy Qur’an, says Dr. Nazir Khaja, a professor at UCLA School of Medicine and president of the American Muslim Council (AMC).
“It appears that a few people have taken over the right to talk to the people from the perspective that only they know what God says in the Qur’an,” he told Arab News in an interview.
“Proactive use of the media could provide the basis for communication with the American people, and with that a better understanding of Islam in the US.”
He was speaking from experience. In the pre-Sept. 11 era Nazir, as a respected Muslim voice, used the media to reach out to the Americans and others around the globe. He became the voice of Islam in the US though the non-profit unit Islamic Information Service (IIS), which produced a TV program called American Muslim Hour (AMH).
AMH is the weekly nationwide English language program about Islam and Muslims and is aired across 275 cities in the United States. More than 250,000 viewers watch the program every week. Dr Nazir, who has interviewed famous Western Muslims as Gai Eaton and Muhammad Asad, described AMH as “a one-hour television program which really reflects the values of the Qur’an and emphasizes that we have much in common with the other Abrahamic faiths, the Jews and the Christians.”
The program was first broadcast in 1985 to a few cities in the US and now has international runs in countries such as Turkey, Qatar, Malaysia, Indonesia, as well as the Middle East. The program is continually expanding and growing in the US.
In the interview with Arab News, the man renowned for teaming up with Rev. Jesse Jackson and other religious leaders in successfully negotiating the freedom of three US soldiers held hostage by the Serb forces during the Balkan war described his views on the Muslim world and how he hopes to represent Islam in the United States.
He underlined the importance of utilizing the media to communicate to the American people the true, peace-loving nature of Islam. A survey undertaken by the LA Times on the effects of Sept. 11 on the American people’s view of Islam showed devastating results. The poll indicates that a growing percentage of US residents think that Islam encourages violence, with 23 percent saying so in the new polls compared with 14 percent agreeing to that sentiment the preceding winter.
“I think a critical issue in realizing our goals for Islam, and for a better understanding of Islam and Muslims within the West, is that you cannot ignore television and the need to make an effort through television to create that kind of understanding,” Nazir said, adding: “Television is really the lifeline of the West.”
Are there alternative ways to deliver the message?
“Yes, there are other ways. Information is being passed on through the Internet more and more lately; but still the images that shape the consciousness of the average American come through television.”
Nazir expressed frustration at the Muslim world’s avoidance of the media under the pretense that it is already monopolized by individuals with political agendas and that therefore it would be a waste of effort to exploit this medium.
“We have gotten used to complaining about the media. Television itself has not served our interests and has always presented the point of view that we are critical of,” he said. “But being angry and merely reacting has not really helped either. Again the media has shown that the more angry one gets, the uglier it looks on television.”
Nazir said there were some changes in the lives of American Muslims after Sept.11. “As you might imagine,” he said, “the Muslims living in America after Sept. 11 are suspect. They are repeatedly being shown as perpetuating acts of terrorrism, or at least, political violence. They are under the microscope. That creates a problem.”
He said the Qur’an should not be shrouded in mystery. “I think fundamentally our problem is that if we do not demystify the Qur’an for ourselves and use it as it is meant to be used, as ‘a huda linnas’ (a guidance for humanity), we are not going to realize our destiny.”
For more information on AMH visit: www.americanmuslimhour.com
