Media : : : :

To begin with we need to define the media. Media literally means “something, such as an intermediate course of action that occupies a position or represents a condition midway between extremes”. An alternative definition can be “An intervening substance through which something else is transmitted or carried on”. In regards to the media we are more familiar with, it is defined as “A means of mass communication, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television” If we like it or not the media has the potential to perpetuate stereotypes and to mould the minds of the masses. The media not only “informs” but transforms the values, ideas and mindset of the gullible masses.

Since the creation of Israel in 1948, its supporters have been highly successful in ensuring that Israel’s version of history, present and future have been accepted as the truth, and the tool they have used to justify their claim has been the media.

It is vital that we reflect the impacts and uses of the media and the information the media relays in relation to the situation of Palestine.

Western coverage of the Palestinians has always been sympathetic to Israel, for most of the Western media being objective means being pro Israeli. The Western media has historically reported through the eyes of the Israeli lens.

If we take a deeper analysis of the media there are many examples of the bias outlook towards Israel.

In May 2002, a Glasgow University Media group, acknowledged for its media analysis, published a study of the reporting of the conflict in Palestine. It categorically showed that the British people’s lack of understanding of the conflict was compounded by news reporting.

Only 9% of young people knew that the Israelis were the occupiers. 71% of viewers did not know that it was the Israelis who were occupying the territories whilst 11% of viewers believed that the Palestinians were occupying the territories and that the settlers were Palestinian.

Words such as “Murder, atrocity, lynching and cold blooded killings were only used to describe Israeli deaths.

For my research I recently came across an article with the quote “This month more than 160 Palestinians and nearly 60 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks, suicide bombings and Israeli reprisals”. If you read this quote, it seems that all the deaths resulted from Palestinian attacks, rather than Israeli assaults, and that suicide bombing was the cause of the killings, rather than systematic Israeli state sponsored terrorism. The words in this quotation clearly show that the statement is reversed and presented as Palestinian action.

As Muslims we have to dispel the false notion that Islam and anyone pro Palestinian constitutes a threat. We need to firstly reaffirm our own identity, and break away any superficial overtone that Islam means violence.

We have to unbind ourselves that the Jewish Lobby is bigger than us. They have only succeeded because they have no serious competition to challenge their false ideologies. Falsehood by definition is a fragile pretence that is neither invincible nor indestructible. We need to destroy their facade of self-control, and we can only do that by understanding the role and the need of media for our use. Ideally we need Muslim Journalists. To achieve this we need to support and push students into media sciences. We need to develop a network of Muslims media activists who can expose the double standards, distortions, and untruths of a present media.

The media is in the business to sell and promote the shaping of ideas, beamed from thousands of media outlets. It shapes and moulds billions of minds 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, all over the global village. The Zionists use the media as a political tool to legitimise their occupation. They feel that by demonising the Palestinians alone they can hope to secure world sympathy. They have started to demonise not only the Palestinians but also all Muslims; no longer are the Palestinians the enemies but Muslims, rather, Islam as a whole is perceived to be the enemy.

Muslims need be more aware of the media and become more pro active, we do have journalists out there who support our cause, and we need to maintain and support their integrity and remain objective.

Writing, praising, condemning and complaining stereotypes are self-perpetuating but unless we challenge them, they will continue. We should know our facts and demand correction of errors and engage in debate rather than censor opinion. We need to become media monitors, rather than just readers of the front page. We have to read the opinions of writers, and not only challenge, but also praise where praise is needed.

As that brave American writer Charley Reese said in his regular US column, the Israelis "have created their own unconquerable enemy". They have made the Palestinians so crushed, so desperate, so humiliated that they have nothing to lose. We, too, have done this. Our gutlessness, our refusal to tell the truth, our fear of being slandered as "anti-Semites" signifies that we are aiding and abetting terrible deeds in the Middle East.

Yet I end on a positive note. I firmly believe that not only on a student political level, but also on the media level the tide is changing. Albeit slowly holes are appearing in the Zionist media armour. It is a challenge for the Muslim community to defend Masjid Al Aqsa and the land of Al Quds. We can win half the war by influencing and changing the people’s views through the media. We only need to look at the war against Iraq as an example.

Can we highlight and attack all the false notions of spin and show real substance against this bias media? As after all I can assure you that most of the pro Israeli media is just spin and no substance, it’s high time we challenged it.