Hanif on Media

That “Open Letter to Maureen Dowd?”  That’s what I was talking about at the conclusion of my last post over at InterFaith21.

Our increasingly discredited “mainstream” news organizations continue feeding a diet of Faux News from the right and the Dowds and Tom Friedmans on the left.

But the Internet is making accessible such folks as the knowledgeable Juan Cole. Also the ladies of Muslimah Media Watch where, on the subject of far-right politicians’ thinly veiled obsession with defining how Muslim women should dress, see here and here.

Can’t say enough for MMW, whose About page states:

“Muslimah Media Watch is a forum where we, as Muslim women, can critique how our images appear in the media and popular culture. Although we are of different nationalities, sects, races, etc., we have something important in common: we’re tired of seeing ourselves portrayed by the media in ways that are one-dimensional and misleading. This is a space where, from a Muslim feminist perspective, we can speak up for ourselves.

“As Muslim feminists we aim to locate and critique misogyny, sexism, patriarchy, Islamophobia, racism, and xenophobia as they affect Muslim women. Furthermore, we believe in equal opportunities, equal respect, equal freedom, and equal value — regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, and ability.

“This blog is meant to be inclusive to all people, with a special focus on Muslim women. MMW strives to create an environment in which our writers and readers feel safe and welcome. We ask that you be considerate towards others and their opinions. This is a respectful forum for dialogue, not argument or personal attacks.”

Imagine that: articulate Muslim women, speaking for themselves. Seen that regularly — even lately — in a daily newspaper or local TV station near you?

MMW even offers a list of organizations designed to serve the needs of Muslim women. In contrast, our biased, confused, or lazy Western journalists seem to think that misguided, suffering, self-serving Ayaan Hirsi Ali somehow is supposed to help.

Back to Dowd:

Given this kind of illuminating er, journalism (note the reader comments), it’s no wonder so many Americans were so clueless about Islam and Muslims that we could be frightened into invading a sovereign nation for its oil, and killing untold numbers of innocent people in the name of freeing them — while sacrificing our patriotic servicemen and women, and ruining our economy in the process. And Dowd happened to be a critic of the invasion and of then-President Bush.

Alas, such is today’s wisdom from the s0-called liberal media. With friends like that, who needs Faux.