My Thoughts on Islam, Media, and the West

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I am really upset by the facts of the Rabbi and his wife's murders in Mumbai.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article5274030.ece

And I know I am biased because I am Jewish and because this is the story we are exposed to in the United States. I am sure that the Middle East reports it differently but the fact is, I read this story and a few others stories of similar content. Media in the United States is this way. But the fact is, an innocent rabbi and his wife were murdered and she was five months pregnant. It makes me want to cry. How can people just murder innocent people without any qualms or misgivings? Apparently their nanny saved the other child by taking hold of him and running out the door after ten hours of siege. The child has a genetic disease called Tay-Sachs, which is terminal. It kills me that the child will die alone, without his mother and father. It is a heart-breaking and tragic story. And why did it happen? Because of terrorists. Because people want to change the current situation in India and Pakistan so they take the lives of innocence.

We talked about Hezbollah in class yesterday and it was very interesting to me. A couple of thoughts ran through my mind during the discussion. I thought about all the good things that Hezbollah does for its own people, all the schools, hospitals, benefits, cleaning, etc. But then I think back to the music videos, which were not music videos but military propaganda pieces and I wondered what exactly they are teaching in these schools. Maybe that is irrational to think but nationalism and propaganda remind me of the Nazis. The Nazis took care of their own and simultaneously destroyed many other people: Jews, gypsies, gays, disabled, etc. So does that make them good? I am not being entirely serious when I say nationalism and Nazism are related. But my grandma survived the Holocaust and she lost her father at Buchanwald. And any group that has similarities to the Nazis terrifies me, especially when their video games are anti-Israel. I think that nationalism can be a good thing. But there is certainly violence involved in Hezbollah’s plans and there must be SOME reason that six countries consider it a terrorist organization. It can’t just be that Hezbollah does positive things and the United States automatically misunderstands the organization. They support suicide bombers and the families of those that died in any sort of martyr attacks. I am just throwing it out there that maybe Hezbollah treats its own people right in Lebanon, but elsewhere maybe it does in fact do harm and should be considered a threat.

The blogs this semester contained a general consensus. Everyone seemed to have learned a lot over the course and transformed their views of the Arab world while simultaneously expressing their deep confusion and inner turmoil. Many people commented on current events that occured throughout the semester, including the tragedy in Mumbai and the threat against New York City. Some people were bothered by the fact that the Mumbai attacks were automatically assumed to be “terrorist.” That type of comment bothers me. Of course they were terrorist. Anyone can be a terrorist if they plan an attack of violence against a group of people and invoke terror. For example, the kids of Columbine were terrorists: they planned out attacks on theirs school and followed through, killing many students. How can people who invade hotels and a Jewish community center, killing and taking hostages, not be considered terrorist? The idea is ridiculous to me. What I do agree with is that America was wrong in suggesting Al-Queda was behind the attacks. But, that was just the media trying to stir up the controversy in the story.

Some other classmates commented on Sami Yusef and how he is an extremely unique musician. They also explain how someone like Sami would not work in the United States. I disagree. The United States already has artists similar to Sami, singing about religion and peace. For example, Nickelback is a huge band and they are a Christian Rock group. Also Matisyahu is a huge sensation. He is an Orthodox Jewish singer who is able to combine reggae and Hebrew, preaching about peace and the Bible. His music was all over MTV and I do not know of anyone who doesn’t know about Matisyahu. His music also transcends generations: my grandparents, aunt and uncle all enjoy Matisyahu’s music. So, while Sami Yusef is unique in the sense of his extreme popularity, I feel like someone similar could become popular in the United States if his or her music is really good.

In addition, I noticed that a lot of classmates commented on Dubai after our guest speaker. Many people expressed diverse sentiments regarding the growing phenomenon. Most of my peers decided that they would like to visit Dubai and see the glitz and glamour with their own eyes. My interest was also sparked following the guest speaker. I enjoyed his pictures and the way he described the layout of the area. Some questioned whether the quick expansion of Dubai was positive or negative in the Middle East. While those opinions were very difference, the overall consensus was a deep fascination with Dubai.

Ultimately, many people admitted their feelings of embarrassment about how little they truly knew about the Arab media. I happen to be one of them. I didn’t know anything about media in the Middle East, yet I have to say that I don’t know about the media in Asia, South America, Africa and Australia. I know a little bit about Europe through reality TV and due to the fact that I lived in Italy for four months. But aside from that, I have to admit that most Americans don’t receive an education about foreign media. Which is why I am glad that I was able to take this class and truly gain an understanding (even if it was just brushing the surface) of Arab media.