I wanted to blog about yesterday's New York Times' article on Al Qaeda releasing a video acknowledging America’s President-elect Barack Obama . Never have I been so infuriated by a topic in which a newspaper has covered. Yet, I wasn’t sure of the media angle to pursue. Well, I found it.
Written by Sumbul Ali-Karamal, author of The Muslim Next Door: The Qur’an, the Media and that Veil Thing, her post on Mediachannel.org questions why the media cover Al Qaeda and not other Muslim leaders.
Ali-Karamal writes, “We claim we do not negotiate with terrorists. We claim we are conducting a war on terror. And yet, at least since 9/11, we too often legitimize terrorists.”
Kudos to her! Why do the media feel it necessary to report Qaeda’s thoughts of America? In essence, should I be upset at the New York Time’s article content?
Or should I be more upset by the fact that the media relay Qaeda’s message of hating America? Is it important we know how they feel about us when we already know they hate us?
Ali-Karamal supports her post by citing examples of how the terrorist group receives more coverage than Muslim religious and political leaders. Why is that? Maybe it’s because the media report what they feel attract readers. According to the media, this subject matter is important because that’s what they are reporting. I admit, I was drawn to the article and read it to the end. Had the media not reported it, I would have never known how Qaeda felt about the President-elect.
The Times’ reporters write, “The video by Mr. Zawahri, an Egyptian doctor who has long been Al Qaeda’s second-ranking operative, contains no specific warning of an attack against the United States. But he tells his followers that America ‘continues to be the same as ever, so we must continue to harm it, in order for it to come to its senses.’”
If anything, this article moves me to support the war until Qaeda can no longer exist. I’m not upset they reported this, but I do see the validity in Ali-Karamal’s post. America can do everything to ward off the zealous hatred, but it will never happen. President-elect Obama wants a timeline for America to leave Iraq. Sadly, I predict more coverage will be given to Qaeda and their happiness in us leaving.
Written by Sumbul Ali-Karamal, author of The Muslim Next Door: The Qur’an, the Media and that Veil Thing, her post on Mediachannel.org questions why the media cover Al Qaeda and not other Muslim leaders.
Ali-Karamal writes, “We claim we do not negotiate with terrorists. We claim we are conducting a war on terror. And yet, at least since 9/11, we too often legitimize terrorists.”
Kudos to her! Why do the media feel it necessary to report Qaeda’s thoughts of America? In essence, should I be upset at the New York Time’s article content?
Or should I be more upset by the fact that the media relay Qaeda’s message of hating America? Is it important we know how they feel about us when we already know they hate us?
Ali-Karamal supports her post by citing examples of how the terrorist group receives more coverage than Muslim religious and political leaders. Why is that? Maybe it’s because the media report what they feel attract readers. According to the media, this subject matter is important because that’s what they are reporting. I admit, I was drawn to the article and read it to the end. Had the media not reported it, I would have never known how Qaeda felt about the President-elect.
The Times’ reporters write, “The video by Mr. Zawahri, an Egyptian doctor who has long been Al Qaeda’s second-ranking operative, contains no specific warning of an attack against the United States. But he tells his followers that America ‘continues to be the same as ever, so we must continue to harm it, in order for it to come to its senses.’”
If anything, this article moves me to support the war until Qaeda can no longer exist. I’m not upset they reported this, but I do see the validity in Ali-Karamal’s post. America can do everything to ward off the zealous hatred, but it will never happen. President-elect Obama wants a timeline for America to leave Iraq. Sadly, I predict more coverage will be given to Qaeda and their happiness in us leaving.
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