(Person) Percentage - Sabanci University Research Database

The Asian Media & Mass Communication Conference 2010 Osaka, Japan
difference religions hate each other, glare at each other and very often fight each
other. Yet correct information about each other can help reduce the animosity and
suspicions and bring the groups together into a great family of people, humankind, to
create a better world for everyone (pp. 64-5).
Dr.Mahathir then refers to the general perception of Islam as an example. He states that no
other religion is more misunderstood than Islam; misunderstood not only by non-Muslims but
by Muslims themselves. And
.
...because of this misunderstanding there is constant conflict and confrontation
between Muslims and non-Muslims and between Muslims and Muslims (p. 65).
Although not explicitly targeting on the West, Mahathir identifies stereotyping and
labelling as ‘one of the greatest weapons of the bigoted.’ He cites terrorism as an
example and explains that it involves people of every religious group, ‘Christians,
Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims and the sub groups of each.’ But whereas terrorism
by Muslims are invariably linked to the religion of Islam, terrorism by non-Muslims
are not linked to the religious beliefs of the terrorists even though they were
perpetrated in the name and in furtherance of the interest of the particular religion. He
argues that Hindus attached Muslims in the name of Hinduism but they were not call
Hindu terrorists. Aum Shinrikyo, a Buddhist sect in Japan poisoned with gas but are
not called Buddhist terrorists. The Catholics and the Protestants in Northern Ireland
terrorised each other but are not call Christian terrorists. But if misguided Muslims
attach non-Muslims or other Muslims they are labelled Muslim terrorist. Why this
discrimination against Islam by the media? (Ibid.)
We take the question to mean the Western media. By not verbalising the media as Western,
Dr. Mahathir supposes that the media has the greatest opportunity to correct the
misinformation, the wrong perception of Islam.
If the media makes use of this opportunity it can contribute so much to greater
understanding between Muslims and the followers of other religions, and so bring
about greater harmony and peace to the world (p. 66).
Dr. Mahathir admits that Muslims are also to be blamed for the bad image of Islam and
Muslim society. Muslims caused Islam to be reviled by others under the name of Islam. He
reminds us that extremism and tolerance is not advocated by Islam.
But small Muslim groups when put in authority would like to force everyone to be
pious forgetting of course that force piety is not piety at all. But despite this our
detractors cannot be free from blame. They and the media have given the Muslims
this bad image (bid.)
The Muslims are ready to correct that image, and in order to do that, ‘we need the
cooperation of the media, particularly the Western media.’ Dr. Mahathir refers to such
countries as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Chechnya. In these countries the Muslims
are oppressed. The story needs to be told. The killings in Srebrenica needs to be told.
The arrest, torture and killings need to be told. While terrorists of Muslim faith are
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