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Bahrain Tribune - December 14, 2004 Urgent need to rehabilitate image of Islam in America ISLAM is perhaps the most misunderstood religion in the US and deliberate attempts on the part of media and writers to create hatred against Islam has worsened the situation, Dr James J. Zogby, President of Arab American Institute, has said. Zogby warned that there was an immediate need to rehabilitate the image of Islam by presenting a true picture of Islam to Americans to cool down the temperatures on both sides. "There is a big challenge before Arabs i.e. to change the perceptions of Americans at every cost. This is key to the persistent problem between Arabs and Americans," he said. "You can imagine if one side is playing football and other is just sitting and watching. Who will win? This road is not leading us anywhere except more confusion," he said. Zogby expressed these views during a round table at the 11th World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) in Bahrain, entitled International Media Perceptions of the Islamic Banking and Finance Industry. Dr Zogby said that authors of three best sellers in the US had presented wrong pictures in their books. "You can imagine someone is writing on Islam who never been to these areas or have no idea about the Arabs. The topic Islam has become one of the favorite topics for so-called writers especially in the post 9/11 scenario," he said. "The anti-Arab feelings of some vested interest groups has helped create a greater wedge between the believers of two different beliefs. We need to educate the American people as most of them are not even aware about the basic teachings of Islam," he said. The round table chairman Khalid Abdullah Janahi, Group Chief Executive Dar Al Maal Islami and Chairman of the First Leasing Bank Bahrain, said that it was unfortunate that Mohammed Atta, the alleged hijacker of one of the planes which had crashed into World Trade Centre on 9/11, had been portrayed as an Arab terrorist but not a single newspaper or media entity ever mentioned about the US banks from where he withdrew money prior to the 9/11," he said. The 11th World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC), concluded on Dec. 13. The theme of this year's conference was "Improving Performance and Ensuring Sustainable Growth in an Increasingly Competitive Global Market." Over 600 delegates from 27 countries took part in WIBC and exhibition. |