Disclaimer: I know that this topic is quite controversial. I am in no way, shape, or form claiming that Islam, as a religion, promotes violence.
Terrorist. Jihad. Al-Qaeda. Nasrallah.
How does reading these words make you feel? What images do these words bring to your mind?
When I hear these words I get angry. I think of all the innocent people that are being slaughtered. Somehow, it doesn't seem right. I don't understand how anyone could truly believe that killing innocent civilians is not just okay, but praiseworthy. I guess this is because I was raised in a country that values freedom and respect, the USA. What would I believe if I grew up in Syria or Iran? Would I still have the same value for human life? How much do the media in these countries affect its citizens? Do the messages on TV, in schoolbooks, and in popular music incite violence and acts of terror?
Memri (the Middle East Media Research Instiute) and PMW (Palestinian Media Watch) are two organizations that examine and monitor the use of media in the Middle East. Memri, founded in Washington DC, was created to “bridge the language gap between the Middle East and the West by monitoring, translating, and studying Arab, Iranian and Turkish media, schoolbooks, and religious sermons.” PMW's main focus is similar, as it examines "the messages that the Palestinian leaders, from the Palestinian Authority, Fatah and Hamas, send to the population through the broad range of institutions and infrastructures they control."
After spending some time looking through the thousands of video clips and articles that are cited on both websites, it pains me to know that such violence-provoking material is reaching millions of viewers. Some may even argue that these people are being brainwashed by the hate-infused sermons and TV shows that air on public television. What bothers me most, however, is to see how all of this is affecting innocent children. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears when I saw footage of a 5 yr old girl (if even that old) reciting a poem about the greatness of being a “martyr” and destroying the Jews. A five-yr-old! These children are being indoctrinated! Here I am, worrying about what my daughter might be seeing on Sesame Street or Tom and Jerry, while in the middle East, preschoolers are actually being TAUGHT to hate and to kill not only others, but themselves too! It seriously just blows my mind.
See for yourself. Here are a few examples of recent media that has been aired in the Middle East:
Children Show on Hamas TV:
#3303 - Sheik Bassam Al-Kayed, Head of the Palestinian Islamic Scholars Association in Lebanon: The Jew Is a Satan in Human Form, Who Violates All International Laws, All Human Norms, and All Values
Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas/Gaza) - February 1, 2012 - 01:42
Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas/Gaza) - February 1, 2012 - 01:42
Music Video: Sheikh Terra feat. Soul Salah Crew - Dirty Kuffar
#3107 - Recently Deceased Saudi Prince Muhammad Abdallah Al-Faysal Blames Saudi Curricula for Giving Rise to Terrorists
Al-Arabiya TV (Dubai/Saudi Arabia) - August 25, 2011 - 01:30
Al-Arabiya TV (Dubai/Saudi Arabia) - August 25, 2011 - 01:30
The media in the Middle East clearly plays a huge role in the creation and provocation of jihadists and terrorists. Children are being taught to hate from their favorite cartoons! Radical Islam is portrayed way way too abundantly in Middle Eastern media and is glorified. No wonder little kids are exclaiming that they want to blow themselves up! I also think that the media brainwashes not only the children, but also the adults. Imagine day after day of watching sermons given by “clerics” who blatantly condone the extermination of Jews and the destruction of America and all Western culture.
I think its very interesting that the guy in the last video is openly admitting that , "hey, we are really teaching them to be terrorists in school".
ReplyDeleteYeah, according to the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (C.S.S), many school textbooks include falsehoods and teach kids to hate and resort to violence. For example:
Delete“The warrior goes to war faced with one of two good options: victory or a martyr’s death for the sake of Allah…”
(Taken from: Our Beautiful Language, Vol. 1, fifth-grade textbook, p. 70.)
I found it interesting that they used the mickey profile to lure children to watch the media, and then once the children were hooked in, the whole entire show was how to kill on a child's level. How disheartening...at such a young age.
ReplyDelete