Image of Islam and Western Media: An over view of studies about portrayal of Islam and Islamic world (1971-2001)

• Main Authors: Shahzad Ali, Ph.D, Muhammad Idrees Lodhi, Ph.D
• Format: Article
• Language: Arabic
• Published: SZIC University of Peshawar 2009-12-01
• Series: الإيضاح
• Subjects: image; western media; portrayal; islam; muslim world and american mainstream media.
• Online Access: http://al-idah.szic.pk/index.php/al-idah/article/view/444
• ISSN: 2075-0307; 2664-3375

This article presents an over view of studies conducted by the various scholars about portrayal of Islam and Islamic world during the time period (1971-2001). It is claimed that mainstream media of west and US have been disseminating false information about Islamic world since the several decades. Due to the distorted images, developed and manipulated by the media, Islam is the name of negativity in the west. It is generally believed that western and United States mainstream media often misrepresents and inaccurately interprets/portrays Islam, Islamic world and its manifestation. After conducting in depth analysis of various studies regarding portrayal of Islamic world prior the incident of 9/11, it was found that elite media in the United States including the newspapers: Like New York Times and Washington post; the magazines: like Time and News Week, electronic media including: like ABC, CBS, NBS&CNN have been highlighting Islamic world in negative and unfavorable manner. It is said this anti Islamic campaign has reached to enormous proportion with the demise of communism. The findings of several studies indicate that analyst, in Islamic world believe that negative image of Islamic country is primarily a conspiracy of American foreign office to invent a new bogy and enemy to fill vacuum created by the collapse of soviet Union and world wide desperation of communism, particularly demise of communism in former USSR.