Feedback needed please?

[justinsb]

Presbyterianroup and I (see signature) are preparing a campaign directed toward the media to try to reduce inflammatory language. This is the first draft of my sample letter. Any thoughts, feedback, opinions or suggestions would be deeply appreciated.

To Whom It May Concern: (use name where appropriate)

I am writing today in the hope of gaining your assistance in easing the level of tension between Muslims and ‘the West’. People with whom I have been conversing (some of whom you may hear from) and I are of the belief that media coverage of ‘the War on Terror’ and terrorist acts are inadvertently, partially to blame for the current tension.

Many in the west live in communities that do not have a large Muslim community. As a result they hear little to nothing about Muslims or Islam apart from what they see on the news, and for obvious reasons the War on Terror has dominated news coverage. I believe that continually linking the terms Muslim, Islam, and Arabic with words like terror, extremist, and fundamentalist leads, somewhat subconsciously to an ingrained belief that all Muslims, and Arabs are terrorists and extremists and leads to further distrust, misunderstanding and in some cases even violence (see link below for examples.)

http://www.amperspective.com/html/anti-muslim_hate.html

This, in turn, will inevitably lead to further distrust by Muslims of non-Muslims. As such I am asking that you change your personal writing style, and that your organization change their editorial policy to reduce this problem.

I know, having had this conversation with people, that you may believe that because the members of groups like Al Queda are Muslim that it makes it accurate to label them “Islamic Terrorists” or “Islamic Fundamentalists. However, if you ask most Muslims whether Al Queda represents them most would likely say no.

http://www.islamfortoday.com/60minutes.htm

Further, there is a bit of a double standard here as I don’t recall ever hearing the IRA referred to as Catholic Terrorists, or the KKK as Christian Extremists, although according to the logic used in relation to the ‘War on Terror’ both would be appropriate terms. In fact, if there were a religious designation used in each and every crime; “Babtist robs convenience store”, “Mormon kills 2 in Utah”, “Presbyterian kills woman in drunk driving accident”, I don’t think you’ll deny that religious intolerance would hit new heights. Al Queda are certainly criminal in their actions, label them criminal but do not do them the favor of giving them a religion to hide behind at the expense of innocent members of that faith.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,
Justin Beach

[snot]

1. Excellent letter, excellent points. nt

[justinsb]

2. Thanks!

[Joy Anne]

3. just odds and ends

Like "Baptist" and "actions; label" and the like. A very well done letter that I agree with.

Maybe giving them alternative phrases to use would be helpful.

[justinsb]

4. Thanks for the reply

it is much apprciated. Someone else pointed out a problem with the alternative phrases too..I guess I thought it was self explanatory but you're right, it needs to be in there.