U.S. Muslims Try to Counter Suspicion and Attacks With Video Message
David Gibson
Religion Reporter
Posted:
08/30/10
A video designer and his friends in northern Virginia on Monday launched an affecting public service announcement featuring a montage of American Muslims, including children and senior citizens, a doctor and a cop, a Phillies fan and faces of different races, all aimed at countering the wave of suspicion and Islam-bashing stemming from the mosque proposed near Ground Zero.
The new effort, called "My Faith My Voice," resulted from a brainstorming session by a group of young Muslim professionals in the DC area who were upset at the rising tide of Islamophobia in the country. The video was produced by David Hawa, a 37-year-old Muslim who was born in Washington and raised in Virginia "as just another kid who happened to speak two languages."
Hawa and his friends came up with the idea on Tuesday, Aug. 24, filmed some three dozen people out of 100 who showed up for a casting call on Friday, and now the video appears to be going viral, drawing more than 100,000 hits to the site by Tuesday. The video has been featured on leading networks and Hawa continues to get media requests.
The PSA comes as authorities in various states are investigating a number of possible bias and hate-crime incidents directed at Muslim targets. On Sunday, the FBI announced it was joining the investigation of a fire at the future site of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn., that has been a catalyst for protests.
The new effort, called "My Faith My Voice," resulted from a brainstorming session by a group of young Muslim professionals in the DC area who were upset at the rising tide of Islamophobia in the country. The video was produced by David Hawa, a 37-year-old Muslim who was born in Washington and raised in Virginia "as just another kid who happened to speak two languages."
Hawa and his friends came up with the idea on Tuesday, Aug. 24, filmed some three dozen people out of 100 who showed up for a casting call on Friday, and now the video appears to be going viral, drawing more than 100,000 hits to the site by Tuesday. The video has been featured on leading networks and Hawa continues to get media requests.
The PSA comes as authorities in various states are investigating a number of possible bias and hate-crime incidents directed at Muslim targets. On Sunday, the FBI announced it was joining the investigation of a fire at the future site of a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tenn., that has been a catalyst for protests.
A brick was thrown through the window of a California mosque last week and a few days earlier signs were left at the mosque that read, "No temple for the god of terrorism at Ground Zero." Earlier this month, a plastic pig inscribed with messages such as "Remember 9-11" and "MO HAM MED the Pig" was stuffed into the mailbox of another Islamic center in California. (Like Jews, Muslims have a prohibition on eating pork.)
The public service video was initially posted Monday on YouTube and hopes to reverse the dynamic of bias.
"In recent weeks, a lot of people have been telling you what to think about Muslims," the nearly three dozen speakers say in the minute-long video. "They say you should fear me, suspect me, hate me. But the truth is, I don't want to impose my faith on you. I don't want to take over this country. And I don't support terrorism in any form."
And in a patriotic flourish worthy of Glenn Beck's rally on the Mall on Sunday, the Muslim speakers add:
"Islam teaches me to respect all people, improve society, stand up for justice for all. I am here and have been here for generations wanting the same thing you do: the chance to pursue life, liberty, peace and happiness."
It concludes: "I am an American. I am a Muslim. This is my faith. This is my voice."
Hawa says the video is explicitly not attached to any Islamic group or other advocacy organization because "then there would be an agenda."
Neither Hawa nor the speakers in the video take any position on the controversial Islamic center, Park51, proposed for Lower Manhattan near Ground Zero.
"We thought this would be a nice opportunity to give Muslims a soapbox," Hawa said. "It seems that in the Park51 controversy, a lot of people are speaking on our behalf, but Muslims themselves haven't been heard."
The public service video was initially posted Monday on YouTube and hopes to reverse the dynamic of bias.
"In recent weeks, a lot of people have been telling you what to think about Muslims," the nearly three dozen speakers say in the minute-long video. "They say you should fear me, suspect me, hate me. But the truth is, I don't want to impose my faith on you. I don't want to take over this country. And I don't support terrorism in any form."
And in a patriotic flourish worthy of Glenn Beck's rally on the Mall on Sunday, the Muslim speakers add:
"Islam teaches me to respect all people, improve society, stand up for justice for all. I am here and have been here for generations wanting the same thing you do: the chance to pursue life, liberty, peace and happiness."
It concludes: "I am an American. I am a Muslim. This is my faith. This is my voice."
Hawa says the video is explicitly not attached to any Islamic group or other advocacy organization because "then there would be an agenda."
Neither Hawa nor the speakers in the video take any position on the controversial Islamic center, Park51, proposed for Lower Manhattan near Ground Zero.
"We thought this would be a nice opportunity to give Muslims a soapbox," Hawa said. "It seems that in the Park51 controversy, a lot of people are speaking on our behalf, but Muslims themselves haven't been heard."