Archive for the ‘Media Critique’ Category

I found this on YouTube… check it out

If you’re not easily offended, check out his responses to the rude and obnoxious comments he’s been receiving.

DNN News just posted a new page with video advice regarding the comics, cartoons, and drawings of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) from Danish newspapers, South Park, and Facebook.

Here’s a sample video… after watching, check out DNN’s new page under the Video tab above.

Seriously… I have no idea how these Congressmen and Congresswomen can say what they say with a straight face.

Pay close attention to their language… “infiltrate”?! It’s 100% normal and expected that any advocacy group encourage it’s folks to become interns in the political process. It’s happened with every single ethnic group, religious group, and industry in the history of the US. Somehow, being Muslim makes it different.

Unfortunately, the nature of a two-party system will be for people to polarize and say, “Oh, this Rachel Maddow woman is a liberal… I am not a liberal… so I disagree with Rachel Maddow.” Which, of course, is backward logic.

We (the US) used to be a nation of thinkers… not anymore… to many people are going to watch this and become emotional one way or the other. When, in reality, watching this should spark thought… it should spark investigation and exploration of ones own thoughts and feelings and why they are the way they are.

Too many people will do no such thing… after all, there are other videos one click away… there’s email… there’s football… there’s American Idol… and Rush is trying to buy the Rams…

…there’s no time to think.

Now, hey… Most of you know that I’m no fan of the far right or the far left for that matter… (I’m like morally on the right, culturally & foreign policy on the left, and probably financially radical… so no party represents how I feel or think… but I digress)

Chicago protesters voiced concerns over bailouts and how the financial situation is being addressed. It was completely ignored by mainstream media.

Anyway, although I am no fan of the far right, that a protest of this magnitude in downtown Chicago was ignored by the media is an injustice. There were some other parts of the political spectrum in there as well (since most people were never told why bailouts are viewed as necessary… most of us oppose them)

Here’s the link: Chicago Protests

Instead of ignoring the protest, engage it… address it… answer peoples’ concerns. It’s impossible to please all of the people all of the time, but at least listen to and honestly consider their concerns. If you still think your stance is correct, well, at least you reflected on it.

Ignoring the concerns either depresses or radicalizes people. It certainly doesn’t win their trust.

Here’s the link: Chicago Protests

Let me just say this… Obama inherited a horrible situation. I wouldn’t want his job, because I’d never sleep at night (I’d probably be awake vomiting between prayers… the responsibility is immense… I hope he feels it. And I wish he would read and reflect on the inaugural address of Abu Bakr (the first khaleefah after the death of the Prophet, alayhis-salaam)… I’ll find the translation & post it in a day or two, insha’Allah.

** Footnote: BTW – Just so you don’t think I’m some whacko that will take matters into his own hands… I said “financially radical” because I think interest is included in the usury of the Old Testament and riba mentioned in Qur’an. Interest-based economies are what I take issue with.

As Iran comes into focus again, it may be time to revisit the Zionist lobby’s role in US Foreign policy. Check out this video from DemocracyNow.org…

“In the study ‘The Israel Lobby & U.S. Foreign Policy’, the authors of the paper, Professor Stephen Walt of Harvard University and John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago, charge that the United States has willingly set aside its own security and that of many of its allies in order to advance the interests of Israel. In addition the study accuses the pro-Israeli lobby, particularly AIPAC of manipulating the U.S. media, policing academia and silencing critics of Israel by labeling them as anti-Semitic.”

Here’s a transcript of the video, if you’re interested:

And here’s a video going over AIPAC’s pressure for war with Iran…

A friend of mine passed along a link that he saw highlighted (dugg) on Digg.com. Basically, someone got onto a computer, saw the links that had been clicked, and then took a screen shot. Here it is:

But which came first? The chicken or the egg? Did the media dumb us down, or is the media reflecting our dumbed-down state, or both?

Mumbai Suffers a Series of Coordinated Terrorist Attacks

May Allah Subhannahu Wa Ta’alaa protect the innocent, guide the ill-intentioned, and give knowledge to the ignorant. Ameen.

This was published on the DNN site before I moved it over to the new format…

10 locations in Mumbai were simultaneously attacked and scores were killed or injured. Of course, I was not there, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

Assumptions to Avoid

Let’s not rush to judgment… Watching shocking news is more of an emotional experience than an intellectual one. So be careful.

Let’s not forget when a top Indian Army officer was arrested over bomb attack that was blamed on outsiders.

This clip ends abruptly, in mid-thought, when the victim is describing interactions with one of the gunmen. If he was actually interacting with the gunmen, why not hear all of what he has to say? (Does anyone have the full clip? If so, send me the link.)

The pause in his voice as he says, “Islamic… terrorist… I suppose,” can have pretty powerful emotional effects on watchers of the clip. Although, his full sentence was, “He did not look like your typical Islamic terrorist, I suppose.”

And who is this lady (below)? And why is she an expert? It is CNN’s Kelli Arena, but what gives her the qualifications to make all of these speculations?

Some Things That Don’t Make Sense

• Whose cause does this help?
• Is it really possible for a small group of extremists to pull off such a well-orchestrated series of attacks in the financial capital of one of the world’s up-and-coming countries? Or would you need the resources of, say, a foreign nation or an intelligence agency?
• One of the targets was a hospital for women and children. Islam has pretty clear laws regarding war. And women and children are clearly and absolutely off limits. Even livestock and fruit-bearing trees are off limits, so there’s no way that anyone could religiously justify an attack on a hospital for women and children. No way. Personally, I don’t think this was orchestrated by Muslims. Period. (Maybe some ignorant Muslims were duped into carrying it out, but I don’t think they orchestrated it.)
• Were the attackers staying at the Nariman House? If so, who is really behind this?
• Why is it that some of the Indian police were not firing back?

Always Ask: Who Benefits?

It is always ultra-important to step back and ask yourself, “Who benefits?” There will be reports of “Islamic terrorists” and “Muslim extremists” who “hate our freedoms”, who “want to spread violence and bloodshed”, who “hate the West”, who “blah, blah, blah”… C’mon. Do you really think there are people out there that want to just spread destruction on the earth… that just want gore and violence?! I don’t buy it.

But, let’s just say that it’s possible… maybe there are people like that. Well, then, how do they benefit? Is it just spreading chaos? Is that their goal?

Is that where you are going to stop your analysis? Let’s look past the obvious…

• Does the fact that some of the nations of the world object to the US bombings on Pakistani soil have anything to do with it? Does this help justify those attacks?
• Are there any parties or countries or movements that benefit from a portrayal of Islam as evil?
• Does this distract from any other world events?… The passing of important legislation? The recent re-invasion of Gaza? The decline of world economies?
• Are there any nations (outside of the obvious) that would like to slow India’s rise to economic power?
• Does the fact that India announced a partnership with Iran two days earlier have any connection? Who could be upset about that?
• Does anyone remember when a top Indian Army officer was arrested over a bomb attack that was blamed on outsiders?

Look. I don’t understand it. I don’t have the answers. But, I also don’t accept the official version at face value. The news has been wrong before.

May Allah Subhannahu Wa Ta’alaa protect the innocent, guide the ill-intentioned, and give knowledge to the ignorant. Ameen.