Thursday, September 2, 2010

American Muslims Launch PSA To Counter Anti-Islam Sentiment




A new public service announcement by a Muslim-American group promoting tolerance features a doctor, a police officer, a little girl, someone who is deaf, and a Phillies fan.

They're all Muslims. And they emphasize they're all Americans.

"I don't want to take over this country," the people say in the ad. "I don't support terrorism of any form."

The group behind the ad, My Faith My Voice, says the PSA is part of a grassroots effort by American Muslims from across the country to present their voice on issues affecting Muslims and Islam in America.

I haven't seen it broadcast in North Carolina yet, but I'd be interested to know if someone else has seen it played in the Carolinas.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

THE ONLY ONE I KNOW THAT BELEIVES SUCH BULLCRAP IS THE "CULTURAL MUSLIM" IN THE WHITE HOUSE! THEY WANT TO BUILD THAT "MONUMENT TO TERRORISM" AT GROUND ZERO! NO REAL AMERICAN CARES WHAT ANY MUSLIM HAS TO SAY! I HOPE THAT TINHORN IMAN RAUF CHOKES ON HIS CAMEL SOUP!YO HELL WITH THE QURAN AND SHARIA LAW!

Anonymous said...

uh Id be interested to see what lib writer for the disturber just put it on the CO for broadcasting???

Mr. Satan said...

I see racism is alive and well in the South. You make me so proud!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting this. USA is built on religious freedom and tolerance, let's not forget that.

Anonymous said...

At Anonymous 6:38 - Meds might provide you with some measure of relief...

Anonymous said...

Before September 11, 2001, the worst terrorist attack on American soil was by a white, average American.

Anonymous 6:38; the mosque isn't at Ground Zero - it's pretty far away. I was just there a month ago, and there is a mosque closer. You are probably a redneck who hates New Yorkers anyway, so what difference is it to you? Did you know there is an interfaith chapel at the site of the attack on the Pentagon?

Anonymous said...

This article is worth a read on how ignorant comments like the anonymous at 1838 hurts our war against extremists.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/opinion/22rich.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=how%20fox%20betrayed%20petraeus&st=cse

THE “ground zero mosque,” as you may well know by now, is not at ground zero. It’s not a mosque but an Islamic cultural center containing a prayer room. It’s not going to determine President Obama’s political future or the elections of 2010 or 2012. Still, the battle that has broken out over this project in Lower Manhattan — on the “hallowed ground” of a shuttered Burlington Coat Factory store one block from the New York Dolls Gentlemen’s Club — will prove eventful all the same. And the consequences will

wiley coyote said...

If they build the mosque, then they build it. If all laws and statutes are followed then they have a right to do so.

My issue is that after 9/11 and until recently, American Muslims have remained mostly silent. They have not spoken out against radical elements within their ranks.

Now that many fellow Americans are taking issue with Islam and oppose the building of mosques, all of a sudden they grow a conscious when it is THEY who are under attack.

Anonymous said...

@Wiley- if you paid attention, you would have seen that muslim americans have been condemning 9/11 since the day it happened. what exactly did you want them to do, get an infomercial during prime time and denounce the radical elements? do a google search and you'll see it's been condemned over and over. there's a billion muslims in this worlds, why should they be responsible for the actions of a few thousand?

Anonymous said...

for the post that said muslims have not condemned 9/11, just because they don't show it on Fox News doesn't mean it didn't happen:

http://www.muhajabah.com/otherscondemn.php

Anonymous said...

I am a Christian living in Abu Dhabi, but my hometown is Charlotte, NC. Although my current home is an Islamic country, I attend a Christian church and I don't have to be afraid (granted, not all Muslim countries are like this). While I am sure that we have the Muslim version of the southern redneck over here, I have never experienced the deep-rooted fear & intolerance of Christians that would parallel the reaction of some Americans to the Islamic center in NY. I am in this place to show the Muslim and other non-Christian around me the love and compassion that is inherent in a person who follows Jesus Christ. I keep my eye on the news from home in the hopes that in spite of a controversial decision to build an Islamic center near the WTC site, Americans will show the world that they are can be tolerant of all cultures and ideologies.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to see some of these "peaceful" Muslims spend a little more time denouncing the actions of the ones who fly planes into buildings and strap bombs on their backs just to kill other people.

When they start policing their own with a little more vengeance then maybe .....

Anonymous said...

It's not just a mosque, it's a victory flag. That's why they really call it "Cordoba," not Park51. Cordoba was the seat of Muslim power in the West. It was the capital of the Spanish Caliphate from which Muslims launched an attempt to conquer Europe. Look it up.

Anonymous said...

The fact that these Americans feel the need to make this kind of plea for acceptance by their fellow citizens really grieves me.

Anonymous said...

We do not get to cherry pick the Constitution, the Bill of Rights or any other amendment. The very first amendment specifically says that we cannot stop, hinder or prevent the free practice of religion. It doesn't place any type of qualifications on the phrase, nor are there exceptions. That should be enough for any American. Too bad it's not. The rabid rants of those opposed are both misguided and shameful.

wiley coyote said...

or the post that said muslims have not condemned 9/11, just because they don't show it on Fox News doesn't mean it didn't happen:

http://www.muhajabah.com/otherscondemn.php


For your information, I do not wear blinders nor am I a sheeple.

I watch ALL news outlets, as I am a registered Independent and wouldn't be caught dead supporting either party platform.

Plucking a blurb or lin*k or two doesn't qualify as a blanket statement that Muslims have been outspoken against their own radicals.

You'll have to do much better than that.

Anonymous said...

@ Wiley..if you click on that link there's hundred links in that from muslim leaders/scholars in american condemning that attack, that was just an example of one site. what exactly do you propose? when will it be enough?

Franco Ordonez said...

Dear Anonymous 1:06 AM. Would you be willing to drop me an email. I'd be interested to hear more about your experiences as a Charlottean living in Abu Dhabi.

My email is fordonez@charlotteobserver.com.

Please write.

Thanks.
Franco

Jason said...

Mr Satan - Muslim is not a race, genius.

Wiley - Sorry, I don't follow muhajaba.com, and I have not heard much from the Islamic community.

I think every American agrees that technically they have the right to build that mosque, excuse me, whatever it's now called. And most that I know think it's completely inappropriate for them to do so.

If they are so concerned about anti-Islam sentiment, maybe they should listen to the masses on that issue.

Anonymous said...

"Would you be willing to drop me an email. I'd be interested to hear more about your experiences as a Charlottean living in Abu Dhabi."

I already know the angle of this story - how the Christian southern American is afforded so much tolerance in a Muslim country. If that writer had said he's uncomfortable expressing religion and hears anti-Christian comments regularly I don't think Franco would have any interest in writing about it.

Anonymous said...

While I appreciate the point of view of the Christian who presently lives in Abu Dhabi, I well remember the day ten years ago I was preaching at my church and there was a lady on the back pew whose eyes were aglow and was hanging on every word I said. I didn't think I had a particularly good sermon that morning myself. Shaking her hand afterwards she, still glowing, said "I just got back from spending 3 years in Saudi Arabia on business with my husband. You do not know how blessed I feel to hear the Gospel preached so powerfully and openly again. We are not allowed to worship so freely over there. Oh! I'm so glad to be back home!!
This video was a nice PR thingy, but I personally think that the Muslims need to work more at getting their own house in order. A video directed to Muslims in the most conservative Muslim countries could have helped a lot more than this one. Oh...that's right...the powers-that-be would make sure that wouldn't happen!! I bet they threw a few dollars at this video though.

Anonymous said...

Saudi Arabia and Iran are much different examples of a Muslim nation than say Egypt, UAE or turkey. Sort of like New York City vs. Gastonia. Any insular country or community, no matter where they are, needs to get in tune with the rest of the world and let people practice freely as they wish without fear, intimidation or bigotry. A Muslim terrotist is no different than a southern redneck in many ways. Most other get along just fine.

Anonymous said...

I lived in the "moderate" Muslim country of Indonesia for a year.

All I can say is that the Christians I met were mostly running scared.

They always pulled curtains shut when they had foreign visitors because they said the neighbors would make up stories about their evil activities and spread them at the mosque.

This was back in the mid 1980's.

It didn't help that a bunch of Muslims set off bombs at the ancient Buddhist shrines in Borobudur around that time as well.

Of course, every few years the local yokel Muslims run amok and start killing infidel Chinese pretty much at random.

One such massacre was in the
1960's and another in the 1990's.

My whole experience left me with a pretty bad impression of Islam in general.

Because Indonesia was supposedly a "moderate" or even "liberal" Muslim country.

Not like those other crazies in Iran for example...

jenn said...

Just saw this. Sad that no matter how much Muslims denounce terrorism, it's never "enough" for some to dissuade them from their beliefs that Islam is a dangerous religion.

I wish that this video had shown women who weren't wearing hijabs as well. When I was in Morocco, I had many friends who wore hijabs, as well as those who chose not to. Young women were open and accepting of each's personal interpretation and choice on whether to wear a headscarf, or short sleeves or full.