American Muslims using Web videos to combat negative stereotypes

By {/%BYLINE%} {%AUTHOR%}Michael Sebastian{/%AUTHOR%} {%TITLE%}American Muslims using Web videos to combat negative stereotypes{/%TITLE%} {%ALTERNATIVEURL%}{/%ALTERNATIVEURL%} {%IMAGE%}/Resource.ashx?sn=Myfaithmyvoicegrab{/%IMAGE%} {%ROLE%}87d65c27-6e78-4e5c-b423-78d47d4f2768{/%ROLE%} {%KICKER%}Social Media{/%KICKER%} {%CATEGORIESID%}055d8a23-ee23-4f9c-a2f4-df030843f312{/%CATEGORIESID%} {%CAPTION%}Ah, the power of video. Check out this 30-second message from a young Muslim in America. Adorable. The video is a grassroots response to congressional hearings on homegrown Islamic terrorists—hearings that some have compared to McCarthyism.{/%CAPTION%} {%BODYCOPY%}You’ll see a number of headlines about the congressional hearings getting underway on Capitol Hill today to examine homegrown Islamic terrorists. Peter King, a Republican representative from Long Island, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has convened the sessions. Critics are calling it a throwback to McCarthyism, an example of fear mongering. In response, a grassroots effort has begun online in which American Muslims talk directly to America through a series of 30-second video messages. The effort is called My Faith My Voice. The website says: “Rep. Peter King … claims that our mosques are breeding grounds for extremism, that Muslims aren't cooperating with law enforcement. Is this your reality? Counter his narrative with your stories: How do you serve your community? What role does your mosque play in your life?” Here’s one video from the site. {/%BODYCOPY%} {%ID%}7499{/%ID%} {%DATAID%}583f0857-6053-4bd8-be87-b227caa071e5{/%DATAID%} {%CanonicalUrl%}{/%CanonicalUrl%} {%PUBLISHDATE%}3/10/2011 2:52:34 PM{/%PUBLISHDATE%} {%LINK%}https://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/7499.aspx{/%LINK%} {%BYLINE%}
March 10, 2011