I believe that Americans as a whole have two main misconceptions about Islam: 1.) A lack of applicability of the Islamic cultures. 2.) A deluge of information from the media that paints Muslim individuals as stereotypical extremists.
This lack of applicability, in essence, means that while it is very helpful for people in Islamic cultures to understand European and American culture, religion, politics, and so on, this same information isn't nearly as helpful to an American individual. America proliferates many different aspects of the world, so knowing this culture is helpful.
For the media aspect, I believe that the media only shows what will make money, and sadly this drives every decision that is made. Stories that confirm stereotypical biases sell more stories than non-stereotypical. I also see that there is a perceived type of exoticism from the American perspective towards Islam, and this means that the media is far more likely to sensationalize issues that occur.
I believe that Americans as a whole have two main misconceptions about Islam:
ReplyDelete1.) A lack of applicability of the Islamic cultures.
2.) A deluge of information from the media that paints Muslim individuals as stereotypical extremists.
This lack of applicability, in essence, means that while it is very helpful for people in Islamic cultures to understand European and American culture, religion, politics, and so on, this same information isn't nearly as helpful to an American individual. America proliferates many different aspects of the world, so knowing this culture is helpful.
For the media aspect, I believe that the media only shows what will make money, and sadly this drives every decision that is made. Stories that confirm stereotypical biases sell more stories than non-stereotypical. I also see that there is a perceived type of exoticism from the American perspective towards Islam, and this means that the media is far more likely to sensationalize issues that occur.