In a message dated 5/5/2001 12:19:49 PM Central Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
<< From: [log in to unmask]
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
CAIR GOOD NEWS ALERT #293
HEADLINES:
* PBS TO EDIT IMAGE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD IN DOCUMENTARY ON ISLAM AIRING MAY 8
* MUSLIMS GAIN RIGHTS IN SCHOOL AND THE WORKPLACE
* BOOKS SEEK HARMONY BUT BREED ILL WILL (Chicago Tribune)
-----
PBS TO EDIT IMAGE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD IN DOCUMENTARY ON ISLAM AIRING MAY 8
"Islam: Empire of Faith" may help dispel stereotypes and misunderstanding
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 5/3/2001) PBS has asked the producer of the upcoming
series "Islam: Empire of Faith" to edit an image of the Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) in deference to Muslim sensitivities about representations of
religious
figures. The three-part series, to be aired on May 8, had included an image
of
Muhammad helping to place the Black Stone into the Kaaba in Mecca.
"We thank PBS for its positive response to Muslim sensitivities on this
issue
and appreciate the network's efforts to offer a balanced and accurate
portrayal of Islamic history," said CAIR Board Chairman Omar Ahmad. Ahmad
added that he hopes the series will dispel stereotypes of Islam and show
that
Muslims have a rich cultural and religious heritage. PBS also offers an
interactive web site designed to provide educational materials based on the
series.
SEE: http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/
Call 1-877-PBS-SHOP to order the video for use in schools or at home.
PBS's decision to edit the image came after a screening of the series by
Muslim scholars, community leaders and activists held April 11 at CAIR's
Washington, D.C., office.*
Following the screening, CAIR sent a letter to series producer Robert
Gardner
expressing concerns about the representation of the Prophet. In that letter,
CAIR wrote in part: "CAIR...would like to see your program succeed in
offering
a positive image of Islam and Muslims. The inclusion of this image would
only
serve as an unnecessary obstacle to that goal." Gardner passed on CAIR
concerns to PBS, which then instructed Gardner to alter the image.
In a letter to CAIR, Gardner explained his motivation for producing "Islam:
Empire of Faith." Gardner wrote: "...it [the series] reveals what to most
Americans is a hidden history, a history veiled by...suspicion, fear and
misunderstanding...This history reveals how extraordinarily important
Islamic
civilization has been to the development of Western culture - in science and
medicine, art and philosophy, learning and trade."
The first one-hour episode of the series deals with the life of the prophet
Muhammad, the second examines the growth of Islam as a world civilization
and
the third episode looks at the impact of the Mongol invasion and the rise of
the Ottoman dynasty.
*The screening was co-sponsored by CAIR, Muslim American Society, American
Muslim Council and Muslim Public Affairs Council. Groups invited to or
participating in the screening included, American Open University, Islamic
Foundation of America, Islamic Broadcasting Network, Manassas Mosque, Dar Al-
Hijrah Islamic Center, IFTA Office of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia, MAPS,
North
American Council for Muslim Women, and the Institute of Islamic and Arabic
Sciences in America.
ACTION REQUESTED:
To find your local PBS station, go to:
http://www.pbs.org/stationfinder/index.html
Check the station's schedule, watch the program and then offer feedback.
-----
MUSLIMS GAIN RIGHTS IN SCHOOL AND THE WORKPLACE
CAIR's Civil Rights Department continues to assist Muslims who wish to gain
their right to religious accommodation in the workplace or to be free of
harassment in schools.
FLORIDA - A Muslim doctor has been offered a job after initially being
denied
a position because he wished to wear what he considered to be a religiously-
mandatory beard.
NEW YORK - A high school teacher has apologized to a Muslim student for
asking
whether he was involved with the bombing of the USS Cole.
VIRGINIA - A Muslim limousine driver was allowed to wear a beard after being
told he would lose his job if he did not shave.
-----
BOOKS SEEK HARMONY BUT BREED ILL WILL
By Julia Lieblich, The Chicago Tribune, 5/3/2001
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/
Scroll down, or search using the term "Lieblich."
A pair of books that the American Jewish Committee is publishing Thursday to
"enhance mutual understanding" between Muslims and Jews already is
generating
more conflict than compassion.
Even before reading "Children of Abraham"--one volume to teach Muslims about
Judaism and one to teach Jews about Islam--the Council on American-Islamic
Relations has asked the AJC to delay release of the book on Islam until
"Muslim concerns...can be addressed..."
...When asked by the Tribune to examine the contents of the books, several
experts on Islam and veterans of interfaith dialogue concluded that some of
those fears may be justified...
- PLEASE COPY, POST AND DISTRIBUTE -
-----
CAIR Action Alert
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C., 20003
Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-488-0833
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
URL: http://www.cair-net.org >>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
