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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------