Developments After 9/11 Muslims in America Muslims in the American Army American Government Officials and Politicians are Intrested in Islam Islam in the American Media The Qur'an Has Become the Best Selling Book in America The Rise Of Islam Will Continue

Today, the media is one of the most influential factors in forming public opinion, for it instills in people either a sympathy for or an aversion to a particular issue and gets them to accept or oppose it. How the media has influenced the American people's view of Islam is a case in point.

Islam and the American Army
(Above) Norfolk Naval Base is the first base to open a prayer center for Muslim soldiers. A Virginian Pilot report tells about this center.(Middle) The first Muslim chaplain in the American Navy, Mangi Noel, receives the requisite certification before assuming his duties.	Above, The call to prayer in the camp, (Middle) US soldiers at prayer, Lieutenant Abdullah Al-Mubarak is seen giving an address at the second iftar meal held at the Pentagon.

Until recently, Islam generally had a bad press in certain sectors of the American media, which tried to convince people that Islam was an Arab religion and that negative stereotypes of Arabs were generally true. But this false information and prejudiced view had exactly the opposite effect: Contrary to the expected alienation of public opinion from Islam, it became the fastest growing religion in America. These reports brought In this way, many who knew nothing about Islam were informed and began to take an interest in it. This is also a realization of the Qur'anic verse: "It may be that you hate something when it is good for you, and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. God knows and you do not know" (Qur'an, 2: 216)

First of all, media reports that provided false information about Islam were prevented, and the public was able to obtain accurate information. Earlier, we mentioned that the American administration, during the time of Secretary of State Albright, used methods of mass communication to educate the people about Islam in order to remove the social tension that could result from spreading false information about Islam. The media also focused upon Muslims because of the rapid growth of the Muslim population. Under the influence of these two factors, during the 1990s Islam and Muslims became one of the most important topics in the American media.

(Above) The US issued a postage stamp commemorating Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, The U.S. postage stamp highlighting Muslim holidays has been in use since September 2001. The Eid stamp features the Arabic phrase "Eid Mubarak" written in the tuluth calligraphic style .(Below) A view of American Muslim leaders with a special stamp being printed by the U.S. postal service.

Nearly all of these reports highlighted accurately the way Muslims think and what they believe, and informed non-Muslims about Islam. They explained the daily lives and worldviews of Muslims, and gave prominence to the views of recent converts. At the same time, these reports often contained special sections on Islamic history, the fundamentals of Islam, and the Qur'an. Internet pages belonging to radio and television stations also presented the addresses of Islamic sites so that people could obtain information more easily.

This process of information accelerated as a result of the public interest after 9/11. Nearly all major newspapers began to ask whether or not terrorism was inherent to Islam and to offer comprehensive reports containing the views of academics, clergy, historians, and social scientists. As a result, the American people once again saw that Islam is a peaceful religion, and learned that their religious beliefs had many things in common with those of the Muslims.

This situation certainly played an important role in the growing interest in Islam. During this time, many people who were largely ignorant of Islam and did not have easy access to accurate information could now educate themselves with relative ease.