Media misrepresentation of Muslims and Islam: Who takes the blame?

What you need to know:

  • Dr Kanja even wrote an article titled, “Why I am not Charlie”, to address the imbalance. The Nation did not publish the article (although a similarly-titled opinion by another author was published).
  • Is NMG guilty of demonising Muslims and Islam? Several studies in Britain, Australia and one in Kenya have found the media in those countries guilty.
  • NMG’s acting Editorial Director Tom Mshindi describes some of the infractions as “silly mistakes” as opposed to “serious breaches” of what NMG stands for.

The increased use of the term “Islamist” or “Islamists” or “jihadists” by NMG publications to describe criminal and outlawed groups like Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and Al-Qaeda is giving Muslims a bad name.” This complaint, one of the earliest, comes from Yusuf Ghazzali, a Nairobi accountant and writer.

“The use of these terms to describe such criminal groups is highly undesirable and even offensive in the eyes of the majority, upright and law-abiding Muslims in Kenya and around the world,” he says.

Another reader, Kihono Kanja, a doctor with the Ministry of Health, complains of the imbalance in reporting the terrorist attack on the French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The global media, including the Daily Nation, covered the January 2015 attack extensively but mainly condemning the attack, he says.

“Whereas no one ought to die for expressing his or her views, I strongly feel the Daily Nation ought to have mentioned something regarding the responsibility media have in shaping the ethos of our society.”

He says the Charlie Hebdo cartoons are insensitive and a mockery of religion and spirituality, which a large number of Kenyans believe in. “The media, and particularly the Nation, would have done more justice to the story by contributing to this responsibility debate.”

Dr Kanja even wrote an article titled, “Why I am not Charlie”, to address the imbalance. The Nation did not publish the article (although a similarly-titled opinion by another author was published).

Yet another reader, Abu Ayman Abusufian of Jamia Mosque in Nairobi, claims NMG has adopted an anti-Muslim attitude. On January 15, 2015, the Business Daily — an NMG publication — prominently reprinted the offensive cartoon from Charlie Hebdo mocking and demeaning the Prophet, he says.

WAVE OF ANGER

The cartoon appeared a day after The Star had published the same cartoon, which ignited a wave of anger and condemnation from Muslims. The Star apologised to Muslims and promised it will in future ensure Muslims’ sensibilities are respected.

“In contrast, the Business Daily and NMG have not shown any remorse over its unwarranted action, a clear pointer that the publication of the sordid caricatures was deliberately made to offend and attack sacred Islamic principles,” says Mr Abusufian.

This was not the first time NMG had “deliberately offended Muslim sensibilities”. In 2005, he says, in the midst of worldwide anger against the publication of blasphemous cartoons mocking Prophet Mohammed by the Danish publication Jyllands Posten, NTV “went ahead and aired the pornographic satirical drawings” in its 4pm news bulletin. 

 Mr Abusufian says NMG has a history of vilifying Islam and Muslims. In 2003, NTV disregarded established media ethics to air horrid attack on Muslims by an Islamophobic Christian preacher, Pat Robertson, who described Prophet Mohammed as a paedophile, and the Kaaba (the most sacred Islamic shrine), as a pagan symbol of worship.

Mr Abusufian also says that on several occasions Nation cartoonist Gado has vilified and negatively portrayed Islamic ethics despite numerous complaints.

Is NMG guilty of demonising Muslims and Islam? Several studies in Britain, Australia and one in Kenya have found the media in those countries guilty.

One of the studies, “The British Media and Muslim Representation: The Ideology of Demonisation”, published on January 26, 2007, accused the media of perpetuating Islamophobia and prejudice by demonising Muslims and Arabs as violent, dangerous, and threatening people.

It blames the media as the chief instrument of Islamophobia, particularly through the frequent linking of “Islam” and “Muslim” with words such as extremism, terrorism and bombing.

The Kenyan study, Deconstructing Terror: Assessing Media’s Role in Religious Intolerance and Radicalisation, published by the Media Council of Kenya in November 2014, shows that the media in Kenya have contributed to demonising Islam and Muslims.

The study identifies narratives reinforced by the media. These include: “All Muslims are potential terrorists”, “Islam preaches and supports violent radicalisation and extremism”, and “People of Somali origin are potential terrorists”.

Of the 26 Daily Nation articles the study analysed, five were found to have reinforced the negative depiction of Muslims and Islam. Overall, five per cent of the Nation and 10 per cent of NTV coverage was found to be negative.

It should, of course, be of no comfort to NMG — the leading media organisation in the region — that some of the other Kenya media were more culpable. For example, 10 per cent of The Standard, and 11 per cent of the KTN coverage were negative.

The study defines negative articles or clips as those that present Islam, war on terror and religious intolerance with lack of understanding of Islam and diversity.

“Negative stories essentially reproduce the notion that Muslims and Somalis are alien and are responsible for terrorist activities. Negative articles also omit certain relevant details, which should contextualise the story, thus giving an out-of-context account with negative connotations.”

NMG’s editorial policy requires that its publications and broadcast outlets “stand for racial, ethnic, religious and communal harmony”. But, as can be seen from the study, they have contributed to the demonisation of Muslims.

NMG’s acting Editorial Director Tom Mshindi describes some of the infractions as “silly mistakes” as opposed to “serious breaches” of what NMG stands for. However, mistakes, while human, are not acceptable in a newspaper or broadcast outlet. They should be condemned, corrected and avoided.

NMG has erred mainly by re-publishing reports in the Western media, and employing terms coined in other socio-politico contexts, without adequate gate-keeping.

However, as pointed by the Media Council study, some of the demonisation of Muslims in NMG is home-grown. The study cited the op-ed (opinion and editorial commentary) published on March 20, 2014, “Are we just going to sit around and wait to be blown up by terrorists?”, which was written by NMG Group Managing Editor Mutuma Mathiu.

ATONED FOR OUTBURST

“I fear that soon, I will begin to sound like a broken, right wing record,” Mr Mathiu wrote. “But I am a man with fears which I believe to be real and I am frustrated that no one seems to share them. It would appear that every little, two-bit Somali has a big dream — to blow us up, knock down our buildings and slaughter our children.”

But two months later, he atoned for his outburst. He published another article on May 22, in which he said: “Dear Kenyans, today if you meet a Somali or a Muslim, say a cheery habari with a warm handshake or, indeed, a comradely hug, if you can.”

He told his readers that he had taken the trouble to listen to a lot of angry people, read, reflect and understand what is going on about this terrorism thing. “I think you should, too; it will change your views,” he urged.

Another story cited by the Media Council study is NTV’s Foul Winds, an investigative story by Dennis Okari. It managed to get the Muslims themselves to contribute to their own demonisation.

You need to see it to believe it. It is available here.

NMG reports should be accurate and informative, without being incendiary. The terms “Islamist”, “jihadist”, “fundamentalist” are in many cases pejorative and judgmental, even incendiary. However, in some cases, they can be appropriately informative and descriptive, providing the necessary context.

Therefore, I can’t recommend banning them altogether as suggested by one of the readers. There are times when those terms could add meaning to a story. But NMG editors should use the terms with circumspection, not indiscriminately.

The one-size-fits-all approach should cease. NMG editors should be sensitive to how they frame issues about the war on terror.

Send your concerns or comments to [email protected]. You can also call or send text messages to mobile 0721989264, call 3288000 or visit the public editor at Nation Centre in Nairobi.