Nisha- there are plenty of muslims and plenty of muslim organizations which have been speaking out, educating, involved in community activities (and i dont mean just the muslim community) .. if that is not picked up by the talking heads then there is not much that one can do.
as far as haters go, the type of people whose grandparents were against civil rights movement and really never got rid of their bigotry, It is amusing to me that they can find the most remote examples of some jackass of a muslim doing something moronic in US or in Burkina Faso, but are unable to find anything good that any muslim group is doing. It is the same type of jackasses who dont even know that fatwa against suicide attacks has been made, against attack on civilians, agsinst terrorism, with hundreds of muslim organizations and leaders signing on it.
At the end of the day, the responsibility is a two way street. I completely whole heartedly agree that muslims need to educate people, to take a stance to limit the influence of the political extremists in our institutions, and at the same time responsibility rests on the people to go out and search and find info, find people and have a dialogue.
There may not be a muslim organization or a mosque in Po Dunk, tennessee, but does that justify bubba hatin muslims because of what he read on some ‘conservative’… bigoted rightwinger site. What happened to the concept of personal responsibility to increase one’s awareness.
Sorry, I dont have time to educate bigots who are a lost cause, what I can tell them is something available all over the internet and something many prominent muslims and groups have said already and continue saying. Their excuses to justify them being buncha bigot thugs go only so far.
I am a very liberal dude with no room for extremist views of anyone, whether it is some muslim or a muslim hater.
Now could a stronger more coordinated PR campaign help? sure.. never hurts, but in a place where we have birthers or people who think Obama is a muslim, those type of ass clowns can live in their own la la land, logic and facts dont really get in their way.
There is a saying in urdu, Bhains kay aagay been bajana..thats what it is like trying to educate such people. They will find some other excuse. Now.. in my workplace, community and neighbourhood, my actions speak louder than words and conversations with others even if not about religion have them of get a better understanding of me as a person and my family and their views of muslims get shaped from there, that I am very much aware of and do my best. Edumacating some bigot thug from podunkville, Crappy Red state is not my responsibility. its his responsibility to go learn. His ignorance is due to him not doing enough, not due to me not doing enough.
PS: what are these types doing to educate me that they are not all part of the racist anti govt militias and that they dont support them. booo hoo I am so scared..their silence is deafening..add other cliches..