Oprah, The New Voice for Islamophobia in America

Society Religion & Philosophy
21

a newly converted Muslim brother had asked my friend an intriquing question:

What should we ask for Allah more (in our dua), increase in steadfastness or increase in ilm (knowledge) about our faith?

a lot of pple have the steadfastness in their religion, but they dont have ilm regarding it. some pple have ilm regarding the religion, but the refuse to act upon it. so what should a person do? well... best thing is to ask from Allah to make easy the path towards rightousness... which will include ilm and steadfastness. from what is happening in Iran and in Afghanistan, it seems that more people are lacking ilm rather than steadfastness. one has to perfect themselves in their faith which requires knowledge and steadfastness.

we can only try to change this mentality thru future generations.

as a woman, Alhumdolilah, i have power to do that. starting with my own children.

and no man is taking that away.

-mehndi

22

Its just about the ignorance of people and their inability to differentiate between a cultural characteristic and a religious attribute.

The way Oprah put it out was as if this practice was common in Muslim countries all over the world, and that they did it because "Islam allowed it". Thats just her ignorance of the facts.

I dont think anyone sits here and denys the existence of forced marriages and honor killings in Pakistan. People condemn it in and out of Pakistan. However, that doesnt make it an islamic feature. Its done because of archaic customs that exist among muslim and non-muslim families alike.

Oprah takes more interest in the rehabilitation of women in countries 30,000 miles away, yet doesnt see the plight of the women in her backyard. Heck, she herself was raped and molested as a kid. She has basically bought out the female audience in north america.

23

Oprah takes more interest in the rehabilitation of women in countries 30,000 miles away, yet doesnt see the plight of the women in her backyard. Heck, she herself was raped and molested as a kid. She has basically bought out the female audience in north america.<<<

Akif, isn’t it a beauty of the system that allows a victim of rape to rise to such a fame where she can actually influence people's thoughts. How many such cases are found in the Islamic world? If she is concerned about female rights in other countries, more power to her. But I do agree that most commonly an average audience is fairly ignorant of the quintessential cultural patterns, but that takes time. I recently learnt that Holland pays 40% of the money needed to run the Palestinian government. I wonder how many Muslims are aware of that. Most only know about the sexual freedom (again, only a myth) about Holland. One should not look for TV talkshows to learn the popular psyche.

When you say that she doesn’t see the plight of women in her own backyard, I will assume that you watch Oprah everyday.

24

[quote]
Akif, isn’t it a beauty of the system that allows a victim of rape to rise to such a fame where she can actually influence people's thoughts.
[/quote]

Well let's look at the effects of influencing people's thoughts in this way. Already we have had Rani insisting that muslim women are beaten daily by their husbands after reading one book and listening to Oprah.

I guess it wouldn't be hard to have a talk show in Bahrain convincing everybody that all American blacks are a bunch of singin', dancing jigaboos with a string of pregnant girlfriends smoking crack. I'm sure we could find a few life cases to support that, but would it be a good thing?

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Xtreme you are saying that one person (i.e. Rani) is representative of all those who have read that One Book and watched that One show? Speak straight my man. Which “One” are you arguing in favor of?

In terms of what Bahrainis portray about African Americans on their TV Shows – well who cares about bunch of smallbrains with their heads covered in table cloth.

Hey, for all the right reasons, if they are so secure about their cultural prevalence why should it bother them if a young female willingly leaves that tribe of camels? I guess in this equation the message being sent is that you cannot take our women away from us, we need them locked up here for our amusement. You are also welcome to protect us against our brother Saddam, but don't dare take any local beauty.

These are my views alone, but they do not represent my entire views, just a little bit, to counter Xtreme’s usage of bad mouthing Blacks.

26

[quote]
Originally posted by NYAhmadi:
**>>>>Oprah takes more interest in the rehabilitation of women in countries 30,000 miles away, yet doesnt see the plight of the women in her backyard. Heck, she herself was raped and molested as a kid. She has basically bought out the female audience in north america.<<<

Akif, isn’t it a beauty of the system that allows a victim of rape to rise to such a fame where she can actually influence people's thoughts. How many such cases are found in the Islamic world? If she is concerned about female rights in other countries, more power to her. But I do agree that most commonly an average audience is fairly ignorant of the quintessential cultural patterns, but that takes time. I recently learnt that Holland pays 40% of the money needed to run the Palestinian government. I wonder how many Muslims are aware of that. Most only know about the sexual freedom (again, only a myth) about Holland. One should not look for TV talkshows to learn the popular psyche.

When you say that she doesn’t see the plight of women in her own backyard, I will assume that you watch Oprah everyday. **
[/quote]

NY Ahmedi ,Hi

Spousal abuse is universal.Iran,Islamic country ,India,Christian Europe & good old USA.Dont forget how Men are tortured,if not physically ,due to obvious reasons,women torture ,if they want by divorce,custody,infedility,neglect & extra marital affairs just as much as man may use brute force when provoked.
But since psychological scars are hdden & even a scratch on the face looks danming there is dispropotionate pity for these manipulative women who would blame anything to achieve there ends.
Mrs.Mehmoody was all happy to derive benefit of suburban life in michigan from the labour of the family in Iran to raise there kid to be a doc.Obviously she didnt change her religion (no knowlege of islam)& if she did for convenience changed her name ,it is her fault not to have informed herself about the religion she expected to marry in to.Or she expected to live in usa for ever ,as if her likes,dislikes ,desire matter more than the good doc.If some Americans cant get into there head that great many ppl. want to live in other placeses than America ,then its again question of ignorence & not haveing read the consent agreement 's fine prints on false assumption that Ameica is the best & only choice!!!

If it is, So be it ,OPRAH,the victim of rape & abuse was rehabilitated to be ANOTHER of umpteen stars of Ameican celebrity kingdom,So what.All these token good will n.g.o non frofit organizations are band aid to global problems ,they (americans ) know that.Well im not against charitable organization but against use of such organization to prostelyze ,as in India or Pakistan by missioneries,or indirectly spreading anti islam or anti hindu philosophies.If one girl from Bahrain wants to sleep with marine in usa ,leaving everything behind ,it does not necessarily means anything.

Why would Holland pay 40% of palestenian .How much that amounts to ? And is there a isreali connection to buy peace in return for that ,for just throwing numbers like Oprah is another deceitfull attempt to sell your point of view. There is no free lunch in this world & richest nation in the world teacheses that lesson.Before you make all muslim indebted to western charity,saviour of ours ,we refuse to be duped into believing into the christian guilt trip that they are so good at exploiting & presenting themselves as selfless missioneries in Africa india pakistan.They never are selfless ,they have a philosophy to sell which is antonym of islam.

"jo kHat main kahte they apni jaan mujhko
aaj kHat likhne main unki jaan jaati hai .....

27

I dont think the main plight here is regarding the girl who eloped to the US. Shes long gone, and at this point, I dont even think her family could care less. She will very likely lose her case in the INS, and citing diplomatic reasons, the US wont try to find a way to keep her here, and she will probably move to some other country with her mac daddy....canada or israel. But thats not even an issue any more.

The issue here is about Oprah pretending to be a know-it-all when it comes to Islam and muslim countries, when she doesnt even know whats happening next door.

NYA..i dont deny the power of the media that enables her to be in a position where she can influence (rightfully or wrongfully) the mindset of a large number of people. But the fact remains that she is misusing her position and tackling issues that she has no clue of. Just because a hormone driven americanized bahraini teenager runs off to the US doesnt mean Islam is suppressive...because thats exactly how Oprah comes to her conclusions.

She should stick to coaching people in how to lose weight:)

Regarding Holland paying 40% of Palestines govt. expenses, that would require a whole new thread:) If Israel didnt stiff Palestine on the millions that it owes in customs and tax revenues, it wouldnt come to this:)...and its not Holland...its the EU that pays:)

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NYA,

in fact Bahrain is very liberal as far as arab countries go, and their royal families more liberal still. The girl’s parents have even gone on record as saying that as long as she is happy they don’t mind.

In fact it was Kuwait not Bahrain that was honoured by American protection from Saddam, and if you think it was because they love the Kuwaitis you must have eaten too many apple pies.

As for my ‘bad mouthing’ of American blacks, what’s the matter, you can give it out but you can’t take it back in return? If Oprah can use Betty Mahmood and others to build a picture of arabs, why can’t we do the same with with American blacks?

Yo Mama…ya gets da picture or ah gots ta put da pipe tuh yo head?

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smokin.gif

29

Did Oprah actually get any Muslims to defend or further clarify such information on the show? If not, that would seem somewhat premature of the producers not to do something like that.

They shoot partypoopers, don't they?

30

So Xtreme, then it’s not Oprah that you find upsetting, nor is it what she showed on her TV show. Since you don’t mind singling out a group of people to bad mouth, you have given all rights to respect by others.

Akif, it’s not the EU, but the Netherlands.

Just because a hormone driven americanized bahraini teenager runs off to the US doesnt mean Islam is suppressive...<<<<

but a lousy 1 hour show on Oprah means that US is suppressive? Why would you say that she was “americanized”? are you sure that she is not “Islamicized (or victimized)?” Oprah has as much right to editorialize an issue (mainly because of her profession) as you have to call everything shameful or shocking “americanized”. It is that mindset that is an issue.

FYI, your point is as hollow as your argument. Now people have to justify their motives should they be willing to give a helping hand? What I am trying to say is that beggars can’t be choosy.

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NYA:

[quote]
Since you don’t mind singling out a group of people to bad mouth, you have given all rights to respect by others.
[/quote]

Tell it to Oprah dude. What goes around comes around.

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Tell it to Oprah dude. What goes around comes around.<<<<

Xtreme, the problem with you is that one can’t figure out if you are going or coming. I would be happy to tell it to Oprah, but what should I say? That Xtreme alone is the representative of the entire populatin of Arab camel jockeys? Or should I say that it is his views alone? Be clear this time. Alone or all?

33

Ask her if she knows any dealers in Harlem and what the going rate is for some goood shyiitt…

Got me some niggas in Brixton lookin for a good deal. Word up Momma.

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smokin2.gif

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Xtreme,

Actually i never watch Ophara...i find most talk shows boring. As for the niggers (as u would like to call them which is considered very abusive), wake up, you live in Britain for u to keep slaves u will have to move to Sudan (a muslim country). Ophara has spoken against whites and condition of women in US many times, but didn't have this kind of reaction because they are willing to change and own up to the wrongs in their society.

Btw, i have read many books not just one, Princess daughter is recent one i have read, outlining condition of women in Arabia. What do u have to say about laws governing women regarding marriage, divorce and getting passport, travel, freedom to work etc in muslim countries.

35

Mr. Extreme:
For a John Birch American, like my ex-mother in law,you are a nigger. Or, Sand Nigger to be exact. So, watch out for how you address other people unless you want the Englistanis to call you a M***** F****** sand nigger.

36

NYA...Im sure Netherlands contributes to the funds that are given to Palestine, but there are many other contributors as well. Belgium is a huge contributor. EU pledged 90 million euros for Palestine this year, OIC pledged $1 billion, and Iraq $1 billion. Netherlands may be a part of it, but not the biggest.

I am not arguing that US is suppressive. It was meant more an as example...Just like Oprah cannot draw conclusions from baseless arguments about one incident, we cant do it with the US either. And if she thinks its fair for her to generalize Islam as suppressive just because the princess, then why not accept the same generalization regarding US being a racist, crime infested country? Generalizations are wrong, both ways.

Why would you say that she was “americanized”? are you sure that she is not “Islamicized (or victimized)?”

This portrayal was fed to us by the US media itself. If u happened to watch the movie that they showed recently, (made by NBC, not Bahrain TV) she was depicted as one who spoke fluent english, wore western clothes, did not wear a veil, went to malls, went to movie theaters, did everything american. So indeed, she was very much americanized....and she was quoted herself as saying that when she got to america, she felt 'at home'.

Oprah is an amateur talk show host, and she does a great job at that. But this position of hers doesnt make her a scholar in Islamic values and customs, hence she shouldnt be associating things with Islam without knowing for sure whether or not the two are related.

Thats whats so important about her position as a well known talk show host. She has so much influence over such a vast audience, and she can sway public opinion in a number of ways. That is why it is her moral duty to be ultra careful and sensitive in making sure that the sentiment she publicizes is a realistic one and not something that she came up with while taking a dump.

37

Ok..I just saw the above mentioned show in its nightcap rerun. And frankly, I dont know what Oprah was itching about. She had no agenda other than to malign the eastern culture.

Heres what the 'Princess' said when asked by Oprah about how she would have been dealt with, had she not 'taken the bold step' of eloping.
"I would have been paired with a guy. Then I would have met him and we would have had a month or so to get to know each other. And then we would have decided whether we liked each other"
This isnt the exact text, but more or less what she said. And you could see Oprah trying to fumble with words, trying to find something wrong with this scenario.....and when she couldnt, she shifted to talking about 'Not without my daughter'.

Oprah is not exactly an intellectual person. Her talks revolve around baked potatos, and she should stick to that.

38

Rani;

You still haven’t explained the above statements that you made earlier which are incorrect. I am willing to believe this is out of ignorance, but if you can’t justify them, then you should apologise for making them. If you don’t then we have to assume you are very narrow minded. When you do that, then we can discuss other aspects, but I see no point in discussing with someone who is prepared to throw around untruths in order to malign someone’s religion unapologetically. It would be like me saying sikhs are all a bunch of dim-witted drunks…which I know they are not.

Scopenhauer, whether your John Birch mother in law thinks I am a nigger or not doesn’t really concern me. In fact even sand nigger is the American term for arabs not Pakistanis. Gunga Din or Darkie Whitewash would probably be better alternatives.

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/cool.gif

Anyhow, I’m glad you agree with me that to take individual examples like Betty Mahmood or crack smoking pimps and use them as examples to malign whole communities can be counter-productive, as well as mean-spirited.

39

This portrayal was fed to us by the US media itself. If u happened to watch the movie that they showed recently, (made by NBC, not Bahrain TV) she was depicted as one who spoke fluent english, wore western clothes, did not wear a veil, went to malls, went to movie theaters, did everything american. So indeed, she was very much americanized....and she was quoted herself as saying that when she got to america, she felt 'at home'. <<<

Akif, This could be a Pakistani girl in Islamabad. They speak fluent English (better than Xtreme, and without ebonics, I must add), they wear jeans (in some parties, the nearest burka is not found within 200 miles radius) they go to malls (although much smaller ones), they go to movies (watch pornos at home, etc.), so why all these characteristics only saved for Americans? Could it be when she said she felt “at home” in America, she could have been insinuating that she felt “free” and not oppressed? It’s all in the attitude my friend. I saw only the last ½ hour or so of the movie, and I don’t think that it was that well done. In terms of Bahrain TV. I have had many opportunities to watch it, unlike Kuwait, they show a lot of Indian movies (Kuwait shows twice as many). The issue here is not how Americanized or Islamicized she is, the issue is no one would have given a dick about it had some Bahraini Prince brought home a blond from Sweden (and had her converted). Some societies just are overtly sensitive to their females showing even a hint of independence, and Arab's is such a society.

40

Xtreme

According to the Iranian society and laws she was a pocession of her husband. As a wife of a muslim man, she had no rights and being beaten almost everyday was part of the culture and nobody raised an eyebrow or thought anything of it.

I thought I made myself clear, women are pocession of man because:

The cannot get a passport without permission of their husband or father.

They cannot travel out of country without male relative for withour written permission or their husband or father.

In case of divorce, mother has no right over her children.

A man can divorce a wife by saying talaq talaq three times and women cannot do the same.

A man can have four wives at a given time but women can have only one husband.

Mr Mahmood was severly beaten on many many occasion..everybody in the family and the neighbors heard her cries and nobody raised an eyebrow or try to intervene, it seemed familiar scenario to them.

Even in 'Princess daughters' a wife was beaten so badly by a royal husband that she had to be hospitalized and all her internal part ruptured and she had to have reconsturcted surgery and nobody filed a report to the police for the fear her husband will divorce her and take her children away from her for ever.

Don't blame Oprah, look within yourself and fight these injustices aganist women. If anything u should apologize to all the women your society has been mistreating and try to correct the present injustices. Blaming others very rarely helps and truth has a habit of coming out no matter how much u try to hide it.

[This message has been edited by Rani (edited February 23, 2001).]