Media Stereotypes of Islam and Muslims: A Global Perspective

This book is being written for a global audience that consumes stereotypes about Islam and Muslims on a daily basis. It will be useful to Muslim congregations which would like to mitigate the impact of the overbearing Muslim stereotype by adopt- ing a more proactive strategy by presenting the correct image of their faith. It is a tool for interreligious dialogue for those interested in intercultural harmony. The book follows a simple strategy. It explains key concepts. It examines the usage and application of stereotypes in a general sense and relates some results from behavioural tests to help the reader grasp the implications. Having identified the specific areas in which Muslim stereotypes are mostly located, like democracy, human rights, women's rights, violence and others, it presents the correct position of Islam on each of the areas. It covers responses by Muslims to stereotypes and Islamophobic attacks on Islam and Muslims – and in this, as it ends, it chooses the lighter approaches that help diffuse tensions but also promote understanding.