Six years ago (amost exactly) -- when Islamophobia seemed at a high point -- I wrote a detailed series of articles called "Reclaiming the Perceptions of Muslims", which also appeared on Muslim Matters.org.
The series addressed two broad approaches to the challenge of the series title. Overarching both was (and remains) the idea that the Muslim ummah isn't the only ummah or community we are a part of, and that relationships and participation in the larger circle must happen.
The first was a call to action for Muslims and masajid to be more engaged with their communities at an individual and civic level; and the second approach offered steps for Muslim organizations to develop better relationships with the media. I broke down how Muslim institutions fail at media relationships, what media outlets actually need and how they operate, and what Muslim institutions can do to proactively meet that need (1).
The pieces were lengthy and detailed, but the thinking at the time can be summed up in a few quick points.
A paraphrase from the original series:
In general this point still holds, though the situation is now much more complex and frightening than it was six years ago. The rise of ISIL and terrorist acts in U.S and Europe have substantially increased mistrust and fear. On the one hand, with other Middle Eastern countries participating in the fight against ISIL and a general rejection and condemnation of ISIL ideology from Muslims worldwide, Muslims are less likely to be perceived as monolithically as they were six years ago. On the other hand, radicalization and violence from American-born Muslims is now a reality, and so a Muslim threat isn't as easily placed in simply racial ( "they look foreign") terms.
I've seen no major strides on this front in six years. Muslim institutions still put out drab press releases that beg to be ignored and offer no narratives; website content , strategy and design is exactly the same as it was six years ago, taking no notice of such techniques as content marketing and storytelling, or the rise of mobile and all the narrative and engagement opportunities mobile offers.
I don't need to state how much has changed in six years, particularly in the past two.
The stakes are even higher now - just watch any current news stream -- and consider the new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute, summarized by the International Business Times:
Our continued inability in the communications arena to meet the increasing demands and challenges to the community gives rise to the stats in the survey above -- and also leaves wide vacuums for xenophobic attention whores like Donald Trump to exploit the fears and mistrust we've done little to assuage.
Reevaluating the challenge for 2015, I believe a whole new area needs to be considered and developed - that of internal communications, to our own ummah. The areas I discussed six years ago still need to be addressed, but that does not negate or replace the need to engage within and for the community.
I've done some internal business communications analysis in Dill Communications ( see Retooling Your Organization or Business for 3.0 Communications and Messaging For The Indefensible Or Divided Client ). These concepts apply to the Muslim community in a deep way now, as countering the appeal of radicalization is paramount, and that responsibility lies fully on the Muslim ummah.
We must own this duty. While radicalization is not being preached in American mosques, we are losing youth to a social media savvy death cult and we have no comprehensive communications strategy or constituent outreach plans in place to counteract and eliminate ISIL's lure. If such work is being done, it's not being made widely known, and perhaps isn't being coordinated with other similar efforts.
We need a summit or a task force to address this.
It would entail:
I am not an imam. I am not qualified to craft the theological counterpoints, but translating those counterpoints as part of a comprehensive communications strategy, I can help with.
There are numerous Muslim institutions. Some of them compete for space and attention and pecking order, some of them may have different points of view or perspectives.
While diversity in the ummah is good, these differences need to be put aside, not only for the sake of the Muslim ummah, but for the larger one we are all part of as well.
I challenge any Muslim institution to spearhead and organize this initiative. As a communications professional, I'll take part.
Which organization will be the first to step up?
Addendum June 2016: I'll simply add this is not a cure-all nor a fully implemented solution, but simply a starting point to brainstorm on one component of many areas to address.
(1) Writing the series inspired me to form a niche consultancy - Ummah Relations -- to specifically help Muslim institutions with these issues and their media challenges. As part of that brand, I also briefly published the "Muslim Media Points" newsletter designed to help communications staff at Muslim institutions and local masaajid (who may not even have a full-time communications staff) get "jump started" on the messaging and media implications of current issues by offering context, analysis and starting points to help frame their individual responses to ongoing news developments.
In 2012 I folded the Ummah Relations brand but broadened the offerings for all sectors, focusing on crisis communications and planning. Many of the techniques and analysis I did for the Islamic sector came from the crisis communications skillset, so that emphasis for Dill Communications was a natural outgrowth.
The series addressed two broad approaches to the challenge of the series title. Overarching both was (and remains) the idea that the Muslim ummah isn't the only ummah or community we are a part of, and that relationships and participation in the larger circle must happen.
The first was a call to action for Muslims and masajid to be more engaged with their communities at an individual and civic level; and the second approach offered steps for Muslim organizations to develop better relationships with the media. I broke down how Muslim institutions fail at media relationships, what media outlets actually need and how they operate, and what Muslim institutions can do to proactively meet that need (1).
The pieces were lengthy and detailed, but the thinking at the time can be summed up in a few quick points.
A paraphrase from the original series:
1) At an individual and masajid level, the ummah's continued reluctance to integrate and participate fully in the American experience remains one of our biggest failures. The main Muslim point of reference for Americans is any Muslim terrorist that makes the news, because we haven't given Americans enough opportunities to know any other kind of Muslim. Therefore, we remain unfamiliar to most Americans and are largely identified as vaguely " foreign."
It's my belief that Islamophobia is largely based more on racism than a true theological dispute, because for Americans, most Muslims "look like" those who flew the planes on Sept. 11.
Muslim-Americans are perceived (consciously or subconsciously) as part of that very same foreign element, instead of being viewed as fully engaged American citizens.
The truth Muslim communities must face is that for most Americans, Muslims are still a "them" category, and not yet part of the American "us".
In general this point still holds, though the situation is now much more complex and frightening than it was six years ago. The rise of ISIL and terrorist acts in U.S and Europe have substantially increased mistrust and fear. On the one hand, with other Middle Eastern countries participating in the fight against ISIL and a general rejection and condemnation of ISIL ideology from Muslims worldwide, Muslims are less likely to be perceived as monolithically as they were six years ago. On the other hand, radicalization and violence from American-born Muslims is now a reality, and so a Muslim threat isn't as easily placed in simply racial ( "they look foreign") terms.
2) We have a similar reticence to engage with the media. Muslim institutions need to overcome their homeland fears of state controlled media, and begin forging proactive, sustainable relationships with media outlets. Media needs to tell stories and we need our stories to be told, and that symbiosis needs to be leveraged. That relationship is an opportunity if we are willing to step up to control our narrative by being available, offering expertise, and sharing personalized stories and accounts.
I've seen no major strides on this front in six years. Muslim institutions still put out drab press releases that beg to be ignored and offer no narratives; website content , strategy and design is exactly the same as it was six years ago, taking no notice of such techniques as content marketing and storytelling, or the rise of mobile and all the narrative and engagement opportunities mobile offers.
I don't need to state how much has changed in six years, particularly in the past two.
The stakes are even higher now - just watch any current news stream -- and consider the new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute, summarized by the International Business Times:
Americans’ perceptions of Islam have turned increasingly negative in recent years, a survey released Tuesday from the Public Religion Research Institute revealed. Fifty-six percent of people surveyed agreed that the values of Islam are at odds with America's values and way of life, which is a significant increase from 47 percent in 2011.
The survey found that 73 percent of white evangelical Protestants agreed that the values of Islam are at odds with American values and way of life, as did 63 percent of white mainline Protestants, 61 percent of Catholics, 55 percent of black Protestants, 41 percent of unaffiliated people and 37 of people practicing a non-Christina religion. By breaking down the results of the survey by political affiliation, the report also revealed that over three-quarters of Republicans think that Islam is incompatible with the American way of life, New Republic reported.See PRRI's news release and summary here, and view the actual pdf of the report here.
Our continued inability in the communications arena to meet the increasing demands and challenges to the community gives rise to the stats in the survey above -- and also leaves wide vacuums for xenophobic attention whores like Donald Trump to exploit the fears and mistrust we've done little to assuage.
Reevaluating the challenge for 2015, I believe a whole new area needs to be considered and developed - that of internal communications, to our own ummah. The areas I discussed six years ago still need to be addressed, but that does not negate or replace the need to engage within and for the community.
I've done some internal business communications analysis in Dill Communications ( see Retooling Your Organization or Business for 3.0 Communications and Messaging For The Indefensible Or Divided Client ). These concepts apply to the Muslim community in a deep way now, as countering the appeal of radicalization is paramount, and that responsibility lies fully on the Muslim ummah.
We must own this duty. While radicalization is not being preached in American mosques, we are losing youth to a social media savvy death cult and we have no comprehensive communications strategy or constituent outreach plans in place to counteract and eliminate ISIL's lure. If such work is being done, it's not being made widely known, and perhaps isn't being coordinated with other similar efforts.
We need a summit or a task force to address this.
It would entail:
- a) defining effective counterarguments on theological grounds as a part of the content base
- b) analysing ISIL's content, content distribution strategy (social media) and messaging
- c) developing both effective, resonant counter-content and messaging, and:
- d) a comprehensive social media plan and engagement strategy to deliver that content that understands ISIL's reach and engages in their same space
- e) developing materials/resources/internal communication plans for masajid to use and implement to their own individual constituents. This would adress dissemination and education for the above materials but also:
- f) (added 2016) content, training and outreach to masajid constituents on community engagement, as mentioned in previous writings; and
- g (added 2016) comprehensive media training and engagement strategies for masajid, as mentioned in previous writings.
- h) (added 2016) commensurate with the above, an effective documentation and media campaign to external media to share the progress and individual narratives that arise during the course of this program.
I am not an imam. I am not qualified to craft the theological counterpoints, but translating those counterpoints as part of a comprehensive communications strategy, I can help with.
There are numerous Muslim institutions. Some of them compete for space and attention and pecking order, some of them may have different points of view or perspectives.
While diversity in the ummah is good, these differences need to be put aside, not only for the sake of the Muslim ummah, but for the larger one we are all part of as well.
I challenge any Muslim institution to spearhead and organize this initiative. As a communications professional, I'll take part.
Which organization will be the first to step up?
Addendum June 2016: I'll simply add this is not a cure-all nor a fully implemented solution, but simply a starting point to brainstorm on one component of many areas to address.
(1) Writing the series inspired me to form a niche consultancy - Ummah Relations -- to specifically help Muslim institutions with these issues and their media challenges. As part of that brand, I also briefly published the "Muslim Media Points" newsletter designed to help communications staff at Muslim institutions and local masaajid (who may not even have a full-time communications staff) get "jump started" on the messaging and media implications of current issues by offering context, analysis and starting points to help frame their individual responses to ongoing news developments.
In 2012 I folded the Ummah Relations brand but broadened the offerings for all sectors, focusing on crisis communications and planning. Many of the techniques and analysis I did for the Islamic sector came from the crisis communications skillset, so that emphasis for Dill Communications was a natural outgrowth.
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