This refers to a news report that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has planned to establish a satellite TV channel to fight the increasing trend of Islamophobia in the West, particularly in the Western media. We understand that OIC channel would be targeting Western viewers to present a true picture of religion and to confront the stereotyping of the Muslims.
Obviously in the presence of hundreds of news, religious and social TV channels in different Western languages, how someone could be attracted to view the OIC channel is a big task. If the channel is going to telecast lectures and talk shows on religious affairs, I don’t think it can find anyone from the targeted viewership, other than the Muslim immigrants in the Western world who are already connected with the channels being telecasted from their home countries.
On the other hand, if the proposed channel selects to confront the Islamophobia by logically arguing the points repeatedly raised by the Western media, it may have some chance to attract non-Muslim viewership. The channel would need to come up with valid arguments and examples from real life on different controversial issues. Western viewers will be interested to have first hand analysis and stand point on issues such as democracy, woman rights, minorities’ rights, terrorism, land reforms, honour killings etc. The channel will need to argue that most of the criticism which lead to stereotype characterisation of Muslims is nothing to do with the religion but a stigma of different nations’ centuries old tribal values and customs. Similarly, the channel shall take a clear position on tension between fundamentalists and reformists (as such tension is not a strange thing; most of the religions have gone through this process over a period of time).
Let’s wish OIC channel success in achieving these goals, otherwise, it will be another number on the TV remote control to be skipped.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia