New Face, New Life!

Report: http://afghanistan.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/12/new-face-new-life/

Taliban continues to judge Afghanis unjustly in the name of Islam while the west tries to rescue Afghanis from Taliban's orders. CNN's reporter reports on October 12, 2010 a story happening in Afghanistan. An Afghani women, Aisha a19 year old Muslim women runs away from an abusive arranged marriage. Her husband being a member of the Taliban viewed this as shameful and that she has to be punished. Taliban court orders to have her nose and ears cut off. The American medical team rescues her as she lives a happy new life in America after her nose and ear job have been done.

I believe that this report was made to create more hatred towards Muslims. I did not like the way the reporter presented the actions of Taliban and Afghani Muslim women. Its not that I'm with Taliban, no! But usually Taliban is associated with Islam. People in the west don’t know much about the religion so they come to believe that Taliban is the mirror of Islam. The action of cutting her nose and ears is a cruel and a brutal act as it is not how Islam does with people. Also, the worst part is when the reporter started the report presenting Afghani women, saying, "this is the face of brutality of Afghanistan". It sends a subconscious message to the viewers that what happened with her is the general case happening with all women there. Moreover, the whole message is subconsciously connected with Islam which sends a bad image to the west. Consequently, this will help the spread of more dangerous stereotypes.  

Islam through Music

Report: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9w_kYUUlo8

The report was published on Aljazeera English on the 5th of October, 2010. The reporter Kimberley Halkett talks about a Muslim-American rap group, The Native Deen, containing Naeem Muhammad, Juosha Salaam and Abdul Malik ahmad who are “bond for their love for music and their faith”, says Kimberley Halkett. They express their feelings both to music and Islam by the choice of words they use it for their lyrics. Since many Americans are interested in rap, they make use of music as a device to bring a better image of Muslim’s faith and clear up misconceptions and negative stereotypes that people hold. In the report Kemberly shows many protesting angry Americans showing signs of hate for Islam. Juosha Salaam sums it up as he says, “Islam is the most understood religion and where there is lack of understanding, there is going to be hate and there is going to be fear”. Also the report shows that the discrimination against Muslim Americans is at the rise as “41% experienced some form of discrimination”.

I believe that sending a specific message through music is an effective way in transmitting what the sender wants since the field of music exists nearly in everyone’s house; almost everyone is exposed to music. I think the rap group is doing a great job with their amazing fabulous albums that they release each time. Many people including me are influenced by their music in which I learn about my peaceful faith.                                                                                                                 

Change the Old Look!

The report: http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2010/09/07/dougherty.afghan.politician.burqa.cnn?iref=allsearch

On the 9th of September, 2010 CNN report, the reporter Dougherty brings an interesting topic of a candidate wanting to change the way Afghani women are dressed. She talks with an Afghani candidate, who was wearing a loose red scarf, asking her about why she would choose the symbol of Afghani women with hidden faces. She answers that it’s an important issue to get rid of it as she is in a process of changing the burqa to a custom called chuaddri, costume with unhidden faces.

Now let’s consider the 5 W’s (who, where, when, what, why):

Who is covering the report?

Jill Dougherty a CNN reporter.

Where is the candidate applying her change?

In Afghanistan.

When will the candidate start working on her change?

She is currently working on it as she is spreading awareness among young children.

What is the message that cnn is sending?

The message about Afghani women wanting to change the burqa.

Why is CNN covering the report?

To show that Afghani women are changing by leading Afghani women to liberation.

What about the H question:

How did the reporter cover the report?

This is the most interesting part that caught my attention. The opening of the report, Daughtery started it with “faces, faces, faces”. She was talking about the political posters running for parliament displaying men’s faces everywhere. Although this is not the main concern of the topic, it was a great contrast to compare it with the main topic that the candidate chose the symbol of hidden faces.

How to pitch a story: “Someone is doing something because something else is happening”.

The candidate is working on changing the burqa because of the current spread of the negative look of Afghani women that are portrayed in the west.

My opinion:

I like the way how the reporter managed to grab the viewer’s attention specially in the beginning part. On the other hand I didn’t like the way she talked with the candidate about women in Islam as when she wanted to inquire about why the candidate would choose the symbol of the covered women from tip to toe (Burqa). She says that the symbol of hidden faces have “negative connotation and  women have to be hidden, cant show their faces, they are basically in their houses, you know what that is, why would you choose that seems a bad symbol?”. Unfortunately she stated it as facts. What even annoys more is what the candidate replied, “very good question, if reality is cruel we have to first accept it, after accepting that, it doesn’t mean that you have to accept and continuing it you have to accept it and find a solution for that”. The candidate never corrected what the reporter said as she supported what she said.