Everyone needs a voice

Something that I have never really given much thought to is muslims in the media. This weeks class really brought the issue to my attention. I had no idea about the beauty pageant winner from Michigan who was a muslim and I have never really seen or heard of any muslim public figures in the media.

Every other race and most religions have at least one public figure who is open about their faith and culture. Asians, latinos, blacks, and even pacific islanders have actors, singers, and out spoken celebrities to bring awareness to their culture.

I believe that is one of the main problems which has led to the bias in media and movies towards arabs and muslims. There is no one to hold the entertainment industry accountable. If there was ever any bias toward African Americans, Oprah Winfrey or Will Smith would make a public comment against the bias and there would be a public outcry of sympathy. There is no one to make these sort of statements for muslims and I believe that is why this prejudice has been allowed to continue for so long.

It is my hope that one day there will be a notable muslim celebrity who can give a voice to all people of middle eastern descent. That or hopefully one day this obsession with lumping all muslims together as terrorists and oppressors or women will pass.