Aspects Of The Media

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My dear respected elders and brothers.

The media in some way has been the focus of attention in our community

due to a program that was aired

during the course of this week, and I felt that inshallah we will use this opportunity to speak a little about about the media

and also discuss relevant lessons that has emerged from this entire saga.

By and large, we all know that when we talk about the media, our understanding of the media is

that it is supposed to provide

the latest and most accurate information about matters of public importance to supply the most latest and most accurate information about matters of public importance, a very wide definition that maybe everyone would agree upon, that is what the media is supposed to do.

Now, this concept and this definition in itself,

is not against Islam and Islamic principles.

It is not against Islamic principles to let people know about the news logon ko din din ora zero Dr. k cheese, okay metopic or Jyoti is

our man or Joe chizuru rehab, loco haga Karna Islam de la Queenie, many years back has it moved to Sheffield, Rama to lolly.

The Grand Mufti of Pakistan, wrote a very beautiful magazine and a small booklet, which here entitled A double bar, the news protocol. It was an attempt to give an Islamic framework to journalism and media and news

and he gave many many examples and he said, he said the concept of news can be taken back to the Hadith of the via cream sauce. And he gives two examples. He says Jamia Turmeric is a hadith that hidden been Halla Ravi Allahu taala who narrates that after fudger nebia cream sauce lamb used to sit in a gathering and people used to come and tell nebbia cream sauce Salaam Yasser Allah yesterday this happened last night This happened this particular place this happened in Libya Kareem salsa them listening to them used to comment on it. Okay, this happened this is the lesson you could learn from it. This is what happened. So Libya cream sauce them used to listen to the Sahaba and used to

comment on it. Then another Hadith he makes mentioned and that Hadith is that when maybe a cream sauce lamb did not see any Sahabi for two or three days. Maybe a cream sauce when was to inquire about him. Yeah, many dotun didn't say is agrico deccani Cusco kyowa, chubby Mara vaquita para Shania

Yakubu Samana Cooper, Ma Ma, Ma Chaya Mr. Maliki holla, kebari memikirkan. Ha. So he said that for two, three days, if nobody saw some didn't see anyone, let me saw service to inquire. That means from there, that we need to be aware about the condition and the aspects of our Muslim community. So this to a Hadith, he says, proves the permissibility of media and news that nebbia Crimson Islam had made mentioned. However, he's given certain conditions with regard to how the news must be propagated, how the news must be given. And one very important point he made mention and effect. It's so important that today many times people miss this aspect. And he said that those things that

are permissible, are those things that are not permissible

in day to day affairs,

ie those things that are not permissible, for example, those that are haram they don't become permissible just because you got a mic in front of you. Are you speaking to an audience? Are you speaking on a radio are you speaking on a TV he said Joe cheesy, haraam hair didn't get in the Rose Morocco is in the gamma to war.

Media Anika civico halali Banta he doesn't become an artist because it came in the media or you are in the media. So for example, he says Allah says lawyers are comin comin aasaiya kuno Hara minim it is not permissible.

For you to look at another person, perhaps the person you are mocking is better than you in the eyes of Allah. So that is a general principle.

When I asked about you kumada, don't bet by one as Allah says in the Quran, those things do not become permissible because you are articulate, and you've got a mic in front of you, therefore, you know, you've got a wide audience or you got a good pen, or you've got a whole audience looking at with a TV, he doesn't all of a sudden become permissible for you to look at another person, because you've got the media in front of you. Or it doesn't become permissible to back by maybe a cream sauce limit said man satara Muslim and whoever conceals the fault of another Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults of the day of Tiamat. That principle, as much as it applies to day to day

affairs, it applies to the media, it applies to a person who's got a good pen, it applies to a person who's had to create his pitch. Any particular editor also applies to a person who might be engaging in the visual media. So all of that, and that's a very important point. However, after making mention of this is also a fact that today, by and large, the media does not operate under those particular ethics. What is ethics for them, ethics has been gone out of the window, many times in many parts of the media, we can generalize, there are people who are very committed to journalism, they are very committed to the profession, there is no doubt whatsoever, you have to

also give credit where it is due. But there is this aspect that many times overall, there is a particular negative perception with regard to the media, which has been fed by controversy, which has been fed by recent events, like for example, the news of the world. We know that there was a whole scandal of the news of the world in the Middle Kingdom, the newspaper had to close down, nothing was sacred 4000 phones were hacked illegally. 4000 phones were hacked illegally. Even the people who had gone through difficulty whose children were kidnapped, whose children were taken in and abducted, they use to heck those parents phones, to see what come out. What are they speaking

about, so that they can sensationalize the news, they can have an exclusive in the newspaper to that extent. And now normally people say that there is a difference between administration and the media. Media is separate media is independent government is independent, but yet the very CEO of news of the world, Rebecca Brown, who is now you know, discredited, you know, during her wedding, Gordon Brown and David Cameron, presidents past presidents, and future presidents of the kingdom attended her wedding. It is said that when Robert Murdock who's had a very wide Empire, if he had to call any president asking for an interview or asking for a meeting, he would have perhaps got a meeting

easier and more willingly than even perhaps another Prime Minister of another country. And this is the power and influence of the media. But of course we know this is the type of thing that has happened. You can then although news has been provided, but you can separate the news from the views from the agenda from the bias from the prejudice of the newscaster, you can do that. You can separate the news from the bias and prejudice of the mo the media mogul or mogul media Baron, all of that is happening for example during the Norway bombing that took place right we have right wing Christian was later on found to be guilty. The initial reaction of perhaps most of the media

networks was this was a Muslim was involved by enlarge and not only right wing newspapers or right wing media. Perhaps everyone started pointing fingers at Muslim. So the Sun newspaper in in UK head al Qaeda massacre before anything was even done. Nevermind fox news was supposed to be extreme right? Even the BBC was supposed to be more moderate, supposed to be accurate, made mention that this is a 911 moment for Norway. CNN went on to say that the fact that a newspaper had been targeted, give indication that is a Muslim who was worried about the poor depiction of Nivea creams are allowed to sell him by the very same newspaper. afterwards when these things were found to be

false. There was no apology, but that is the media with regard to how it is no sometimes no ethics sometimes making mention with regard to all of these types of things. But you know, I can go on to make mention with regard to many aspects like for example, you know, there is an aspect that when when in the Gulf War, many times when there was bombing, you used to hear the word smart bombs that American UK have become so technologically advanced that smart bombs now only go to the target and don't don't no collateral damage, doesn't damage civilians, doesn't harm civilians. later on. JOHN Pilcher was

To reveal that out of those smart bombs, only 8% was effective. Let me repeat that only 8% was effective.

So this this is the aspect with regard to the media, sometimes you get the influence the impression is gather as much as much information and then distort it as much as possible. Sometimes that happens. So, all of this, but I'm not going to talk about the media per se, this is just to give an introduction, what do we learn from this? Let us take lessons and let me just make mention of why why are we making mention of this? The first thing brothers, because I made mentioned, they are general rules of the appearance of the Sharia. It does not, do not get in any way. Sight away late just because the media is involved. There is one golden principle of verifying our facts. verifying

our facts is something that the Quran tells us. There's a very interesting incident about Socrates Socrates was a very famous, you know, poet philosopher, many years back many instances and many incidents are related to him. One of the things that is relative to him, slightly humorous, he said that one day his wife was nagging at him, wife was nagging, nagging, and he was skipping silent, perhaps, gives us a good indication What must you do when someone is nagging, but because it may keep completely silent. And after a while, she became very, very angry because of his silence while she was railing and she was angry. So she took a bow, no bucket of water and threw it upon Socrates.

And he said, it has been truly said, after lightning, the standard. After lightning out their anger, they stand the water came upon me. So this is one aspect. Now one day someone came in tell Socrates and said, I got something very important to tell you see, before you tell me did you pass the triple filter test? said what do you mean by triple filter test? He said, First tell me, is it true or not? Is it true or not? He said, Well, I don't know if it is true. But people are talking about it. But it never occurred himself said forget Socrates cafe in America, even

if you hear a person telling you notice someone said such and such, you can call him a liar.

It is enough for a person to be called a liar that he relates everything he is, call him a liar. Forget Socrates, who himself Islam told us this. So Socrates said, he's a true. He said, Well, I'm not sure I heard it from other people. He said, Well, it failed the first test. He didn't say the second thing is, is it good? And no one passed good messages around and someone tells you I've got something very important to tell you is definitely not good. By and large, I normally tell people is that if they ease 100 flights that come safely into our tempo, the next day, the star or the newspaper is not going to say 100 flights land land safely in or Tambo, they're not going to press

Papa republish good news, no one is gonna buy it. But just see one newspaper headlines.

Emirates flight has emergency landing by and large, half of us will buy the newspaper. That is a fact. So he said, Is it good? He said, Well, I don't know. No one buys good news. So he said, No, it's not good. He says the third thing is is it useful?

So when the person said he's not useful, he said, but I do want to listen to it. Now what will the Quran tell us? Yeah, you will let me know in just a second.

When anyone comes to you with any news for who verified? We don't do that, where do we really do that? And even sometimes when we do verified and reformed perceptions, by enlarge our perception, sometimes even exceeding exceeding the the original news, like this whole particular saga that happened, you know, one of the things that you were reading by enlarge, that POC was certified, there was no book certified. Yes, they need to be better balanced and better cross checks all over the place. But all of a sudden, we are just jumping to conclusion without verification. So this is another aspect the first thing is verification of news is something that the Quran tells us. The

second aspect that we need to analyze while acknowledging the unethical nature sometimes with the media, while acknowledging sometimes a bias which I made mention of, we must never underestimate the power of the media to influence people. This is something that we can see it happening. How by and large people have been influenced how people have perceptions have been formed. The media is something that regulates people's aspirations and hopes and dreams. It's a mirror which protects a particular viewpoint, which sometimes comes across, you know, look at many things you will find the media does have a role in informing our opinions. What is even surprising I found is even the people

who normally say you must boycott the media. They are printing posters on the basis of what the media had said.

Even the people who say don't do do have nothing to do with the media. They are printing posters and pamphlets on the basis of what the media had said. And you know, I find this very, very amazing. It's something that we've got to keep in mind. And those who say that we will nothing will not engage the media, we will do nothing to do with the media. We will close our office doors when they come. You saw the result of what happened.

Those people who say that we are not going to engage

With the media, they you saw what actually happened, close the doors. But what happens when you close the doors, the perceptions are still formed, whether you like it or you don't like it. And this is something which we have always made mention of the gym as much as we'd agree with some of the unethical natures, you can not allow people to rule perceptions that have been made by the media, without your contribution in it from 911. Previously, maybe before 911, Muslims could have afforded to stay in one exclusive private corner. Since 911. We our main news, whether we like it or not, when we our main news, either you ever seen what people think about you, or you don't have a

say in what people think about you, they still will form perceptions about you whether you like it, don't like it, engage, don't engage, close your doors, open your doors, people's perceptions are gonna be formed. And I went to Rwanda. One of the things I asked the person who was taking me around with regard to the message, I said, what was the single biggest cause for the massacre? And he told me, the radio.

I said, What do you mean? He said, The radio we're publishing from the government side, go and kill this particular group. And people were following the radio. So for people to say that we want to sit back and not engage, or just sit back is something that is extremely short sighted. So this is a second thing that we want to do keep in mind, perhaps use the media, but do not allow yourself to be used as an AI that is in any way possible. But there is aspect that we got to keep in mind, be careful of messages that undermine our values, we have an avatar. And it's so so sad that sometimes we don't do that avatar, what is our avatar, the Quran and Hadith. The Quran and Hadith is our

avatar. And that is something that we always got to keep in mind. whenever anything comes in. We wait in the, in the, in the scale of Quran and Hadith. So you will find sometimes even you words that are used in a media undermine our values, and only make mention of it. You know, previously people when they used to write about homosexuality, they used to say things you say sodomy. Now Sodom comes from saddam, which was a place where Allah punish the people because they were involved in homosexuality by unnatural you never see anyone using the word sodomy. What do they use for people who are homosexuals, gay,

gay people who are happy but we are gay, no, they

were it was why was we whatever we give that particular definition suhara but everyone uses that word. But what do they What have they done? What are they achieved in that? What they have achieved is to lighten the even nature of what Allah said is haram. So physic gay what what is this is something that we got to keep in mind what does the law says in the Latina a pinata? She'll Felicia fillerina Amarillo mother wanna live if those who love to publicize immortality for them is a severe punishment.

And the for the back pages finish in the legendary caponata shell Felicia, filled in Amarillo, Madonna Lynn. So what is our avatar? Be careful of messages that come even sometimes in word which undermine our values in all aspects. You know, all aspects that come from the media, I think a very important point. I'm not necessarily against Islam. Again, the avatar is our Quran and Hadith. Now, all of a sudden, we think about transparency, accountability, well, that comes from the west. We've got nothing to do with it. So Angela, where does it come from? accountability and transparency didn't come from them. It was born from our teachings. It was Maria Louboutin, who helped people to

account who helped people to account who in public places. Last week we made mention of obey diagne JIRA has incident. What was an incident? Homer said, Oh, wait, I want to come to your house. So I will wait. I said, Yeah, Homer don't come to my house we'll find nothing. Homer perhaps said no. You say no, maybe I must come. And he went into the house he saw the sparse, you know living aspects of Aveda instead of Aveda, the world has changed many people but has failed to change you.

But Omar, when when any governor used to come from abroad to Medina Sharif to visit his family, Omar used to put a spy on the road. Humor used to put a spy on the road. What is he bringing back home? Just give me a note. What is he bringing back home? He is bringing it back home? Is it bringing it with his money or public money? Look at what is happening in Limpopo today. I mean, absolutely. These type of things transparency, accountability come from Islam. Omar used to ask every governor to write down what he owned before he became a governor. And after he was finished as a governor, what did he own to compare the two things? So this transparency, accountability is not something

that comes from the media, it's our thing, and we have to bring it into our lives. Just because it is highlighted in a particular way from the media doesn't make it wrong. Omarosa Latina was one day speaking. And someone said, Oh, well, we won't listen to you. So why won't you listen to me said yesterday you gave a piece of cloth from the bathroom and that cloth would never have been sufficient to make a quota for you that you have the quota with a cloth

So Homer said, You are right. But that broth, a piece of cloth was also given to my son, my son made over the piece to me, therefore I made this quarter. It was transparency. He didn't say no. So this is not every aspect that comes from there, we have to keep in mind. Also, we have to develop a comprehensive strategy with regard to engaging and looking at the media here is the Muslim youth must really look at, you know, becoming journalists, taking a career in journalism to be able to provide the right alternative in terms of values and messages, and one set parties, the one set parties, that when Muslim journalists sometimes go into this field, instead of portraying the values

that Islam has, they become even more sensationalizing that even the other media, look at our own normal type of Muslim media supposed to be our local newspapers, when you look at the backbiting that take place, even got a particular column for that was not the quarter. First of all, it was wrong. Now they've got a particular column, what do you call it, PUNCH at corner something. So voila, now when we're gonna go into journalism, and we don't have our own values? And how is that going to happen? So go into it with our own values. And I think, I think Lastly, I will make mention it is an important point, we won't get another chance, we have to do it in this particular time,

when you hear some of the statements that come in, people run in many times, speak about things without, you know, looking at things without, you know, giving, giving thought to things, sometimes it's just splitting out things. Many times people say you see what has happened. Now, from now onwards, you don't need any certifying authority, go and do whatever you want to do. I think that is one of the most short sighted things that one can ever say. Perhaps this whole thing has highlighted the fact that we need a certifying authority, and we need to hold it accountable, it must be accountable. And let me just say, the food chain of supply has become so complex, that sometimes it

becomes even difficult for an organization that is in there all the time to be able to reach the bottom of it, nevermind an individual like you and I. So how can people say that you don't need a certifying authority without providing a credible alternative? When you don't have credible alternatives? And people speak without understanding? And being short sighted you have what happened in a sad? Well, I'm just giving you this examples. We need to understand that, yes, we need a certifying authority, it needs to be accountable. We need to keep in then after we need to keep it accountable. We also need to be accountable, then we mustn't say that, well, it's a Muslim, I saw

Alex sign, I don't need to ask anyone after that. But you won't use that same criteria to go and deposit your money into someone's account. If someone comes up and say that I guarantee you a 30% return on your investment. You won't go invest in him. You won't invest your money with him on the basis that his name is Muhammad. Because you value your money. You go and make your checks. This 30% he say he's gonna give it easy Can you deliver? Easy right there, they don't say is Muhammad, I can accept him. All of a sudden mama opens up a restaurant and doesn't have a certifying authority. And he says hello, but he's a Muslim. He says Allah, I can accept it. But why don't you use the same

criteria when you want to invest your money, they will make all the necessary checks. So is our halal and haram going so down, that you don't worry about it is our investments more important? So these are the type of things that you and I need to understand. And many times what happens on the ground does have an impact upon the people who are making decisions, or the people on the ground are not going to worry. And obviously that is going to have a ripple effect effect. So these are some of the things that I've made mention of May Allah subhanaw taala given a topic of understanding and making ama was rude