amin@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Aminuddin Ahmad) (07/19/90)
M U S L I M M E D I A A L E R T ************************************************* NBC's daytime soap opera, SANTA BARBARA, stepped over the bounds of decent programming when it began to smear Islam during the first week of July. According to the story line, the two main characters, a man and his wife, have been kidnapped by pseudo-Arab thugs. The thugs work for a desert tribal leader who desires this man's wife. He offers the man all of his SIX WIVES in exchange for her. The two thugs make "sujud" (prostrate) to the leader and his magical medallion. This action are typical of "implied" Muslim bashing that goes on in the media. They have the characters performs pseudo-Islamic actions and never mention Islam or Muslims. When the thugs, however, mention ALLAH, they cross over the line from implied insults to outright slander. On the July 5th program the leader told the two thugs as they were leaving, "May Allah guide you." They have made this buffoonish criminals out to be Muslims and represent Islam in totally false way. We all have seen how the media represent the Muslims in general, and Arabs in particular as terrorists and hate-mongers. We must let NBC know that they cannot represent religion, particularly Islam, in such a false way. Since this program is a daytime soap opera, this story line may be carried out for weeks and more. All of America and many countries in the world may see these characters mocking Islam for an extended period. We can stop the story line short and end this insult by taking action NOW! First, call the station manager at your local NBC affiliate. You will find the telephone number listed in the local telephone directory. Express your displeasure with the content of the program and request the manager to pass on your complaint to the network. Follow up your telephone conversation with a letter. This is important to get it in writing! Second, write to NBC in New York. Please remember to keep your communications even-handed and polite, but firm. Let them know that you are one of millions of Muslims in this country who will not allow this insult to go unchallenged. TELL THEM YOU WILL BE CONTACTING THE SPONSORS OF THE PROGRAM. The address is: NBC/President of Entertainment Division 30 Rockefeller Center New York, NY 10020 Third, let your brothers and sisters in your community know about what is happening and what to do about it. See that a copy of this bulletin is placed in your Islamic Center. Fourth, ACT FAST! We need to act now to lessen the potential damage this program could produce. Even if it turns out that the kidnapped characters of the program are rescued tomorrow, and the story line ends, we still need to let NBC know our displeasure with the story so that it is not repeated. Related by Muslim, on the authority of Abu Said al-Khudri who heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) say: "Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart-and that is the weakest of faith." ************************************************* Telephone number for Milwaukee's NBC affiliate: CHANNEL 4 Manager: Waine Barnett Phone #: 332-9611