That Even before the Soviet Union dissolved itself, a new enemy, ‘Islamic fundamentalism’ was being given life. Warnings of its menace in the Middle East, in Africa, in Central Asia and, vaguely, to ‘our’ way of life, were dinned into the national consciousness.
Some of the warnings came from media pundits, apparently feeling naked and shorn without an over-arching threat. But Israel and its supporters were sounding some of the loudest alarms. And, while it is always risky to impute a motive that hasn’t been admitted or to define a policy that has not been declared, it is obvious that a late 20th century western crusade against Islam would serve Israel well.” (Israeli Foreign Affairs, March 25 92).
It is obvious that a stepped up campaign against Islam has been going on in the national media. in May, the New York Times published a seven – page article titled “The Islamic Wave” in its Sunday Magazine. In June, the Time Magazine devote 9 pages to its cover story against Islam. The Australian edition had a minaret and a gun looking like a minaret on the cover and the ominous question: “Islam, Should the World be Afraid?” In June, Atlanta Journal published a special 12 – page supplement on “Women Of The Veil”.
As a Reuters report indicated in February, the State Department had set up special teams to study the phenomenon of “Islamic fundamentalism” and prepare papers on how to face it without alienating much of the “Moslem” world, in the wake of Algerian elections. According to the report it was decided to avoid the phrase “Islamic fundamentalism”. It pits us against Islam. We prefer the phrase ‘political Islam””, said one official. The most recent media campaigns do show that the suggestion is filtering down. Time Magazine, for example, admitted for the first time that Muslims consider the term ‘Islamic fundamentalism’ a misnomer. Atlanta Journal did use the term ‘political Islam’. Terms like Radical and Militant Islam are also being tested to see which one will serve the propaganda needs the best. But the debate continues on how to deal with the Muslims both on the ground as well as through propaganda. (Muslim Media Watch Newsletter Aug. 5, 92, P.O. Box 1252 Garden Grove CA, 92642 – USA).
