The second panel of the day is a panel on Islam. The panel features three people with different perspectives and information and is moderated by Matthai Kuruvila.
The Paul Barrett, a journalist and author of "American Islam: The Struggle for the Soul of a Religion" led off the discussion with a look into the writing of his book. Barret described his book as a compilation of shorter stories looking at different aspects of the Islamic faith.
The second speaker is Shahed Amanullah, editor-in-chief of Altmuslim.com, a Web site on Islamic news he founded in the aftermath of 9/11.
He presented three models of sourcing Islam the old way:
- The dissident
- The expert
- The spokesperson
Amanullah then presented new models of sourcing Islam:
- Ordinary Muslims who are active within their community
- Next generation Muslim community leaders
- Growing number of Muslim journalists and commentators
Amananullah explained why the population may be reluctant to talk with journalists. Among his points were the fact that Muslims are tired of being reported on like zoo animals or only being asked to comment on foreign stories or when there is a problem and for basic stories.
After looking at the reasons for reluctance Amanullah suggested ways for reporters to build a relationship with their local community. One of his techniques was for reporters to go out and attend events as well as using his new sourcing techniques.
The third panelist is Dalia Mogahed who serves as executive director for the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies. Mogahed has organized the largest survey on Islam which included over 40 predominately Islamic country as well as some European countries with Islamic minorities.
Mogahed noted that in the 1990's 73% of pictures in American press of Muslim women depicted the women as passive.
Mogahed also looked at other data concerning misconceptions of the Islamic faith and the role of Muslim men and women in society.
The Gallup Center for Muslim Studies will have a comprehensive survey released within the month on Islam in America.
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