A laudable goal. From “Law, order and economy main priorities: Gilani” in the Daily Times, June 21 (thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist):
Islam: Gilani said Yemen and Pakistan should work together to dispel “the negative image of Islam being projected in the western media”. Yemen’s ambassador, who is about to finish his four-year term in Pakistan, said he would take away pleasant memories of Pakistan, adding that Pakistan was an important country of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), and that its contributions towards world peace were commendable.
“Its contributions toward world peace were commendable.” That Yemeni ambassador is quite the kidder!
Anyway, how can Yemen and Pakistan dispel “the negative image of Islam being projected in the western media”? Hmmm. That’s a tough one. You know how unscrupulous those venomous, greasy Islamophobes can be. But here are a few humble suggestions:
1. Rein in the people who kidnap Christians.
2. Stop sending jihadists wanted by the U.S. on their merry way.
3. End government support for Al-Qaeda.
4. End government support for the Taliban.
These actions, committed by jihadists and motivated by Islamic principles, tarnish the name of Islam in the West. So do many, many others like them, in Yemen, Pakistan, and elsewhere. Like so many others, Gilani is projecting, blaming the “Western media” for the negative image of Islam, and directing his efforts at correcting that, rather than dealing with the root cause. Yet no one would ever have conceived of a negative image of Islam if Muslims hadn’t killed people and explained that it was their religious duty to do so. And as long as such killing continues, people will have a negative image of Islam, no matter how insistent and energetic (and they are growing more insistent and energetic by the day) the Orwellian efforts to paper over that.