"They will advertise lingerie, with naked women, in their ways?, Vetarn alcohol ads?, I can say how many Thousands of women have been manifested in Islamic countries against stoning?, do you agree with excision of the clitoris? ". When they are the only questions from a veteran reporter for the drivers of a European network of Islamic Media (REMI), the initiative is more than justifiable, necessary to break stereotypes.
Home of one of the numbers' Salamnews'. (Image: .fr)
Responsible for the content of Web pages Islamic probably most important in Spain and France: Webislam.com and Saphirnews.com, has convened his colleagues from other European countries to exchange experiences, seek to optimize technology resources and, above all, agree on a statement of principles that will help them to become an authorized agent of creation and dissemination of information.
With this project intended to counter the information that reaches Europe on the Muslims, "who often have negative approaches." We speak only of gender violence, the terrorists or the 'hijab' (Islamic veil). "We want to flee the corsets of the doctrinal, participate in solving the problems of society and have a recognizable voice," said Mansur Escudero, president of the Board of Islamic Spain.
In principle, this is not a new Islamic website but of uniting the efforts of all those who are already working for years so unselfish. "We want to offer more enriching contents of which are in many of these sites now. It is no use have ten sites in the same language in which they talk about the pillars of Islam and that almost none offered an analysis of the Today through the prism of the Muslim community. "
During
On Friday and Saturday, representatives of media from places as diverse as Finland (sine.fi), Bosnia (.ba), Italy (.it) and Germany (muslim-.de), to name Some of the approximately half of the pages convened, working to recognize their weaknesses and to think together how to exploit its potential.
A niche market to explore
Example of good management is the group of French Islamic Saphir name means that many will remind you to a neighborhood (Morocco), that after reaping success on the Internet last September made the leap to the paper distribution with the creation of 'Salam News', a free 24-page monthly with an initial print run of 100,000 copies per issue. It is based in Saint Denis, one of the locations in the Paris ring with a large population of immigrant origin, full of '' (something like ) as they define some disparagingly and an opportunity to improve on multiculturalism, for others.
co-founder of the Web, Mohamed Colin, ensured that companies in Europe are discovering the Muslims as a niche market. "In the newspaper advertisers who have tailored their message to the Muslim public." Escudero, faced questions about possible "veto" on certain advertising content, explained: "Obviously, we will not post content that are not consistent with our religion, such as those that show nudity, for example." Faced with what Safiyya Mayen, commercial 'Salam News' needed with a smile on his mouth: "A business of alcoholic beverages do not think that they are interested in advertising with half directed at Muslims, it would not be good business."
Network gives these days in Madrid its first steps. Maria Jose Contreras, Director General of the Confederations Relations with the Ministry of Justice as well as Jose Manuel Rodrigo Lopez, director of the Foundation Pluralism and Coexistence (FPC), and German Ruiprez, director of the Laboratory of Engineering Teaching of UNED, were presenters at days.
According
Mansur Escudero, has not invited any representatives of the most visited mosques in Madrid that of the M-30 and of the Straits "because it is working with entrepreneurs in the field of the media, none has webs with a lot of weight. " The creators of the Board, who have also launched the Institute Halal, are Spanish nationals who have "embraced" Islam.
Colin, one of the objectives of which is "to show that Muslims are not a monolithic block as is sometimes claimed to see." Yusuf Fernandez, project leader in Spain and editor of Webislam, adding that wish to stand as a voice of European Muslims to the institutions in Brussels.
As
Said Shahed Amanullah, editor in chief of the website .com, based in Austin, Texas (USA), "extremists on both sides are moderated when we who manage our disputes." In his opinion, to serve REMI than others to produce information and generate opinion about Muslims. "We need to open debates, to show the different branches of Islam, but above all, have more influence over the media to play an important role in society."