About “The Muslim View”

We are living in an interdependent world. A crisis or mini-crisis in Pakistan can profoundly affect those of us in the United States, for example. Similarly, the release of an inflammatory movie in the Netherlands inevitably has ripple effects in the Arab World. Left unaddressed, these crisis involving Islam and Muslims – perpetuated both by Muslim radicals and Islamophobes who alienate Muslims and denigrate Islam – will blindside otherwise open-minded and tolerant people who lack the expertise or experience to respond. Prevailing opinions and false stereotypes become “common sense,” and they shape the dominant discourse on Islam and Muslims. Muslims are violent, oppress women, and they constitute a threat.

In response to this situation, we have built a rapid-reaction website where you can explore a diverse range of authentic and sophisticated Muslim voices and opinions. This site will give accurate information concerning pressing and especially relevant issues relating to Muslims and Islam, whether in the media, entertainment industry, or politics. The forum is both focused on the American Muslim community and global in perspective. Spearheaded by Muslim women, the viewpoints expressed on it are not exclusive to them. We cover the most important issues of today and offer diverse points of view, reflecting the remarkable variety within Muslim communities.

Our message is simple: We want you, the reader, to become familiar with your neighbors, your colleagues, and your fellow citizens. Muslims are regular law-biding citizens, contributing significantly to the fabric of both American society and global civilization. We want you to hear us discussing and debating those most contentious issues. Most importantly, we are taking the lead in ensuring that people of all religions respect and honor one another. Please join us in this effort and contribute your own articles, thoughts, and blogs to this site.

We are “The Muslim View: A Marketplace of Muslim Ideas.”

Contact Person:
Laleh Bakhtiar, Ph. D.

Contributors:
Aishah Schwartz
Irfana Hashmi