 Nama : Ahmad Ali Nurdin, PhD

 Tmp/Tgl. Lahir : Kuningan, Mei 1973

 Alamat Rumah : Komplek Griya Cinunuk
Indah Blok C1. No. 7
Cileunyi- Bandung 40393.

 Alamat Kantor : Lantai 2 Gedung FISIP,

UIN Bandung

 No. Tlp : 082117543973

 Alamat Email : nurdinster@gmail.com

1. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) bidang
Politik Kawasan dari Faculty of Arts
and Social Sciences, National
University of Singapore (NUS), 2010.

2. Master of Arts (MA) bidang Politik

Kawasan, Faculty of Arts and Social
Sciences, National University of
Singapore (NUS), 2004.

3. Master of Arts with Honors (MA. Hons)

Religious Studies, University of New
England, Australia, 2003.

4. Graduate Diploma in Islamic Studies

(GDIS), University of New England,
Australia, 2001.

5. Sarjana Agama (Tafsir Hadits),

Ushuluddin,
IAIN Bandung 1996.
 Ahmad Ali Nurdin, Ph.D
UIN Sunan Gunung Djati, Bandung

Presented at English for Ulama Program, Bandung 30th

March 2019.
 How do people around the
world view relations
between the West and the
Muslim world?

 Do they see cooperation

or conflict?

 Where there are

problems, who do they
think is at fault?

 Are they optimistic or

pessimistic about the
future?

4
 After terrorists attack (in New Zealand, America, London
etc.), riots due to cartoon issue in Denmark, war in Iraq,
Afghanistan and ISIS case,

 Most Muslims and Westerners are convinced that relations

between them are generally bad these days.

5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
 Politics : Political leaders have clear responsibilities to address
the major areas of tension among and within nations.

 Media: In the context of globalization, the media have emerged

as critical shapers of public and elite opinion concerning the West
and the Muslim world, as well as interactions across them

 Faith communities: Religious leaders are actively engaging in

dialogue, supporting civic values and mediating to defuse
explosive community tensions.

 Education professionals: at the secondary and post-secondary

levels are especially well positioned to foster dialogue that
addresses knowledge gaps and prepares citizens for a world
marked by cultural and religious diversity.

 Civil society: To be effective, dialogue between the West and the

Muslim world must reach deep into civil society to engage
women, ethnic and racial minorities, and professions including
education, law and medicine.
13
 As media have played a big role in the modern world,
particularly in the West, they are a major source of
information about Islam and Muslim societies.

14
15
 The media stereotype Muslims in a negative light as
fundamentalist, radicalism, conservative, extremist, un-
civilised or despotic.
 Media’s ignorance of selecting their words that describes
Muslims

16
 Western media often abuse the meaning of jihad by
referring to it as a holy war where Muslims unreasonably
kill non-believers

17
A student striving for top grades, individuals pursuing for equality
and justice for all people, honouring the parents, even a mother
giving birth to a child can all be considered jihad

18
 Western media often confuse and misinterpret of Muslim
women.
 The media often represent Islam as a male-dominant
religion where Muslim men have complete authority over
all groups of people.

19
 Due to Western media stereotypes of Muslims Muslims
perceive the Western media as hostile.

 The Western media are largely seen by Muslims as a

negative influence.

 This view is perhaps not without foundation. Many factors

explain this sense of discomfort.

 The Western media freely place Muslims in the context of

what they label a criminal culture

Although the Western media misreport and misrepresents

Islam, it must be said that not all journals describe Islam
negatively and stigmatize the religion.

20
 Muslims and the West should eliminate misinformation and
misunderstanding.

 It is very important for Muslims to discuss why Western

media are imaging Islam negatively.

 Muslims should ask the question whether it is purely anti-

Islam, or it is only pure news.

 Are there any other possible motives? In addition, will the

negative reaction change the image of Islam in the West?

21
 The historian Robert Darnton explains stereotyping by way
of graffito he once observed on the wall of a New York
Times men’s room: “All the News that Fits we Print”

 One could only get articles into the paper if there was
enough space for them and the news was marketable.

 Media sees an opportunity to sell religious news to the

readers. The commercial issue may be considered as one
motive for Western media to blow up any story about Islam.

It is understood that when the media publish controversial

stories about Muslims, they will attract people --Muslims and
others-- to buy and read the news.

22
 Another motive which has led Western media to portray
Islam negatively could be politics.

Muslims, therefore, should not assume that the Western

media have made a negative image of Islam because the
Westerners are anti-Muslim or because they hate Islam itself.

The Western media are probably just interested in selling

controversial news and, unfortunately, the reporters lack
understanding of Islam, so they make a negative image
accidentally.

23
It is also possible to say that many Muslim
leaders contribute to a bad image of Islam
by loudly condemning Western culture,
politics and ideology.

It is true, however, to say that most news

stories fall into one of several stereotypical
approaches to reporting, and stories on
religion are no exception

24
Muslims should consider economic and political issues or other
perspectives before making a judgement that there is a war
between the Western media and Muslims.

25
 To resolve the "war" between Islam and the Western media,
Ahmed proposes productive ideas which he calls "building
bridges

 The effort needs to come from both sides.

 First, the media need to take a more balanced and more

understanding position. The trap of using loaded words like
‘fundamentalism’ should be avoided by the media. The
media probably could use ‘revivalist’ or a terms which is
more neutral, rather than fundamentalist

 Second, more Muslims need to be visible in the Western

media --in film, on television, on discussion programs and
so on. It would allow them to project their point of view as
well as to counter their exotic and alien image.

26
 Another step to compromise is teaching a basic knowledge
of Islam in Western schools, so those children do not grow
in ignorance of it; ignorance breeds fear and prejudice.

 Western-educated Islamic groups and communities could

play the roles of educator and facilitator, explaining the
diversity of Islamic traditions and teaching the new ones
that grow out of the West.

27
28
 Conversely, Western values like democracy need to be
explained in Muslim schools so that Muslims themselves do
not stereotype and only know the West which offers free
sex, alcohol and violence.

29
30
31
32
33
 THE END……

 THANK YOU VERY MUCH

34