This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/5911
June 13, 2013
The Religion of ...Huh?
Advertising isn't usually overly concerned with the silly notion called truth. Rather, it simply wishes to sell something like - hold it, Islam is the religion of what? From Dr. David Lazerson
Mark Twain once said that "the difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning." Indeed. One word inserted or, for that matter, left out, can make all the difference in the world.
I couldn't help but think how Mark Twain would have responded with a rather quirky smile to a recent advertising campaign that took place in south Florida. It was on billboards every few miles along the busy, crowded super highway of 95. It's the free road that runs clear up the eastern coast of the United States. It was splattered across the long sides of public busses. And it was even on private citizen's individual cars in bumper sticker format.
I must admit, my eyebrows turned up every time I saw these ads.Along with my surprise came the realization that advertising isn't usually overly concerned with this silly notion called truth. Rather, it simply wishes to sell something.
Take cigarette ads for example. Let's play the game where I say a word and you say the first thing that comes to mind. Okay, ready? Marlboro. If you're like most of the general population, we've been bombarded with all sorts of slick ads for this classic smoke. And most of us will respond with something like "cowboy" or "horseback riding" or "macho guy with rope out on the range."Thus, despite the overwhelming scientific proof that smoking produces the exact opposite of a robust, healthy bucking bronco, nonetheless, the advertising campaign has worked wonders for Marlboro. It's the preferred cig of many of my teenage students, making them feel like they too are ready for a two-week cattle drive far from civilization. Well, not too far, mind you. They'd go as long as there's some corner stores on the journey where they can continue to support their nicotine Marlboro habit.
Those ads touting the virtues of Islam felt like one of those off-based tobacco ads. I pictured myself calling the number listed on the ads in case I yearned for "further information" to save my soul. The following scenario played out in my head.The vast majority of Muslims are good, decent people. They don't promote violence or this notion of killing off the infidels. They believe in living together in a peaceful society. But unfortunately, their voices have for the most part, been silenced by this ever more vocal tiny minority of Islamic extremists.
Journalists in the Arabic countries who portray the truth and practice free speech are often arrested many never to heard from again.
To be sure, not every Muslim is a terrorist. Far from it. But it sure seems today that nearly every terrorist is a Muslim. And this certainly hasn't helped the Islamic religion or cause. It hasn't brought in thousands of people calling the hotline number on those ads for further information about the true religion of peace. It may have had the opposite effect. People waiting on the roadsides with their spray paint cans ready to add their own choice words to the billboards.This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/5911