Reporting Islam - (Gender and Islam) by Suad Joseph

Book Synopsis

Reporting Islam examines the coverage of Muslim women in the New York Times from 1979-2011. The analysis addresses the nature of the coverage; whether there are parallels in the depiction of Muslim women from the Middle East and South Asia and with the US government policies toward these countries; and the relationship between feminism in the US and the representation of Muslim women in the US.

At a time when women often become the iconic representatives of their nations, their cultures and their religions, this book offers unique insight into how a dramatic period of contemporary history for the Middle East and South Asia was depicted by the leading print newspaper in the world. The coverage captures the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the rise of Islamist movements across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa, the first Gulf War, the 9/11 events, the second Gulf War, the War on Terror, and the Arab uprisings. The book asks critical questions about the wider implications of the misrepresentation of Muslim women in the media, and the links between print news, US foreign policy and women.

Review Quotes

"A comprehensive multi-faceted study that should serve as a reminder for reporters covering Islam to pause and reflect on the power of words to marginalize, trivialize, and mislead. " --Lawrence Pintak, PhD. Former CBS News Middle East correspondent and author, America and Islam

"This book is an invaluable resource, highlighting the gendered violence and Islamophobic misrepresentations that Muslim women experience around the globe driven, in part, by the flawed reporting that is prevalent in newspapers of record, such as the New York Times. A must read for anyone interested in understanding how media can shape perceptions of women and Islam." --Shaheen Pasha, Pennsylvania State University, USA

"In careful, dismaying detail, this must-read thoroughly researched essay collection shows how our most trusted media sources promote Islamophobia. Reporting Islam is a sobering reminder of how Islamophobia is not the result of ignorance, but of routinized, persistent misrepresentation by our most revered institutions." --Evelyn Alsultany, USC Dornsife, USA

"By analyzing anti-Muslim racism within the contexts of colonialism, global capitalism, and race/class/gender politics, Reporting Islam helps readers understand the historical and political conditions through which it emerges. It also updates existing perspectives on how media representations fuel some of the most urgent forms of injustice of our times while providing readers with tools for imagining and building a world without Islamophobia and racism. Its urgent interventions make it a must read for the general public and scholars across many fields--from Arab American and Muslim American Studies to Race and Ethnic Studies, Middle East Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, Media Studies, and beyond." --Nadine Naber, University of Illinois, Chicago, USA

About the Author

Suad Joseph is Distinguished Research Professor of Anthropology and Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies at the University of California, Davis, USA. She founded the Association for Middle East Women's Studies and co-founded its internationally recognized Journal of Middle East Women's Studies; she also founded the Arab Families Research Group, and co-founded the Arab American Studies Association and the Association for Middle East Anthropology.