Categories: Need to know

Re-branding Muhammad

A British poster campaign launched to improve Islam’s image

by macleans.ca on Friday, June 11, 2010 5:03pm - 44 Comments

The “Inspired by Muhammad” poster campaign was launched in London this week in a bid to improve the religion’s image among Britons. Images that will be spread around the city include the “eco-Muslim” poster featuring the blonde Kristiane Backer, a former MTV Europe host and convert to Islam. It reads: “I believe in protecting the environment. So did Muhammad.” A YouGuv poll released last month found half of Britons associate Islam with terrorism, 69 per cent believe the religion encourages the repression of women, and 41 per cent don’t feel Muslims have a positive impact on British society.

The Globe and Mail

Tags: religion

jdude

Ummm, I wouldn't mind Douglas Murray's take on this.
Ariadne

If they wish to improve the image of Islam they should rebrand it among their followers and faith. It is their religion and interpretation of it that is causing problem not what outsiders think of them.

Karen

I disagree. Religions, like governments, need to advertise their good qualities to offset the negativity that is always associated with powerful ideologically driven institutions. Further, they need to recruit. Last week I was shopping at the Eaton Centre and was handed a book about Muhammed with a bright smile. When the big religions recruit like the smaller sects it definitely says: "We're positive. We're good for you." No-one has to join, of course, but a person negative toward that religion might have their view adjusted a little by the contact. So…billboard or by hand, I like getting the message without undue pressure. Religion is here, here to stay, and we could use alot more tolerance.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

Judging muslims by the terrorists is like judging christians by Timothy McVeigh.

chet

Except Tomothy McVeigh didn't kill in the name of Jesus. He happened to be a christian. Last I checked there wasn't a virulent form of Christianity spreading throughout the world in which a worldwide terrorist network has formed.

Even McVeih did kill in the name of Christ (which he certainly did not), that the Islamic terrorist apologists on the left have to go back to a single act a decade ago and continually point to that act as somehow being equal to the near daily acts of killing, maiming or threats of killing or maiming in the name of Allah,

underscores how rediculous such comparisons are.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

Near daily? Wow.. let's see the citation on that chet, or are you just spewing crap with little to no basis in fact again?

Oh right.. you're not worried about truth, you're worried about truthiness. It comes from your gut right? If it sounds right, it must be, that's how it works, isn't it?

Cu Cuchulain

I guess I could be called a racist or bigot, but when it comes to Islam I have some problems.
Islam is church and state together and I can not support that in any shape or form, there are reason why we in the west fought hard to separate the two.
Unbelievers are not considered "clean" or equal and MUST be converted by sword if necessary. This may not be actually in the Koran, but it is what has and is being taught. It does not matter to me who teaches such hatred, Christian, Jew or Muslim, they are wrong!
Ryan

Ok, so bi-daily.. is that better? Or bi-monthly? Bi-yearly? Tri-monthly? What do you want to hear? There are those who believe in Islam who every day kill in the name of Allah. Why are you denying this? There is no point in denying it.

The problem is, to be Godless means you are required to deride all religions… and this therein lies the problem. It is Godlessness that is the problem.
http://intensedebate.com/people/PhilCP Phil

The problem is, to be Godless means you are required to deride all religions.

Can you expand about how the first requires the second? I'm missing the linkage between the two.

carter

Timothy McVeigh wasn´t a Christian, whoever fed you such a line that he was did just that, feed you a line.

Ryan

I recommend using Muhammad in the posters and then see how the re-branding campaign goes.

filter

Rim shot!

A senior

BECAUSE OF THE TALIBAN AND HAMAS…..THE ORDINARY MUSLIM HAS TO WIN OTHERS UNDERSTANDING ONE PERSON AT A TIME….I WORK WITH A LOVELY MUSLIM LADY…..BUT WONDER IF SOMEWHERE IN HER GROUP THERE MIGHT BE ONE OF THE FANATICS.

John D

Here's a hint: if they talk like they're using ALLCAPS, they are a fanatic.

filter

Where ever the burkas and beards are present the threat is near and real.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

The threat of ignorant racism from onlookers? Apparantly.

Guest

You can't be racist toward religion. And the religion is the problem.

Jeet

I am beginning to think we are in the midst of the second 'Crusades'. As it is I have absolutely no sympathy for any Muslim as I believe their silence regarding their heathen brethern is deafening. To fight them wearing uniforms and having one hand tied behind ones back while they fight this geurilla war not hesitating to murder children and any one else who gets in their way is madness. Either full-scale war or get out and let them win. We have idiots for leaders.

Ryan

Well, if you're a Christian, then "Thou shalt not murder" applies… it seems that even in the face of jihad, that Christians need to remain tolerant and trusting. Obviously it's not easy when Islam allows for full deception as well as murder, but outright war I don't think is the solution either.

Though if you're an atheist looking simply as Islam as a source of evil instead of the usual atheist viewpoint that all religion is bad, I'm not sure what to tell you there either.

Ryan

Disagrees with no rebuttals = worthless.

Jenny Mac

I wonder who's paying for this campaign…
chet

Racism, Thwimm?

Islam isn't a "race" its an ideology/belief system. One that is espoused by every race, including in the hotbed of the Caucuses (hey guess which race that region has given its namesake to??).

Which means I get to disagree with it, proclaim it is "wrong", positively state that its tenets are fundamentally at odd with our Western ideals,

all without having to wear the racist label.

A label today's left uses to deligitimize thought and expression and do away with debate.

Today's tolerant progressive left.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

Xenophobia by another name, chet. Go play your semantic games elsewhere, bigot.

chet

So the need to cover a woman's body from head to toe because to do otherwise will invite rape by men who understandably cannot resist the temptation of a womans flesh,

you're OK with that? Oh, wait, it depends of that mysoganistic ideal is in a tacit kinship of anti-Westernism. Forgot about that.

Today's left's apologism of Islam's barbarism towards beheadings, stoning gays and subjugating women is truly a site to behold.

And to not support such subjugation is "bigotry".

Interesting.
Ryan

It's not semantics.

Mike T.

"hahahha i was a bigot regarding somebody's religion not their race! hahaha i am soooo clever!"

congratulations.

Ryan

What?

Race is not something you believe in; you just are what you are.

Religion is a choice. If you want to go and assume everyone who says they hate a particular religion because of the race of it's majority of believers, then that's your choice also. It's rather lazy though.
http://intensedebate.com/people/RunningGag RunningGag

Religion is a choice.

Sort of. Most observers of religion are indoctrinated early. A religion that teaches the virtue of unquestioning faith is likely to create adherents that don't believe that they have that choice.

Cu Cuchulain

Last but not least, like my ancestors and many other immigrant families, we had to adapt and learn to be Canadian, the conception that most have of the Muslim immigrants here, is that they have no desire to be Canadian, our laws, our customs, our education, our politics are all considered contemptible.
This is an image that is powerful and should be addressed by the Muslim population.
Just a little note for those Muslims who feel discriminated against, study closely our history, look into the Archives, you will find photos of signs in bar windows, restaurants and such, Paddy's not welcome, Micks not allowed, RC need not apply…you see my ancestors had a rough time too, just like so many other groups that came here, give it time.

Toby

Get real. My ancestors "adapted and learned to be Canadian" by killing off the existing population, or driving them off their land.

Eddie

a stinking shoe by any other name is still a stinking shoe. forget rebranding. they just need to join the rest of us in the 21st century. till they do there is nothing they can do to change anyone's mind. all the celebs switching religion to support them will find out for themselves the futility of their actions.

till the muslims stand up and raise their voices against the actions of their 'brothers', and take action to stop those people there is no redemption for them.

i know this post will be seen as bigoted and "racist" and "hate speech". I don't hate them. i just disagree with their point-of-view as aggressively as they disagree with everyone else's. however, even at my most aggressive, you will not find me rioting and killing all over the place.

Mike T.

It will definitely be seen as stupid ignorant and close minded. but probably not all the way to bigotry or hate speech.

Eddie

i agree. it would seen "stupid ignorant and close minded" to those who are "stupid ignorant and close minded". when people are unable to see the truth, or deny it so much that they can't accept it, then that is what they say. your denial of the truth is their greatest strength.

bobby bittman

i think the signs may actually have the opposite effect. using taxpayer money for religious propaganda is a step in the wrong direction.

http://intensedebate.com/people/DerekPearce DerekPearce

It is not taxpayer money. It's a private foundation that is purchasing the ad space on public transit.

Salahudin

Pay back is A bitch lol :) welcome to the united kingdom of Islam
http://intensedebate.com/people/Viva_Vivian Viva_Vivian

The Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla, Supreme Leader Khomeini, was also inspired by Muhammad when he published "The Little Blue Book" and discussed environmentalism as it related to Allah's creatures. Example:

"The meat of horses, mules, or donkeys is not recommended. It is strictly forbidden if the animal was sodomized while alive by a man. In that case, the animal must be taken outside the city and sold."
"If one commits an act of sodomy with a cow, a ewe, or a camel, their urine and their excrements become impure, and even their milk may no longer be consumed. The animal must then be killed as quickly as possible and burned, and the price of it paid to its owner by him who sodomized it." http://iranpoliticsclub.net/islam/khomeini-teachi…
TedTylerEzro

Ad campaigns will only make a bad product fail faster.
Philanthropist

The Islamic Republik Of Britain.
http://www.pentagramz.info David Catleugh

I believe in beating my wife.
So did Muhammed.
delford t louis

as an old cowboy wrangler once said, 'try rebranding on the left hip, she is an old dry cow anyway'
Cu Cuchulain

Islam uses the word Crusade to invoke images of Christian terror and how it destroyed the Muslim world. True the Crusaders were not the kindest people but neither were the Muslims who invaded and controlled large parts of Europe, I believe cruelty was the norm back then. I also noticed that Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde are left out of this, though they came through world of Islam like a hot knife through butter, left a lot of mountains made of skulls, burnt cities, I don't believe Islam world ever recovered fully from the Mongol invasions for centuries after.
John D

Hey Ma! I done found the thread what got all the ig'nants on it!
http://intensedebate.com/people/M_A_D_world M_A_D_world

If a particular group has an image problem, then it may be worth examining why Western Populations have developed a mild to extreme distrust of their "brand". Either make religion less forthcoming in your dealings with others or try not being shocked that others don't follow your beliefs.
Catholics and Protestants learned to get along more or less by dropping the one thing they couldn't agree on. Religion.