There has been a tremendous amount of media on the supposed ‘ground zero mosque’ issue these last months and the latest take the cake. It’s now called the “Victory mosque”, in line with other supposed mosques that were built by Muslims after they conquered a land.
The discussion on YouTube where this video was posted speaks volume to the sentiment felt by the general population of Internet viewers. Overall, most of the viewers on this site agree that the advert is absurd and the patron, Renee Ellmers, a “candidate for congress”, is cashing in on this issue for political mileage. 62 out of 85 viewers have chosen the “dislike” button, albeit 23 viewers appear to agree with the message brought by the advert.
One viewer called it “Shameful, bigotted, inaccurate, jingoist nonsense”. Another focused on the liberal policy of the State: “Ahh. Liberty and justice for all. America is a cruel satire on liberalism these days. It's just very ironic that a country designed to be one of the most liberal is now the most backward, and the "old world" of Europe is the more enlightened.” Yet another, spoke plainly of the lunacy that was presented in the advert: “Apparently one of the mosques built in Seattle here was a victory mosque to celebrate the Battle of Northgate Mall where the Muslims beat back the Crusaders between the Foot Locker and Starbucks in the year Nineteen Hundred and Stupid!”
Regardless of the objectives of those who produced the advertisement, at work is the essence of politics of representation or misrepresentation. As Thomas Mitchell states,"representation (in memory, in verbal descriptions, in images) not only 'mediates' our knowledge (of slavery and of many other things), but obstructs, fragments, and negates that knowledge". The advertisement manipulates public awareness on the given issue through a culculated choice of representation that will eventually "obstruct, fragment, and negate" public knowledge and sentiment. The images used to represent Muslim conquerors and the ‘simple’ yet obvious statements presented on each image along with the message sent out by the voice over, captures both the xenophobic attitudes and the smearing campaign that continues to feed the issue of the building of the religious centre a few blocks from ground zero. If politics of representation has any agency to make social and political change this advertisement does more damage to inter-religious and intercultural relations in 30 seconds than any text we know.
Let us unpack the misrepresentation that continues to mar the true issue at hand. Firstly, it is not a “mosque”. As Keith Olbermann, the MSNBS news anchor and commentator of the Countdown with Keith Olbermann, calls it: “the inaccurately described ground zero mosque”.
The proposed site is rather a multi-religious and cultural centre akin to the YMCA which houses, as Olbermann correctly points out, “a basketball court”, “a culinary school” and “cultural centre”. Secondly, as has been established elsewhere it’s not at the site where the terrorist blasted the twin towers. It is in fact a few blocks away, “four or five” according to Olbermann, and one can barely see one place from the other. And thirdly, this suggested cultural centre is not a “tribute” to any past Muslim conquerors, as the advert appears to imply. Rather it’s a centre which will promote greater intercultural and inter religious communication as the centre will be open to all members of society.
I want to end the post not with the absurd 30-second advert that is currently making its round in the cyberspace, rather with Olbermann’s strong rhetoric in his special commentary on the mosque issue back in August of this year which I feel warrants attention.
This issue, as Olbermann correctly sums up, is rooted in strong misunderstanding and prejudice of the Other, and the continued blatant exploitation of ignorance by the powers that be. It’s the much needed passionate and vocal representation that is necessary to counter the current insulting and xenophobic type representation that continues to colour the landscape of America’s liberty and multi-religious tolerance. More such representation need to appear and more such public figures from all sides need to stand up and have their voices heard least a 30-second advert pushes the lay people into believing the absurd.
The discussion on YouTube where this video was posted speaks volume to the sentiment felt by the general population of Internet viewers. Overall, most of the viewers on this site agree that the advert is absurd and the patron, Renee Ellmers, a “candidate for congress”, is cashing in on this issue for political mileage. 62 out of 85 viewers have chosen the “dislike” button, albeit 23 viewers appear to agree with the message brought by the advert.
One viewer called it “Shameful, bigotted, inaccurate, jingoist nonsense”. Another focused on the liberal policy of the State: “Ahh. Liberty and justice for all. America is a cruel satire on liberalism these days. It's just very ironic that a country designed to be one of the most liberal is now the most backward, and the "old world" of Europe is the more enlightened.” Yet another, spoke plainly of the lunacy that was presented in the advert: “Apparently one of the mosques built in Seattle here was a victory mosque to celebrate the Battle of Northgate Mall where the Muslims beat back the Crusaders between the Foot Locker and Starbucks in the year Nineteen Hundred and Stupid!”
Regardless of the objectives of those who produced the advertisement, at work is the essence of politics of representation or misrepresentation. As Thomas Mitchell states,"representation (in memory, in verbal descriptions, in images) not only 'mediates' our knowledge (of slavery and of many other things), but obstructs, fragments, and negates that knowledge". The advertisement manipulates public awareness on the given issue through a culculated choice of representation that will eventually "obstruct, fragment, and negate" public knowledge and sentiment. The images used to represent Muslim conquerors and the ‘simple’ yet obvious statements presented on each image along with the message sent out by the voice over, captures both the xenophobic attitudes and the smearing campaign that continues to feed the issue of the building of the religious centre a few blocks from ground zero. If politics of representation has any agency to make social and political change this advertisement does more damage to inter-religious and intercultural relations in 30 seconds than any text we know.
Let us unpack the misrepresentation that continues to mar the true issue at hand. Firstly, it is not a “mosque”. As Keith Olbermann, the MSNBS news anchor and commentator of the Countdown with Keith Olbermann, calls it: “the inaccurately described ground zero mosque”.
The proposed site is rather a multi-religious and cultural centre akin to the YMCA which houses, as Olbermann correctly points out, “a basketball court”, “a culinary school” and “cultural centre”. Secondly, as has been established elsewhere it’s not at the site where the terrorist blasted the twin towers. It is in fact a few blocks away, “four or five” according to Olbermann, and one can barely see one place from the other. And thirdly, this suggested cultural centre is not a “tribute” to any past Muslim conquerors, as the advert appears to imply. Rather it’s a centre which will promote greater intercultural and inter religious communication as the centre will be open to all members of society.
I want to end the post not with the absurd 30-second advert that is currently making its round in the cyberspace, rather with Olbermann’s strong rhetoric in his special commentary on the mosque issue back in August of this year which I feel warrants attention.
This issue, as Olbermann correctly sums up, is rooted in strong misunderstanding and prejudice of the Other, and the continued blatant exploitation of ignorance by the powers that be. It’s the much needed passionate and vocal representation that is necessary to counter the current insulting and xenophobic type representation that continues to colour the landscape of America’s liberty and multi-religious tolerance. More such representation need to appear and more such public figures from all sides need to stand up and have their voices heard least a 30-second advert pushes the lay people into believing the absurd.
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