Trayvon Martin From a Muslim Perspective

In 1973, actor Marlon Brando refused to accept his Best Actor Academy Award for his performance in "The Godfather" due to “the treatment of American Indians ... by the film industry.” It is difficult to cite who is to blame for negative media images, but the vilification of minorities in media has a long history. Two groups that are particularly demonized today are Black and Muslim men (Muslims being generically “Middle Eastern,” a brown complexion with dark features). Mainstream media depicts Black and Muslim men as dangerous, violent, angry, sinister, and threatening. All of us, whether we recognize it or not, have been conditioned to see others through such stereotypes.