WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2013 — Term ‘currently used in an almost exclusively pejorative context’

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today distributed a commentary urging media outlets to drop the term “Islamist” because it is “currently used in an almost exclusively pejorative context.”

CAIR distributed the column below, titled “Media Urged to Drop Term ‘Islamist’ in New Year,” through ISLAM-OPED, a syndication service designed to offer an American Muslim perspective on current political, social and religious issues.

ISLAM-OPED commentaries are offered free-of-charge to one media outlet in each market area. Permission for publication will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis. (CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ih*****@**ir.com)

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ISLAM-OPED: Media Urged to Drop Term ‘Islamist’ in New Year

By: Ibrahim Hooper

[Ibrahim Hooper is national communications director for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil liberties organization. He may be contacted at: ih*****@**ir.com  A photo of Ibrahim Hooper is available at: http://tinyurl.com/hooperphoto ]

As many people make promises to themselves to improve their lives or their societies in the coming year, here is a suggested New Year’s resolution for media outlets in America and worldwide: Drop the term “Islamist.”

The Associated Press (AP) added the term to its influential Stylebook in 2012. That entry reads: “Islamist — Supporter of government in accord with the laws of Islam. Those who view the Quran as a political model encompass a wide range of Muslims, from mainstream politicians to militants known as jihadi.”

The AP says it sought input from Arabic-speaking experts and hoped to provide a neutral perspective by emphasizing the “wide range” of religious views encompassed in the term.