PR Expert to Muslims: Face Your Haters

For those in the business of Muslim P.R., 2014 has been a pretty rough year. 

In the wake of ISIS beheadings and movements like Boko Haram, Americans increasingly believe that Islam encourages violence more than other religions. This, despite research from the conservative Manhattan Institute that Muslims in America are actually highly assimilated.

But in recent months, Muslims have taken to social media — with a campaign called "Not in My Name." It's an earnest attempt by Western Muslims to distance themselves from extremists, with hashtags and YouTube videos.

That was followed by a counter-hashtag, the much snarkier #MuslimApologies.

Sorry for making the first hospital in the world, the first university, algebra, and medicine. #MuslimApologies

— Hatim Alzoubi (@h_dawg35) October 24, 2014

I'm sorry your addiction to caffeine was instigated by an Arab inventing coffee. #MuslimApologies http://t.co/cE8ImY4WxF

— A Crafty Arab (@acraftyarab) October 8, 2014

I am sorry or re-introducing #Greek #philosophy to the #west and for inventing the toilet and for #coffee and #cigarette #MuslimApologies

— kahraman haliscelik (@turkishreporter) October 6, 2014

I'm so sorry for coffee, cheques, parachutes, chemistry, soap... #muslimapologies v @mehdirhasan @abdullahoguk http://t.co/6ju9qaiTSH

— Abdullah (@abdullahoguk) October 5, 2014

One of the "apologists," executive director of the Arab-American Association of New York Linda Sarsour, said she thinks "Not in My Name" is pointless, because it won't sway ISIS or the Westerners who already hate Muslims.

"Sometimes I tell my people, 'Is it worth it that you go out there and say this or write these statements? Why do you feel so defensive? Why do you feel like you have to defend yourself? You're a good American. You're leading a congregation. You're talking about social justice. You're a law-abiding citizens. Why do you always feel compelled to have to apologize for every damn Muslim out there that does something crazy or does something violent?" Sarsour said.

But communications expert Robert Perez, who worked on a successful campaign to convince the Presbyterian Church to ordain gays and lesbians as clergy, said that earnestness actually works.

People respond to what he calls "Journey Stories," Perez said. "You show the conflict, you show the concern, you even show the fear and those stories proved to be very powerful."

Those types of stories encourage empathy, Perez said, and it's empathy, not irony, that changes minds.

 

A version of this story originally ran in On the Media.