(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Anti-Islam extremists exerted huge pressures on the advertising companies that deal with the TLC American channel, and they called on the companies to pull their ads from the channel and force it to stop broadcasting the program “All-American Muslim,” having raised much controversy in the American circles due to the fact that it sheds light on the social, political and religious reality of the Muslims…Lowe’s company, a home-improvement chain, decided to pull its advertising having faced a fierce campaign led by anti-Islam extremists…The company had received a stream of emails rejecting the “All-American Muslim” program from individuals and groups of different and diverging political and social orientations. In response to the emails, the company decided to pull its ads from this program…On its part, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Washington declared that the calls for boycotting the merchandises of the companies advertising on TLC channel came from certain internet websites that are known for their hostility against Islam, such as Bare Naked Islam, which has recently released a number of threats against a number of mosques in the United States of America and Europe, as well as other rightist extremist groups such as the Florida Family Association, American Decency and others…It must be noted that the program on TLC channel started showing last October, and it sheds light on the lives of a number of Muslim American citizens going through different challenges. Moreover, the program chose Dearborn city, in which a Muslim minority of about 30% of the overall population dwells, in Michigan State as its theater. Moreover, the city is the home to the largest mosque in the United States of America, which is annexed to the Islamic Center…The mentioned program is a part of the intensive media efforts made to disclose the “Islamic anonymity” and put an end to the misconception of the Americans towards the Muslim citizens. The American writer, Katie Couric, commented in The Chicago Tribune on the program, saying: “People are usually afraid of what they do not understand…” To pull their ads from such channels that try to present the realistic image of the Muslim society in America shows how the advertising companies succumb to the false and strong campaign against Islam. Moreover, they yield to the financial considerations which dominate the general view towards the reality of the Muslims in America following the hostile and antagonistic campaign by the extremists. The bottom line is that this channel is only delivering its media message of introducing the American people to the reality and lives of Muslims, so as so set straight the misconception about them…/129
