A "torrent" of negative stories has been revealed by a study of the portrayal of Muslims and Islam in the British media, according to a recent report.
Research into one week's news coverage showed that 91% of articles in national newspapers about Muslims were negative.
London mayor Ken Livingstone, who commissioned the study, said the findings were a "damning indictment" on the media and he urged editors and programme makers to review the way they portray Muslims.
"The overall picture presented by the media is that Islam is profoundly different from and a threat to the West," he said.
"There is a scale of imbalance which no fair-minded person would think is right."
Only 4% of the 352 articles studied last year were positive, he said.
Mr Livingstone told his weekly news conference that the findings showed a "hostile and scaremongering attitude" among the national media towards Islam and likened the coverage to the way the Left was attacked by national newspapers in the early 1980s.
"The charge is that there are virtually no positive or balanced images of Islam being portrayed," he said.
"I think there is a demonisation of Islam going on which damages community relations and creates alarm among Muslims."
Among the examples highlighted in the study was a report which claimed that Christmas was being banned in one area because it offended Muslims, which researchers said was "inaccurate and alarmist".
The report said that Muslims in Britain were depicted as a threat to traditional British values.
Alternative world views or opinions were not mentioned and facts were frequently distorted, exaggerated or over-simplified, said the report.
The researchers said that the coverage weakened government attempts to reduce and prevent extremism.
A separate opinion poll recently published by Mr Livingstone showed that Muslims in London were more likely to feel "British" in their attitudes than other members of the community.
More Muslims were proud of their local area compared with other members of the public.
It reminded SteveUK2 at the medialens messageboard of a survey of Muslim opinion conducted by The Telegraph on July 23, 2005.
They asked...
"Which of these views comes closest to your own?"
(Possible answers and results)
1. Western society is decadent and immoral and Muslims should seek to bring it to an end, if necessary by violence. 1%
2. Western society is decadent and immoral and Muslims should seek to bring it to an end, but only by non-violent means. 31%
3. Western society may not be perfect, but Muslims should live with it and not seek to bring it to and end. 56%
4. Don't know. 11%
The results appeared on the front page as:
"32% of British Muslims think Western society is decadent and immoral and should be brought to and end."
So they misrepresented their own survey and combined two of the results they liked into one. They critically left out the "by non-violent means" part as well.
"Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure."
Full report
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