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- Muslim Men In Journalism: The World’s Last Hope Against Fake News (feat. @hkesvani)
Muslim Men In Journalism: The World’s Last Hope Against Fake News (feat. @hkesvani)
As the internet braces for Hoaxed, Mike Cernovich’s upcoming masterpiece and soon-to-be-blockbuster feature-length documentary on fake news, the question on everyone’s mind is…
Is there any way back for mainstream media?
If the opening theme to the movie is anything to go by, there isn’t.
Yellow Red Sparks’ lead singer, Josh Hanson excoriates the “old guard,” legacy media with an anguished croon:
…And we’re tired of messing around,
We’re tired of losing our feet on the ground,
So tired, we’re taking you down,
And strip you away from that media crown,
We know you’ll keep selling us fear,
Don’t you forget that your ending is near,
(Chorus)
And you know, no matter what you say,
Your hoax is on display,
We’re a light in your darkest cave,
And our fire won’t go away,
It will try what’s on your mind,
Why’s the truth so hard to find,
Might be poor, but we’re not blind,
What you’ve given is sick inside...
The indie-folk melody presents the listener with notes of hope and a coming victory…
That contrasts against Hanson’s dystopian lyrics reflecting our reality as media consumers today…
Because “the People” are finally waking up!
Of course, this is old hat to Muslims, who have been long on the receiving end of “Fake News” about our community and religion.
I confess it’s virtually impossible to sympathize with any of the controversial figures who’ve been on the receiving end of de-platform-ings and online censorship…
Those “champions” of free speech who spit nothing but lies and vitriol against Islam out the side of their mouths…
And never attempt to engage us on an equal footing.
But I’m looking forward, beyond my emotions and beyond my protectiveness over my religion.
The reality is, we’re all in this together…
Muslim and kaafir, conservative and liberal, friend and foe alike…
Against the authoritarian control of the mainstream media and “Big Tech” over what we can think, say, and do.
And that’s why we need more Muslim men in media and journalism.
Why Muslims?
Because telling lies, even white lies, is a major sin in our religion.
I don’t know of any other community who has a commitment to honesty and integrity like we do.
Do some Muslims lie? Of course they do.
But as a group, Muslims are the most trustworthy people on the face of this Earth.
A Muslim journalist will take his journalistic ethics deathly seriously.
I mean, the tenets of fact-checking, of refraining from slander or libel, of upholding truth and justice…
They’re all in the Quran.
O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.
O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one’s] faith. And whoever does not repent – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.
O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.
Why Muslim Men?
Because Men are far less likely to be corrupted by the degeneracy of the society around them since, as a group, they possess lower Openness and Agreeableness (2 of the Big 5 personality traits) than women do.
Just look at who in our community has succumbed to the “progressive virus”:
Who are the loudest Muslim voices promoting feminism, homosexuality, licentiousness, abortion, the degradation of the traditional family and of gender roles, and other degenerate, anti-social ideas?
It’s our women. Prove me wrong.
Why Journalism?
Because politics is downstream from culture, and the media we consume today will be the reality in our society a decade from now.
24 normalized the idea of a Black American president. Will and Grace normalized the idea of open homosexuality.
It’s enough now.
Are we going to stand around and watch the world burn?
Or are we going to save people from a life of worshiping themselves and their hedonism?
And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you…
You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah . If only the People of the Scripture had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient.
Hussein Kesvani – Muslim Journalist (no, he hasn’t brought shame on his family by not becoming a doctor)
Late last year, I had the chance to sit down to talk to Hussein Kesvani about his work as a Muslim journalist.
A lot happened between then and now that led to me not publishing this podcast episode soon after I recorded it.
I figure now’s as good a time as any.
Hussein Kesvani is the UK/Europe editor for Mel Magazine, a publication ostensibly about men and masculinity (though I would argue it’s perpetuating modern degeneracy and promoting men being Soyboys.)
This is most certainly a black mark against Hussein, who is otherwise a fine gentleman and an accomplished, non-hacky journalist.
He’s also written for Buzzfeed, Vice, The Independent, The Guardian, The New Statesman, The Shortlist, and Refinery29.
He’s a co-host of the No Country For Brown Men Podcast and also the Trash Future podcast.
Here’s what we talked about during our short chat:
The relationship between a writer and his editor, and why journalists publish pieces that can seem “editorialized” [4:55]
What journalists and copywriters have in common when writing about “subjects” and clients [8:42]
The challenge of writing on topics involving Muslims in a non-Muslim publication [13:05]
How BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) people can get their foot in the door of fast-changing world of modern journalism [17:20]
Where does Hussein place crowd-funded, independent citizen journalists like Mike Cernovich, Tim Pool, and Lauren Southern in the ecosystem of journalism as a whole [23:58]
How the definition of “journalism” has changed in recent years [27:18]
On the journalistic value of what many citizen journalists think passes for journalism [30:09]
Do mainstream media publications have a responsibility to be impartial and objective? [35:26]
How can Muslim men get their start in journalism? Hussein gives us practical advice. (Hint: copywriting is an important skill) [39:56]
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