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To See or Flee: A Muslim Teen’s Guide to Twitter

By Hannah Shraim
GSS Correspondent

An extremely potent tool is present in our world today. It allows us to connect with people from all corners of the globe in a matter of seconds. It is the fastest way to spread current information. And, it lies at our fingertips – literally.

Social media is no longer just a means of communication; it is part of a global culture in which technology can create a kind of bond among people of all backgrounds and ethnicities.

With the rise in anti-Muslim bigotry since the beginning of the presidential primary campaign last fall, there has certainly been a circulation of unfavorable opinions towards Muslims. At the same time, there has been a circulation of opinions in support of Muslims.

Being the informed social media user that you are, it is important to realize who’s spewing misled hate against Muslims, as well as who’s supporting Muslims in the name of tolerance and — contrary to popular belief — the truth.

Let’s dive into the top three most-outspoken voices on social media, both against and for American Muslims, through one of the most popular forms of social media: Twitter.

The Top 3 To Flee

Donald J. Trump: @realDonaldTrump

If you don’t know who Donald Trump is, honestly, where have you been?

This Republican presidential candidate kicked off the conversation against Islam Dec. 8 when he proposed a ban on all Muslims from entering the United States, including American Muslims visiting abroad. He also proposed a Muslim registry to keep tabs on “Islamic activity” in the U.S.

Trump’s proposal triggered this powerful response from a former Marine, which sparked widespread support for Muslims:

@MuslimMarine stood up to Trump’s nonsense, revealing that being American and Muslim is not a conflict of interest.

Unfortunately, Trump is not only a xenophobic bully for his proposed ban on Muslims, but also a mean-minded grammarian, calling out President Obama for what Trump said was a poor choice of words when talking about Islam:

This is not about political correctness: The wording Trump suggests is ludicrous. Linking the words “radical” and “terrorism” to Islam create the image that Islam promotes radicalized and terroristic ideas. It promotes a dangerous ignorance and intolerance against Muslims that should never be welcomed in the United States of America.

If you want the truth about Muslims, Donald Trump is not the person to follow.

Ann Coulter: @AnnCoulter

As public personas, Ann Coulter and Donald Trump almost go hand-in-hand. Coulter is a conservative social and political commentator who is known for her advocacy against immigrants and — you guessed it — Muslims. Coulter specifically likes to blame all followers of the world’s second-largest religion for the existence of terrorism:

Although Coulter’s demands seem aimed at stopping “imports” of non-American Muslims, her words also hurt Muslims at home by portraying Islam as a religion that promotes violence. She fails to see that Muslims are not the cause of terrorism; the acts of a deranged few do not constitute an entire faith, and those deranged few could never be deemed true Muslims.

Still, Coulter rejoiced at Trump’s aforementioned proposal:

According to the laws of the Constitution, however, her birthday gift will fail to become a reality.

Steer clear from Coulter if you believe in logical reasoning.

Pamela Geller: @PamelaGeller

Pamela Geller is unambiguously known for her anti-Islamic preaching. She is an American author and the president of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, a New York-based group that has been described as an active anti-Muslim group by the Southern Poverty Law Center in its “Extremist Files” database.

Geller’s book, Stop the Islamization of America: A Practical Guide to the Resistance, helped place her on the map for spewing hatred against Muslims. Notably, she protested against the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero and tweeted this after the final decision was made:

Geller’s profile is a perfect place to receive rhetoric, not valuable information. She demoralizes American Muslims in her fight against erroneous definitions of Islamic values like jihad and sharia law.

@PamelaGeller is definitely a Twitter handle to flee.

The Top 3 To See

Larycia Hawkins: @LaryciaHawkins

Until December 2015, Hawkins was the associate political science professor at Wheaton College, a Christian liberal arts college located 30 miles west of Chicago. Hawkins, the first African American tenured professor at Wheaton and a self-described Christian, decided to stand in solidarity with Muslims and wear the hijab for a single day during the month of December 2015.

She tweeted this in relation to her actions:

Wheaton College suspended Hawkins after reviewing this tweet along with statements Hawkins made on her Facebook page, asserting that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. She no longer works for the institution, and despite controversy, stands behind her choice.

Hawkins exemplifies what true solidarity means. Instead of merely speaking of her desire to unite across faiths, she made it happen through her actions.

If you’re looking for inspiration and positivity, make sure Hawkins is on your feed.

Aziz Ansari: @azizansari

Aziz Ansari is an American actor and comedian best known for playing Dev, a struggling actor in the Netflix series ““Master of None.” But it was no joke when he took on media giant, Rupert Murdoch.

Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corp., which owns The Wall Street Journal, outlandishly opposes Islam. He tweeted this in January:

Murdoch’s words frustrated Aziz, who was born to Muslim parents but does not identify as a Muslim himself. He responded to Murdoch’s comment with some humor, asking what his elderly parents can do about the situation:

He then vented his frustration with this:

By repeatedly raising the question of how ordinary, peace-loving Muslims can possibly control terrorists over whom they have no control, Aziz raised a valuable point that shows the hypocrisy of Murdoch’s statements. He defended how Muslims have no control of the acts of terrorists, showing that they are two separate entities.

If you don’t follow Aziz for his solidarity with Muslims, at least follow him for his comedy. He is hilarious.

Michael Moore: @MMFlint

Michael Moore is an American documentary filmmaker and left-wing political activist. His latest film, “Where to Invade Next,” is being released in theaters nationally today.
Again, after Donald Trump’s aforementioned plan (see a common theme here?), Moore took the opportunity to urge camaraderie with all Muslims:

As you can see, Moore stood in front of the Trump Tower with the sign, “We Are All Muslim” and asked his followers to do the same. His gesture brought a sense of community to all that oppose meaningless and prejudicial ideas against Muslims.

Michael Moore is insightful and bold, which means that his tweets carry the same qualities. It also reveals why he is on this list.

The final verdict? Tweet with care and understand who you’re following and retweeting. Your Twitter view not only reflects your personal opinions, but also reflects the kind of world you’re creating with those opinions. So make sure that you’re happy with your Twitter feed – you never know the influence a single idea can bring to the world surrounding you.

Tweet wisely, little birdies.

—Featured photo: Photo from Pixabay at https://pixabay.com/en/smartphone-twitter-mobile-phone-586944//Public Domain.

HannahShraimShraim is a student at Northwest High School in Germantown, Maryland. Opinion columns published on GSS represent the views of the author only and not Global Student Square. Contact Shraim at hannah@ngenterprise.com.

Beatrice

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