SUGGESTED RESOURCES
Intercultural Understanding
between the Muslim and Western worlds
OUTLINE: (Tony - LINK to each section with a #bookmark)
Resource Centers
Research
Films
Videos (online)
Articles
Islam: Basic Facts (online)
Examples: Muslims who speak out against terrorism
Recommended Books
RESOURCE CENTERS:
MOST, Muslims on Screen and Television (http://mostresource.org)
Key goal: “Engage thought leaders and the entertainment community in an on-going dialogue about the
United States and the Muslim world.”
Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=249). The website includes
resources for educators and basic facts about Islam.
Common Ground News (http://www.commongroundnews.org/)
Key goals: to distribute articles to media outlets and individual subscribers which offer hope, promote dialogue
and propose solutions to the Arab-Israeli conflict and on a broad range of issues affecting Muslim-Western
relations.
Muslimah Media Watch (http://muslimahmediawatch.org/)
Key goal: Muslimah Media Watch is a forum where Muslim women can critique how our images appear in the media
and popular culture.
The American Muslim (http://www.theamericanmuslim.org)
Key goal: to provide news and articles of particular concern to Muslims in America and the West.
RESEARCH:
Muslim West Facts Project: “The mission of MWFP is to disseminate key poll findings to opinion leaders,
policymakers and members of civil society so that facts and not stereotypes inform debates.”
(http://www.muslimwestfacts.com/)
Pew Global Reports: Islamic Extremism: Common Concern for Muslim and Western Publics
(http://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=248)
Global Poll Finds that Religion and Culture are Not to Blame for Tensions between Islam and the West,
(http://www.globescan.com/news_archives/bbciswest/)
The Gallup World Poll is the largest available source of global public opinion data, providing access to the
voices of citizens in more than 130 countries and areas. For more information, contact Poppy MacDonald,
202.715.3080, or poppy_macdonald@gallup.com

Gallup Coexist Index: a look at public perceptions of people from different faiths
(http://www.muslimwestfacts.com/mwf/118249/Gallup-Coexist-Index-2009.aspx)

Gallup Report: Muslims and Americans: The Way Forward
(http://mostresource.org/Portals/_default/Skins/internal/Reports/Gallup%20sp%20report%201%20Mus
lims_and_Americans1%20%282%29.pdf)

Gallup Report: Perspectives of Women in the Muslim World
(http://mostresource.org/Portals/_default/Skins/internal/Reports/Gallup%20sp%20report%20%205%2
0Women_in_the_Muslim_World1%20%282%29.pdf)

Gallup Report: Ordinary Muslims
(http://mostresource.org/Portals/_default/Skins/internal/Reports/Gallup%20sp%20report%204%20Ordi
nary_Muslims1%20%282%29.pdf)

Gallup Report: Islam and Democracy
(http://mostresource.org/Portals/_default/Skins/internal/Reports/Gallup%20sp%20report%203%20Isla
m%20and%20Democracy%20Islam_and_Democracy1%20%282%29.pdf)
FILMS:
"The Kite Runner", “Green Zone”, "Syriana", "Charlie Wilson's War"
"Cities of Light - Islamic Spain", "Crossing Borders"
VIDEOS:
Videos that might be great for students to watch with their friends when talking about issues such as
“stereotypes” after the film screening:
Great three min video about stereotypes www.avaaz.org Video “Stop the clash of civilizations”
Short video (13 min) on our website about the personal impact of Morocco programs:
www.moroccoexchange.org
TV channel that creates bridges between cultures: www.bridgestv.com
Backgound on the development of stereotypes: Prof. Edward Said, Palestinian American Professor,
Orientalism (Video 35 min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwCOSkXR_Cw
ARTICLES:
“American TV Popular in the Middle East” (http://muslimmedianetwork.com/mmn/?p=3727)
“Hijabi Monologues: The Women Under the Headscarves”
(http://articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/06/entertainment/et-monologues6)
“Violence against women is not a tenet of Islam”
(http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=26964&lan=en&sid=1&sp=0S)
“Re-Narration of Muslim-Western Experiences”
(http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=21958&lan=en&sid=1&sp=0)
ISLAM: BASIC FACTS:
Lists of facts on Islam, Islam in America, and Women in Islam: One Nation For All: Muslims and Islam in
America (http://www.onenationforall.org)
Facts from The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/administrative/disasterresponse/components/islam.html
Common Misunderstandings about Muslims”
(http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/WhatWouldYouDo/story?id=4339516&page=1)
EXAMPLES: MUSLIMS WHO SPEAK OUT AGAINST TERRORISM:
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/muslim_voices_against_extremism_and_terrorism_2/
http://www.beliefnet.com/Search/Site.aspx?q=muslim+speak+against+terrorism
www.onenationforall.org
RECOMMENDED BOOKS:
John L. Esposito & Dalia Mogahed, Who speaks for Islam? What a billion Muslims really think, Gallup Press,
2007
M.K. Nydell, Understanding Arabs, Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, 2002.
Maria Rosa Menocal, The Ornament of the World - How Muslims, Jews, and Christians created a culture of
Tolerance in Medieval Spain, Back Bay Books, 2002
Tariq Ramadan, Western Muslims and the future of Islam, Oxford University Press, 2004
Azlan, Reza. No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam, Random House, 2005.
Akbar S.Ahmed, Islam Today, I.B. Tauris Publishers, London, 2001
John L. Esposito, Unholy War. Terror in the name of Islam, Oxford University Press, 2002
Craig Storti, The Art of Crossing Cultures, Intercultural Press, 2001