Columbia, Mo. (Aug. 3, 2011) — Missouri School of Journalism students aided in the creation of a new video series, which provides commentary and insight on current perceptions of Islam and Muslim cultures and the challenges faced in fostering cross-cultural dialogue between Muslim and non-Muslim communities.
“100 Questions About Islam” aims, above all, at being a digital video resource for the general public. The series consists of video interviews with scholars, journalists and policy makers on the major social, foreign policy and historical questions behind these issues.
The videos were conducted and produced by Missouri journalism students Danny Matteson, Yarna Klimchak and Emoke Bebiak under the direction of Reuben Stern, print editor of the Futures Lab at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute. The specialized program was arranged through the School’s International Programs office in collaboration with the British Council‘s “Our Shared Future” project, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations’ Media Program and Georgetown University‘s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding to create the series.
The series features 74 videos featuring 18 members of the Our Shared Future Opinion Leaders Network and the UNAOC’s Global Experts Network who represent views from multiple countries and a range of professional and personal experiences. Students from the School filmed the video interviews at Georgetown University during the May symposium, “Deconstructing the ‘Clash of Civilizations’: Towards a New Paradigm.”
“The creation of the ‘100 Questions About Islam’ was an excellent experiential learning opportunity for our convergence journalism students.”
Director, International Programs
Missouri School of Journalism
“We are pleased that our students could work with these international organizations to produce this series and, we hope, facilitate a greater understanding of Muslim culture,” said Fritz Cropp, director of International Programs at the School. “The creation of the ‘100 Questions About Islam’ was an excellent experiential learning opportunity for our convergence journalism students.”
The videos, which average two minutes in length, address common misconceptions about Islam and the role of Muslims in contemporary society in the U.S., the United Kingdom and other parts of the world. Participating commentators draw parallels between Muslims and other minority groups in Western countries, such as American Jews. A selection of clips also features the findings of a recent poll by Gallup of a billion Muslims around the world, the largest such survey ever undertaken.
“This is a terrific resource on a range of timely issues about Islam and Muslims. From the Arab Spring, to the burqa bans, to Sharia law and Islamophobia, the experts in “100 Questions About Islam” cover an incredible breadth of important topics in a way that is both accessible and intelligent, offering succinct analysis without sacrificing nuance or precision. A truly rich collection of insights – a think tank for the digital age,” said John Esposito of Georgetown University, a member of the Our Shared Future Opinion Leaders Network and participant in the project.
The entire collection of videos can be found at the following website:
Updated: June 3, 2020