On this West Virginia Morning, we hear from Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, on the efforts to rebuild the party and restore Democrats to state offices ahead of this primary election. Also, we hear about preservation efforts for a historic Black church in Harpers Ferry.
Home » Inside Appalachia: Rising Above Islamaphobia
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Inside Appalachia: Rising Above Islamaphobia
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How do Muslims living in Appalachia feel about increasing Islamaphobia in America? What role does the media play in creating such fear?
This issue has been heating up in the last year. As refugees from Syria have been arriving in Europe, some Americans, like Donald Trump, have called for barring them from entering the United States.
But there are Syrian people already here, including an 11-year old boy named Zain. He’s the youngest member of a family that immigrated from Syria six years ago. Reporter Ikram Benaicha is friends with the family and she brings us a story of a boy growing up with one foot in Syria and another in America.
11-year-old Zain says he feels comfortable here – and many Muslims say the same thing.
Harassment of Muslims in America is on the rise, according to an analysis from California State University’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. Their research shows a rise in assaults on Muslims, death threats, and vandalism at mosques since the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino.
Today, Americans are more fearful of terrorist acts happening in this country than they were in the days after September 11, 2001. So says a New York Times/CBS News poll published last December.
In this episode we also hear from:
Ehteshamul Haque, who used to live in West Virginia as the Imam in South Charleston. Haque was featured on a recent episode of “Us & Them”. Host Trey Kay explores how America’s anxiety about Islam has evolved over the past two decades.
Willa Johnson, Brandon Jent, and Tanya Turner in Whitesburg Kentucky. They’ll talk about what happened when a gun store in their community hung up a sign that said “Muslim Free Gun Store.” The Anti- Muslim Gun store got a lot of media attention across the country. But there was another side to this story that you may not have heard about. Listen to the episode to hear how the community responded.
Ali Ziyati, a professor of Media Studies and Chair of the Communication Arts Department at West Virginia State University. He talks with Inside Appalachia Host Jessica Lilly about how the media has affected the rising Islamaphobia in America.
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesperson with the Council on American Islamic Relations, who talks about what his group thinks may help reduce the number of threats and harassment of Muslims in America.
Inside Appalachia Host, Jessica Lilly, shares these thoughts about why the issue of Islamaphobia is important for our region:
I think it’s important that we keep talking about the truth about our people. Just like the rest of the country, most places in Appalachia are an eclectic mix of people. After all- African Americans along with immigrants from all over Europe and the middle east traveled here to work in logging or in the coal mines.
On this West Virginia Morning, we hear from Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, on the efforts to rebuild the party and restore Democrats to state offices ahead of this primary election. Also, we hear about preservation efforts for a historic Black church in Harpers Ferry.
Homelessness is not just an issue for big cities like San Francisco or New York City. Across America, communities large and small are struggling to provide shelter to people without housing. In Charleston, West Virginia, government and community approaches to help the unhoused have created more debate on an issue that is already divisive. Earlier this year, this episode received a second place award from the Virginias AP Broadcasters for Best Podcast.
On this West Virginia Morning, a West Virginia circuit court removed two members of the Jefferson County Commission from office, but a last-minute party change has cast confusion over who will name her successor.
Also, the construction of a pipeline in western Pennsylvania and a rupture in the Mountain Valley Pipeline has left environmentalists asking questions.
On this West Virginia Morning, as chief legal officer for West Virginia’s citizens, state office holders, agencies and boards, the attorney general’s (AG) responsibilities cover the litigation gamut. The four candidates in the upcoming primary races for AG have diverse views on how those responsibilities should be handled – and prioritized. Randy Yohe has our second story on this race.