The Dark Ages were a time of religious suppression and conflict that occurred from 400 to 1000 A.D. It was marked by a lack of innovation and advancement, corruption within the Catholic church, and struggles between Christianity and Islam.
The two major world religions have been at odds ever since. In recent news, the U.S. has come under intense scrutiny for an anti-Islamic cartoon, depicting the prophet Mohammed as a womanizer and murderer. Besides the offensive portrayal, artwork of the prophet is prohibited in the Muslim faith.
The film has been endorsed by several right wing Evangelical Christians, but it has caused mass riots, protests, and even deaths in the Middle East. Four Americans were killed in an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Libya last week. Islamic terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda have condemned the U.S. for the film and are urging fellow Muslims to rise up in protest.
A jihad, or Holy War, has been brewing in the Middle East for ages. The U.S. has been in the midst of this tension ever since the Persian Gulf War, arguably even before then. All the intolerance and hatred for people of other faiths so prevalent in the media is reminiscent of the Crusades that took place during the Dark Ages. Diplomacy and education, carried out largely by the media, is essential in preventing this conflict from escalating into even more violence.
This brings up one of our questions — is the media’s job to report objectively or lead the people? For the sake of promoting peace and tolerance, it’s time for the media to step up and go with the latter.
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