Written by Jaihasra Jamaludin

In most countries including Malaysia, governments take an active interest in the media and culture industries. Government have the strongest influence and impact towards media industries in every country. Nowadays, media become as a new technology that developed cultural niches among the society. With the development of media industry from the 20th century, media contribute huge impact toward culture in every society. Culture affects us all no matter where we live or what we do in everyday life.

Media can be described as a method of communication channels through news, entertainment, education, broadcasting, journalism, advertising and promotional messages are disseminated. Whether we like it or not, media plays a crucial role in our everyday lives. Films, music, radio, television, books, magazines and online medium which are uniform the culture industry worldwide.According to Sabnani (2012):

According to Sabnani (2012), culture Industries was proposed by Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer of the Frankfurt school in 1944. It was presented as critical vocabulary in the chapter “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception”, of the book Dialectic of Enlightenment. Adorno and Horkheimer proposed that films, radio programmes, magazines, etc. — that are used to manipulate mass society into passivity. Adorno and Horkheimer criticise the ‘Culture Industry’ for promoting a society that is drowning in a society of mass culture and industrialisation, instead of encouraging freedom and individuality.

Culture industry refers to the various businesses that include markets, produces, sells or distribute products or services to the customers worldwide. This product and services include foods, clothes, books, television, movies and music programme. Music industry culture is referring to the business involved in producing, sales, distribution and creation of work of creativities in the field.Music is one of the popular entertainment industries that gone through a long history and changes rapidly from the traditional method of producing, recording, manufacturing, distribution, sound, music video, advertising and produce to the newest technologies invented. From the traditional and classical genre of music such as Zapin, Ghazal, Dondang Sayang and Boria to the new genre of music such as Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, Raps, Ballads, Dangdut and also K-Pop music.

Music is one of the popular entertainment industries that gone through a long history and changes rapidly from the traditional method of producing, recording, manufacturing, distribution, sound, music video, advertising and produce to the newest technologies invented. From the traditional and classical genre of music such as Zapin, Ghazal, Dondang Sayang and Boria to the new genre of music such as Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, Raps, Ballads, Dangdut and also K-Pop music.

 

In 2012, Korean pop culture or K-Pop becomes an increasingly globalised music phenomenon including in Malaysia. The popularity of South Korean singer such as PSY and Super Juniors has become an unexpected worldwide hit and famous across the globe. Some Malaysian have accepted and adopted the K-pop culture into their lives. Korean music had influenced Malaysian with their music, dance, fashion style, food and language. The K-pop fashion and language is a major area that has influenced their fans. The Malaysian fans tend to copy the dress and accessories wear by their favourite singers. Some fans attend Korean language classes to master the language itself. After all, K-pop definitely as the new culture that influences Malaysian lifestyle in regard the music industries.

 

According to Korean.net (1999-2015), the Korean wave refers to the phenomenon of Korean entertainment and popular culture rolling over the world with pop music, TV dramas, and movies. Also known as “Hallyu” (한류) in Korean, the term was first coined by the Chinese press in the late 1990s to describe the growing popularity of Korean pop culture in China.

Music industries also perceived as a social and cultural implication such as morality and violence. For example, today most of the celebrities or artist shares their activities, opinions, news and information through social media. Famous artist Faizal Tahir used his Instagram application to share his opinion toward GST implementation. Through his posting, many fans give negative comments by using inappropriate word and condemn government action.

Other implication contributed by music industries on our education system where students are spending too much time on listening to the music and not enough time on homework. They spend more time listening to their favourite artist or watching their favourite entertainment programme. These environments become a normal culture to the new generation and it will affect their focus, concentration and performance.

The bad, violence and negative songs produce also bring negative impact to the listener behaviour. The rap music, for example, setting a bad example to young people throughout the lyrics of the songs they produce. Eminem songs Kill You shows how he portrays his feeling over his previous life which is are not suitable and should be avoided. The content of the lyrics can be influence the listeners’ especially young people to involve in the crime or violence activities. Jackson (2015) insists that:

Rap lyrics may discuss violence as a part of an exciting and dangerous lifestyle, but some songs condemn violence and even propose solutions. Research done at Western Connecticut State University found that those who listen to music with violent lyrics are more likely to be violent. Rap was born in poor urban communities where violence may be poorly controlled, but social and economic factors can play a much greater role in the prevalence of violence.

Music can provide both relaxation and entertainment and thus has proven its ability to influence people and culture. It can also affect the attitudes and behaviours of its listeners directly. Concerns regarding the negative effects of the music are not something new in this era.

The communities especially the authority’s organisation, governments, politicians, celebrities, artist and NGOs should play their important roles in order to prevent the negative impact towards social and culture to the Malaysian societies. Therefore, individuals have their own role to play, whether they are a person, a parent and an individual in society or a leader of the state. The music industry people, broadcasting company and the producers, in the other hand, should produce a positive and creative music to prevent our culture from destroys rather than think about the profit itself.

References
Jackson. N (2015). What Influence and Effects Does Rap Music Have on Teens Today? Retrieved 13 November 2015, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/1005065-influence-effects-rap-music-teens-today/
Korean.net (1999-2015). Korean Wave. Retrieved 13 November 2015, from the http://www.korea.net/Government/Current-Affairs/Korean-Wave?affairId=471
Sabnani. P (2012). Culture Industry. Retrieved 9 November 2015 from the http://www.slideshare.net/pankajsabnani/culture-industries

Written by Erda Khursyiah Basir

Besides defined as all processes by which the peoples from over the world are incorporated into a single world society and global society globalization also refers to a process by which different economies and societies become more closely integrated, and concurrent with increasing worldwide globalization. Globalization closely relates with an element of neo-imperialism or new imperialism.

What is neo-imperialism? It refers to the dominance of some nations over others by means of unequal conditions of economic exchange. Neo-imperialism exist when one nation is dependent upon another because the weaker nation is unable to survive economically in the modern world without the aid of the stronger nation.  Therefore, somehow globalization somehow also can be refer as massive and active international communication that bring together different nations states throughout the globe for collaboration in terms many aspects especially social, political, economic, capital flow, foreign investment and any other commitments. Through globalization, every country joining and work together in certain aspects and viewing themselves as part of the world as a whole compared to their own national identity.

 

 

Globalization also makes the whole world as one whereby the society may share or contribute or even used the same thing. McDonalds, Starbuck even the usage of social media like Facebook and Twitter are some kind or symbol of globalization as people from all over the world can used the same thing, the same brand and can communicate each other even in a long distance.

Globalization however perceived has bring the bad impacts on the local culture as society easily get influence on what they see and watch especially through media. Through the exposure of the western culture including their lifestyle, many of people nowadays are following that kind of living which considered as modern and up-to-date. The impact of globalization on economy for example like the implementation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) also rise concerned of some local traders and entrepreneurs due to the ability of the country to compete with the first world country to market  their goods and services. The worried is based on the huge and advance technology that the established country has compared to the others.

Many believe that globalization also affect the less powerful country to be controlled by the powerful ones. It also means globalization has increased interdependence of develop and third world country in the economic, social, technology, cultural as well as political towards first world country. If previously globalization was considered as an umbrella to protect people in one roof, however, now, it is more to symbol of hegemony of the powerful country to the less powerful countries.

As some people perceived globalization is a good thing for the whole world, as they can share and get the opportunity to use and ‘feel’ the same thing like other countries do, part of them however concerned on the impact of the globalization itself especially though the culture and hegemony of the first world country to the third world country.

Globalization give more power to the established country as they may lead even makes decision on the matter arise. If previously the stronger culture overpowers the other culture through war and colonialism, however globalization make this much easier as they just influence the way people think and shape their mind towards certain issues especially through media reporting.

Written by Jamilah Zubir

Poverty is a global issue where it is still faced by big parts of the world to date. To be precise, countries like Asia and the Pacific, Sub – Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, near East and North Africa and few developed countries are still in poverty. Even though we are living in the 21st Century where futuristic technologies come in existence, foods are produced millions in productions and so much more but poverty still remains. Why? Are we born in this world based on whether we are unlucky or not?  My perception on poverty is that the difference is whether you are living in Malaysia means you are safe from poverty and if you’re born in Africa, your chances living in poverty is high.

Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter.  However, poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money. The World Bank Organization describes poverty in this way, poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time.

There is no one cause of poverty, and it is different in every case. Poverty varies considerably depending on the situation. Feeling poor in Canada is different from living in poverty in Russia or Zimbabwe.  The differences between rich and poor within the borders of a country can also be great.

Despite the many definitions, one thing is certain, poverty is a complex societal issue. No matter how poverty is defined, it can be agreed that it is an issue that requires everyone’s attention.  It is important that all members of our society work together to provide the opportunities for all our members to reach their full potential. It helps all of us to help one another.

Facts about poverty

• Nearly half of the world’s population — more than 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. More than 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty (less than $1.25 a day).
• 1 billion children worldwide are living in poverty. According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty.
• More than 1 billion people lack adequate access to clean drinking water and an estimated 400 million of these are children. Because unclean water yields illness, roughly 443 million school days are missed every year.
• In 2011, 165 million children under the age 5 were stunted (reduced rate of growth and development) due to chronic malnutrition.
• 870 million people worldwide do not have enough food to eat.
• Preventable diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia take the lives of 2 million children a year who are too poor to afford proper treatment.
• As of 2011, 19 million children worldwide remain unvaccinated.
• A quarter of all humans lived without electricity — approximately 1.6 billion people.
• 80 percent of the world population lives on less than $10 a day.
• It would cost approximately $40 billion to offer basic education, clean water and sanitation, reproductive health for women, and basic health and nutrition to every person in every developing country.
• The World Food Programme says, “The poor are hungry and their hunger traps them in poverty.” Hunger is the number one cause of death in the world, killing more than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

The world’s population is in poverty, most of them. This should not be the case where we live in a world full of resources. We were taught since in pre – school that sharing means caring and we should share what we have to people around us. Why does well developed countries do not help the poor countries and if they did help them, why are the poor countries still remain in poverty. What values that we instil in our country? Although the realisation on poverty is high among other countries, there are still people living in poverty.

Written by Aqnees Zulkiflee

As we all know, a good family relations are build on a strong communication. Without a strong communication in a family, there will be a difficulty in building a healthy lifestyle among the family relationship itself. Thus it can for sure affect the family communication in a family. But still, what is family communication? What do you think of a family communication when you hear about it? A happy family laughing together during dinner? A fight with your brother or sister? A visit to your grandparents? Well for your information, all of that is a family communication.

Communication involves the ability to pay attention to what others are thinking and feeling. In other words, an important part of communication is not just talking, but listening to what others have to say. Communication within the family is very important. It enables members to express their needs, wants, and concerns to each other. Besides that, open and honest communication creates understanding and  able to resolve the unavoidable problems that arise in all families.

We know that communication is the process of giving and receiving information. Nowadays, many families live far apart and they do not see each other frequently. Even when they are at home, everyone’s schedule may be so full that it is difficult to find enough time even to eat a meal together, let alone sit down to talk. Besides that, the emergences of technologies also have its effect towards family communication.

Cell phones, e-mail, and new technology bombard us, creating many interruptions to family time. People nowadays especially teenagers or even adults might spent too much time on their cell phones rather than having a conversation between them. However, we should also realize that because of the technologies, it can help us connect with those who are living farther away. The challenge is to make time to interact face-to-face with family. Therefore, there are an advantages and disadvantages of the technologies towards the family communication.

Marriage and family therapists often report that poor communication is a common complaint of families who are having difficulties. Poor communication is unclear and indirect. It can lead to numerous family problems, including excessive family conflict, ineffective problem solving, lack of intimacy, and weak emotional bonding. Therefore, having a poor communication between the family can associated with an increased risk of divorce and marital separation and more behavioral problems in children. In my opinion, communication within family can be in effective communication or poor communication. It is depends how the family member do their job as to remain the harmony in house.

Various communication skills can be found on how to improved family communication. As we all know in Malaysia we do have this Ministry Of Health Malaysia in giving very useful information on what can be done to improve family communication in Malaysia. They can also organised a campaign to promote ways on how to have a better understanding on family communication thus it can for sure attract a lot of people to know more about the importance of family communication.

Written by Mahathir Ahamad & Yusof Zulkefli

Internet is very important in this modern day. Everyone will be connected to the internet and engage in with cyber community worldwide. Somehow, internet would rather become such an important role in any sector such as business, academic, economy, even in a tiny organization, as any process can be done in one click.

However, the internet has changed the way people communicate. Most of the users have misused the usage of the internet. This can be seen with the emergence of unnecessary site or service provider on the internet such as chat room and match-maker services, which its prior function is just to enhance communication process. The existence of chat room and match-maker services is very harmful. There are very serious consequences when irresponsible users joint certain chat rooms. Some people decide to meet strangers online, while others go on a dating service and so forth, but behind everything, they convey double meaning action that sometimes could leads to a serious problem such as pornographic.

After having video sex, the probability to spread the recording video is higher. This is happened because internet can provide so many things for social interact. There are so many types of chat room had been appeared and most importantly, sex is the most popular topic to be discussing (Mills and Russell, 1998).

Most of the online researcher such as Griffiths and Mark (2001) and  Mills and Russell (1998) stated that, most of the user who meet online in chit chat room normally will engage the line in cyber-sexual activities. According to them, statistic shows that, there are 10 countries with free sex culture. And there are starts with Greece, Brazil Russia, China, Poland, Italy, Malaysia, Spain, Switzerland, and Mexico. The free sex culture here can be seen the way of internet users will only seraching for their partner through online and make them as a partner or escorting them.

Usually, men will use this alternatives while there are travelling for a vacation and so forth. Chat rooms are the electronic counterpart of singles bars. People who are trying to find new partner or to escort them to a special place will use this medium to find someone they like and fulfil their desire (Internet Society, 2014). Other than that, the most crucial problem regarding the free sex culture based on the chat room and match-maker services on internet lead to the fraud of baby dumping.

In 2008 and 2009, the baby dumping cases dropping from 102 cases to 79 cases, but the number had increased to 91 in 2010 and 98 in 2011. But, Malaysian government believed that, the figure is just a number being reported whilst there still have so many cases just disappeared or undetected (Wen, 6 July 2012). Baby dumping in Malaysia is a very serious issues need to be settled.

Teenagers are one of the groups seen to be involved in this situation. Their online routines which involve cyber relationship could turn into sex-motive relationship that contains erotic’s sense and could lead to cybersex. This can be look through their text-based communications, which later on would involve masturbation or any forms of erotic actions (Griffiths and Mark, 2001).

When discuss about free sex culture among the teenagers or even among adult, we cannot deny that friends are the most influencing people who will be persuaded us to something that we know we shouldn’t be doing. Arnett ( 2010), suggest that there’s relationship between the rates of risk in behaviours that the adolescent report for themselves and the rates they report for their collegue.

In the case of chat room and match maker services in internet, as the teenegers grows up, they would like to be love and establishing intimacy. However they do not know where to start because seme of them are very shy to create a conversation virtually face to face with thier ‘love-to-be’. Thus chat rooms and match maker services in internet is the best way to then to get what they want.

Young adults, these days are loooking for more intimate relationship and love to share any informations with their partner, yet, this intentions will be based on no string attached basis, This can be explain by Schaie  Sherry (1996):

…the need for an intimate relationship may present certain problem. Typically young adults have just attained independence from their parents, and they struggling to understand who they are as unique human beings. The need for intimacy runs counter to these indentity and independence needs (Schaie & Sherry, 1996).

Hence, most of the young adults will share their desire among their friend, thus at this stage friends will play their roles in influencing others. The result is due to the concept of egocentrism, which determine their tendencies to accept the similarity between themselves and their peers, contradict with the case that abolish the correlations in the risk behaviour that they report for themselves and their friends (Arnett, 2010)..

Melgosa (2000), argue that the family factor also increase the risk of the social problems among the teenagers or young adults. Alcoholic parents, parents with criminal record history, those who practice military-like parenting systems which are too strict and parents with marital issues could contribute to the children’s attitude.

The child’s social world, which begins within his family, progresses toward the outside world through relationship with his friends at school and in the neighbourhood. in most cases adolescents move their vital interest towards the immediate social environment and mainly fend for themselves in an area of mutual action and influence external to the family.

Talking about Social Networking Sites’ chat services and match maker community on internet, there are so many story really trigger the entire nation around the world. In Dubai for example, a man has been jailed for three years for having sex with a saleswoman, with whom he became friends over the internet, against her will (Za’za’, 27 April 2014). To related this situation with Users and Gratifications Theory, it has to be done with the intention to achieve their target or goals and one of them is to fulfill their sex desire.

Normally, the topic will be discussed in chat room is depend on the messages that been send from a user to another. But then, the most topics highlighted in this kind of interaction none other than sexually related information. Few people somehow, being enjoy portray themselves on the video chatting while carrying the sexual activities like masturbate or even make an erotic voice (Mills and Russell, 1998).

According to Young, Griffin-Shelley, Cooper, O’Mara, and Buchanan (2000) as quoted in Griffiths and Mark; Sex on the Internet: Observations and implications for Internet sex addiction define:

…an online relationship (a cyber affair) as a romantic and/or sexual relationship that is initiated via online contact and maintained predominantly through electronic conversations that occur through email and in virtual communities such as chat rooms, interactive games, or newsgroups.

Due to this issue, Yahoo has taken crucial decision, which is to disavow their chat room. The service has been taken out from their users and Yahoo have to payback any outstanding balance in their customer account before they shut it down on 30^th January 2013 (Doke, 5^th December 2012). The truth is behind the shutting down of this service lies in the television report where some user misused this service to ignite sexual encounters with children (Bray, 2005).

So many social and cultural implications may occur due to the bad users of chat room and match maker services from the internet. Normally, this will initiate pre-marital sexual intercourse. The implications, of course, an unwanted pregnancy that then will lead to abortion or baby dumping. This is could be happened because at first, when a person meet their ‘friend’ from chat room or match maker services from the internet, normally they will be tried to have sex with their partners because they would like to try anything that they never try before at this stage. Most of them have sex without using any safer tools such as condom to prevent pregnant. Statistic showed that baby dumping case has increase in the year 2010 and due to this a lot of question and curiosity has been brought up (The Star Online, 19 August 2010).

Another baby dumping furore in the news recently did little to surprise the socially-maligned Malaysians and recent statistics prove that the heinous nature of baby dumping makes no difference in preventing this crime as the numbers keep increasing year by year (Yesuiah, 1 October 2011).

This is against human rights. The issue of Baby dumping is happened everywhere around the world because of different factors leading to the problem. According to Federal CID Director, Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin said that from 2005 to January this year, a total of 517 baby dumping cases were registered in the country (The Malaysian Insider, 9 February 2011).

Generally this cases happened because they being trapped by ‘chat room’ lover or match maker services from the internet. Researchers have found out that, most of them is trying to accommadate to each other and fulfilling thier intimacy need. Free sex culture via chat room and match maker services in internet had become the new trend for the teenagers especially for meeting or finding partners and engaging in a fantasy world. (Griffiths & Mark, 2001).

We believe that an internet does provide serious effects to those who have potential to become sex offenders or sex maniacs. We could understand the symptoms such as excessive, addictive obsessive and compulsive behaviours could apply to this kind of people. Obviously, the resource on the internet has a significant impact to feed or to fuel other addictions or compulsions.

Chatting in a chat rooms or match maker services is not wrong. In some extend, it is a medium to a person to make new friends.  But, a person itself must be very careful. Katz et al (2014), point out that in UGT, the users have the authority to choose the medium or media that they want to use on the purpose of escaping from daily routine or problems. The is no wrong or right to choose the media that they want. For instance communication trough chat room or match maker services is really fun and interesting because we can see so many people with their sweet talk promises so many things which sometimes it is rediculous.

Thus, as the media users in chat room or match maker services, we must be very brilliant enough to adapt with all of these things. Users must be very careful and read or listen carefully to what the other party or person said to ensure that we didn’t fall for any subliminal trap. Be alert and focus on any question given as this is crucial to avoid sexual trap and involve in any serious matter.

 

References

Arnett, J. J. (2010). Friends and Peers. In J. J. Arnett, Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood (pp. 210-239). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

Bray, H. ( 24 June, 2005). boston.com. Retrieved 7 June, 2014, from The Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/06/24/yahoo_limits_chat_rooms_after_kids_targeted_for_sex/

Doke, S. (5 December, 2012). tech.firstpost.com. Retrieved 7 June , 2014, from tech 2: http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/yahoo-shutting-down-messenger-services-public-chat-rooms-59822.html

Griffiths, M. (2001). Sex on the Internet: Observations and implications for Internet sex addiction. The Journal of Sex Research , Vol: 38 (4), 333-342.

Internet Society. (2014). Retrieved 31 May, 2014, from The Internet “Brief History of the Internet”: http://www.internetsociety.org/internet/what-internet/history-internet/brief-history-internet#Origins

Katz E., Blumber J.G., and Gurevitch M. (2014). Uses and Gratification Theory. In R. W. Turner, Introducing Communication Theory Analysis and Application 5th Edition (pp. 404-419). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Lowe, G. F. (1995). The Internet. In A. E. Grant, Communication Technology Update 4th Edition (pp. 147-158). Newton: Focal Press.

Melgosa, J. (2000). To Adolescents and Parents. Colmenar Viejo, Madrid: Editorial Safeliz S.L.

Mills and Russell. (1998). Cyber: Sexual chat on the Internet. Journal of Popular Culture , Vol:32 (3), 31-46.

Plumlee, R. C. (1995). Electronic Messaging. In A. E. Grant, Communication Technology Update 4th Edition (pp. 179-187). Newton : Focal Press.

Schaie K. Warner & Sherry L.Willis. (1996). Adult Development and Aging. New York: Harper Collins.

Shenk, J. W. (2010). Chapter 5 : Crazy In Love. In J. W. Shenk, Dating Philosophy for Everyone (pp. 67-75). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

The Malaysian Insider. (9 February, 2011). Retrieved 7 June, 2014, from Malaysian Insider: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/517-baby-dumping-cases-since-2005

The Star Online. (19 August , 2010). Retrieved 7 June, 2014, from Archives: http://www.thestar.com.my/Story/?file=%2F2010%2F8%2F19%2Ffocus%2F6878225&sec=focus

Wen, L. W. (6 July, 2012). The Star Online. Retrieved 31 May, 2014, from Nation: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2012/07/06/Babydumping-cases-escalate/

Yesuiah, S. (1 October, 2011). New Straits Times. Retrieved 7 June, 2014, from Letters To The Editor: http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/baby-dumping-mindset-change-starts-with-parents-1.150700

YourMainDomain Inc. (2008). Retrieved 31 May, 2014, from Articles Library: http://www.yourmaindomain.com/web-articles/what-is-internet.asp

Za’za’, B. ( 27 April, 2014). gulfnews.com. Retrieved 7 June, 2014, from UAE | Courts: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/courts/dubai-man-raped-chatroom-friend-1.1324970

Written by Jaihasra Jamaludin

Internet has developed rapidly since the introduction of the new technologies in the 1980s as a tool and methods to spread the news and information to a large audience for a variety of reason. Undoubtedly, internet is very important and has become part of our routine and life. Despite its great important, however, internet also generates a number of negative implications. A dark side effect of the internet is the rapid reproduction and quick legitimization of discrimination. This is particularly evident that internet journalism will pursue inducement towards Islamophobia.

Popular anti-Islamic websites such as thereligionofpeace.com and JihadWatch.org marked a new era of the industry of Islamophobia that entertains a positivist collection and populist exhibition of the criminality of Islam. Terrorist attacks and suicide bombers are counted, stoning and honour killing pictured, images of oppressed Muslim women pitied and other stories of Muslim backwardness digitalized, all rosters of ‘Muslim’ inferiority. They are then viewed, copied, emailed and forwarded. The ‘vindicate’ the heavily biased worldwide already common in the influential US media and reinforce such as worldwide (Chao 2015).

Islamophobia referring to the action of prejudice, hatred towards, or fear, bias and dislike against Islam or Muslims by others religion. Some researcher agreed an increase in Islamophobia are resulting from the September 11 attacks, while others have associated it with the increased presence of Muslims in the United States, the European Union and other secular nations.

“Islamophobia is a contemporary form of racism and xenophobia motivated by unfounded fear, mistrust and hatred of Muslims and Islam. Islamophobia is also manifested through intolerance, discrimination and adverse public discourse against Muslims and Islam. Differentiating from classical racism and xenophobia, Islamophobia is mainly based on radicalisation of Islam and its followers” (International Civil Liberties Alliance 2013)

Several elements can affect the interactions and degree of respect between Muslim and Western societies. Differences in culture, education, religion, economy and political interests may shape one population’s opinion toward the other.

 

Two prominent British journalists have openly embraced Islamophobia as a justifiable stance. Shortly after publication of the 1997 Runnymede Trust report, Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee wrote “I am an Islamophobia, and proud of it” while Sunday Times columnist Rod Liddle presented a talk a decade later entitled “Islamophobia? Count me in” (cited in Oborne & Jones, 2008, p. 14). These writers emphasised their distrust of Islam as a doctrine rather than hostility toward Muslims as a group (Bleich 2011: 4).

 

The inducement or the increasing of the Islamophobia through the internet journalism may be categories to a few aspect such as fear factor, stereotypes, prejudice, racism, misinterpretation and anti-Islamic. This factor driven people to create issues and share their perception and finding through internet. They will influence the other readers to think and react as they are.

In recent years, anti-Muslim prejudice in the West has intensified, becoming manifested in physical attacks, mosque vandalism, government profiling, Qur’an burning and even murder. The rise in Islamophobia has been connected to international politics and specifically to a rising fear of terrorism, which has been linked to the religion of Islam. The 3 main incident that driven to the Islamophobia such as on 11 September 2001 where terrorists flew planes into the twin towers of the national trade centre in New York killing thousands of people. On 7 July 2005, terrorists killed 55 people and injured hundreds more on the London Underground by blowing up bombs that they were carrying in their rucksacks. On 30 June 2007, the terrorists drove a jeep into Glasgow airport, fortunately without causing serious injury to any members of the public.

In Malaysia, the freedom of speech and expression can be easily abused where irresponsible people or community using this medium to inflame racial conflict, perspective and misinterpretations about other. For example the blogger Alvin Tan, he uses the internet as a medium to critic, insult, share an opinion and taught about Islam. It’s showed that the freedom of expression and irresponsible opinion can jeopardise the community if the technologies have been misused.

The infamous sex blogger is at it again (not that he has ever stopped), and no, we are not talking about his latest homemade pornography which was released just 2 days ago—and was very efficiently blocked by MCMC (Malaysian Communications And Multimedia Commission). Most of his social media followers are no strangers to his controversial acts and offensive statements. But this time, he might not be so easily forgiven by his large 85k following on Facebook as even a lot of them think that he went too far. Just few hours ago, Alvin posted a photo collage in a comic strip form of him defecating, and then tearing out a page from an Al-Qur’an to “clean up the mess”. To be respectful to our readers, we will refrain from posting the picture here, but you can view it at your own discretion. Alvin Tan himself has confirmed that he did, infact use his own waste matter in the picture (Khoo 2015).

Other case about Ahmed Mohamed, 14, from Irving, Texas, who made the clock with a circuit board and power supply wired to a digital display stuffed inside a hologram case and brought it into school to show to his engineering teacher, however he was arrested by police officers after school officials accused him of making a fake bomb. This incident trending worldwide through social media with many saying that the student was profiled because he’s Muslim and racism factors.

To understand why a Texas school would arrest a 14-year-old student for bringing in a homemade clock, it helps to understand what came before: the TV news hosts who declare Muslims “unusually barbaric,” the politicians who gin up fear of Islam, the blockbuster film that depicts even Muslim children as dangerous threats, and the wave of hatred against Muslims that has culminated several times in violence so severe that what happened to Mohamed, while terrible, appears unsurprising and almost normal within the context of ever-worsening American Islamophobia (Fisher 2015).

Stereotypes defined as a group of people on how they carry the believed and perception towards the issues based on the culture created by old generation. The young people follow the believed, thinking and understanding that from the past generation. The perception about Muslim and Islam become stereotype when they believed Muslim are all terrorists.

Stereotypes about Islam are not new to Western culture and can be traced back 1400 years. At the time, Islam and Christianity were involved in the Crusades during the Ottoman and Morish control in Europe. Islam spread quickly to the west and threatened the position of the Christian Church and ruling classes. The western elites, mainly the governments and the churches, then became highly involved in seeing that negative images were presented about Islam. As the result, not only were battles fought against Islam, but also a war of words was initiated to make sure that Islam would not have any converts or sympathisers in the West (Haque, 2011)

The misinterpretation of Islam and Muslim people also occur when the government, the politician, celebrities, individual, communities and the media people did not play their roles to overcome Islamophobia issue. The irresponsible parties, who write, shared and posting the wrong information and news in online medium about the terrorism, wars and bomb attack incident attributed by Muslim all over the world also contributed to this issues.

Many Muslims complain that the TTP, ISIL, Boko Haram and Al Qaeda cause the biggest misrepresentation of Islam – and they become highly active in denouncing them, demonstrating against them, or holding conferences and lectures intellectually criticising them and openly advocating Muslims to disassociate themselves from them. While it is true that the methods and tactics of these groups can misrepresent Islam to those who don’t know better, people actually miss the larger and more egregious perpetrators of the misrepresentations of Islam – the Muslim governments, the media and politicians of the Western world, and ultimately, the Muslim world itself (Al Andalusi 2014).

This all factors shown the racism and discrimination against Muslim in western cultures were increases by the misleading article, news and information produce through the journalism internet that reach global audience. The social media nowadays also became the huge and strong impact toward racism when people have their own space to express their feeling, hatred and racism.

The media recently fails to distinguish between promoting Islam by individual Muslims from different walks of life, as a result of the goodness of their character and attitude and the nobility of their actions, on the one hand, and promoting Islam through planned action undertaken by professionally trained Muslims, on the other.

A further negative impact of Islamophobia is that Muslim insights on ethical and social issues are not given an adequate hearing and are not seen as positive assets. ‘Groups such as Muslims in the West,’ writes an observer, ‘can be part of transcultural dialogues, domestic and global, that might make our societies live up to their promises of diversity and democracy. Such communities can facilitate communication and understanding in these fraught and destabilising times.’ But Islamophobia makes this potential all but impossible to realise (Inservice Training and Educational Development 2015).

Prejudice and discrimination against Muslims is not a new phenomenon. But today, efforts to address Islamophobia are needed more than ever before. The media, Muslim groups or organisations roles and function, legislation provide to protect Muslim community, educate non-Muslim about what are Islam really is and awareness about Islam should applied and infuse to avoid Islamophobia issues.

 

REFERENCES

Inservice Training and Educational Development (2015). Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia : Islamophobia and Race Relations. Retrieved 13 November 2015, from http://www.insted.co.uk/relations.html
Fisher. M (2015). It’s not just Ahmed Mohamed: anti-Muslim bigotry in America is out of control. Retrieved 13 November 2015, from http://www.vox.com/2015/9/16/9336967/ahmed-mohamed-islamophobia
Khoo. J (2015). Alvin Tan’s Latest Outrageous Act With The Al-Qur’an Receives Brutal Flak From Netizens. Retrieved 13 November 2015, from https://vulcanpost.com/447461/alvin-tan-al-quran-netizens-outrage/
International Civil Liberties Alliance(2013). The Problematic Definition of “Islamophobia”. Retrieved 16 November 2015, from http://www.libertiesalliance.org/2013/09/22/problematic-definition-islamophobia/
Al Andalusi, A (2014). Who causes the worst Misrepresentation of Islam? Retrieved 16 November 2015, from http://abdullahalandalusi.com/2014/12/29/who-cause-the-worst-misrepresentation-of-islam/
Bleich’. E (2011). What is Islamophobia and How Much Is There? Theorizing and Measuring an Energing Comparative Concept. American Behavioral Scientist. SAGE Publications.
Chao. E.C (2015). The Truth About Islam.Com: Ordinary Theories of Racism and Cyber Islamophobia. Critical Sociology. SAGE Publications.
Haque. F (2011). Global Media, Islamophobia and Its Impact on Conflict Resolution. Institute of Hazrat Mohamamad (SAW)