According to this page on the Religion Newswriters Association website, Ebru TV is seeking a part-time host for Perspectives of Faith, a one-hour interview program on Islam, religion and interfaith dialogue. The listing is from May, so it may be that the position has since been filled.
Incidentally, the Religion Newswriters Association (whose aim is to help journalists cover religion with "balance, accuracy and insight") is a great resource for people writing about Islam.
On September 17th, for example, a conference called Covering Islam will be held in Washington, D.C. Topics of discussion will include the basics of the faith, the leadership role of women, and the rise in civic participation among American Muslims.
Also check out the following RNA Source Guides:
Covering Islam 101
Lots of resources, including demographic information on Muslims and surveys about Islam.
Covering Islam and Politics
A listing that includes research centers, organizations and scholars with expertise on the growing role of Muslims’ interactions with government and politics.
Islam: A Guide to U.S. Experts and Organizations
Lists more than 100 experts who specialize in such areas as civil rights, politics, foreign affairs, art, culture, history, law, family issues and more. It also includes Muslim advocacy organizations, research centers and think tanks.
Among other things, there are also scholarships and contests to benefit from. And, if you write for secular media, you'll definitely want to check out the Religion Newswriters’ Religion Stylebook for preferred spelling of religious terms, such as Koran/Quran, Muhammad (PBUH), Mecca/Makkah, etc.
Showing posts with label style. Show all posts
Showing posts with label style. Show all posts
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Monday, February 19, 2007
How to Become a Poet
I don't write poetry at all (wouldn't even know how to begin), but I can certainly relate to this article:
How to Become a Poet, A Personal View
It can really stifle your output and creativity when you let others dictate what "real" writing is, whether it is poetry or something else.
If this is a block you suffer from, it will take some courage to break through it. It can be hard living in the shadow of a teacher, your parents or other people who might not approve of or understand your writing. At some point, you just have to assert your "right" to write and express yourself.
Have you ever experienced that feeling of breaking free from what other people think about your writing? If so, let us know how you coped.
How to Become a Poet, A Personal View
It can really stifle your output and creativity when you let others dictate what "real" writing is, whether it is poetry or something else.
If this is a block you suffer from, it will take some courage to break through it. It can be hard living in the shadow of a teacher, your parents or other people who might not approve of or understand your writing. At some point, you just have to assert your "right" to write and express yourself.
Have you ever experienced that feeling of breaking free from what other people think about your writing? If so, let us know how you coped.
Use of Arabic Terms in English
Working as a copy editor for Muslim publications, one of the most challenging tasks has been creating and maintaining standards for Arabic terminology in English. Here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Always assume you are writing for a mixed audience of Muslims and non-Muslims. People who are unfamiliar with Islam should be able to read your articles and understand them without consulting a dictionary or going on-line to find the meanings of Arabic words and phrases.
2. This means that you must either define your words or use their English equivalents. For example, if you say something is haram, define it in parentheses:
Drinking wine is haram (prohibited).
Before defining the word, however, ask yourself if it would not be easier simply to write in English:
Drinking wine is prohibited in Islam.
3. When you must use an Arabic word or phrase, use the same spelling for it throughout your article. Ideally, the publication you are writing for should have guidelines for this, but not all publications do. So, if you start with the spelling Muhammed, don't suddenly change it to Mohammed, Muhammad or another spelling later in your article. It is important to be consistent.
4. Keep the spellings as simple and logical as possible. There has been a trend among some Muslims to lengthen certain vowels, writing Allaah or Islaam (for example) instead of the more common (accepted) forms: Allah and Islam.
Recently, I read an interesting article on this topic:
Can there be Muslim English?
I don't agree with every point in the article, but I can certainly agree with the following:
1. There is a need to standardize the way we write Arabic in English.
2. Using too much Arabic may confuse readers who are unfamiliar with the terminology.
1. Always assume you are writing for a mixed audience of Muslims and non-Muslims. People who are unfamiliar with Islam should be able to read your articles and understand them without consulting a dictionary or going on-line to find the meanings of Arabic words and phrases.
2. This means that you must either define your words or use their English equivalents. For example, if you say something is haram, define it in parentheses:
Drinking wine is haram (prohibited).
Before defining the word, however, ask yourself if it would not be easier simply to write in English:
Drinking wine is prohibited in Islam.
3. When you must use an Arabic word or phrase, use the same spelling for it throughout your article. Ideally, the publication you are writing for should have guidelines for this, but not all publications do. So, if you start with the spelling Muhammed, don't suddenly change it to Mohammed, Muhammad or another spelling later in your article. It is important to be consistent.
4. Keep the spellings as simple and logical as possible. There has been a trend among some Muslims to lengthen certain vowels, writing Allaah or Islaam (for example) instead of the more common (accepted) forms: Allah and Islam.
Recently, I read an interesting article on this topic:
Can there be Muslim English?
I don't agree with every point in the article, but I can certainly agree with the following:
1. There is a need to standardize the way we write Arabic in English.
2. Using too much Arabic may confuse readers who are unfamiliar with the terminology.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)