On Representation Studies of Islam and the Muslims in West Media and Factors behind Misrepresentation

Abstract

The subject of Islam and the Muslim is an important agenda under the volatile international situation, which drawing increasing attention worldwide with the impact of media report. Moreover, in-depth studies of Islam and the Muslim are blossoming to critically unravel the way Islam and the Muslim is represented in western discourse. This article presents a literature review of those studies of Islam and the Muslim, aiming to conclude respectively previous studies of representations of Islam and the Muslims and then to clarify the factors behind the misrepresentation, including h istorical f actors , cultural factors, p olitical f actors and religious factors.