Countering negative public image has become a religious obligation for Western Muslims

Evidence

Da’wa, she explains, thus takes on a newly invigorated urgency, the struggle to represent Islam positively to non-Muslims, to counter its negative image. Since da’wa, according to Jouli, is “now perceived to be the precondition for the (social, political, and spiritual) well-being of the Muslim umma [community] in the West, it has thereby been elevated to the status of religious obligation.” — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 913

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines da’wa as a concept that has shifted meaning from missionary outreach to reputation management under hostile public conditions.