Biased Media reporting promotes Islamophobia

By: Saadia Malikk

Letter written in Response to: +National Post @VictorFerreira  "San Bernardino suspects’ home opened for reporters who dig through personal items"

Allowing reporters and civilians to scamper through the apartment of the San Bernardo suspects and publicly expose the photographs has numerous unavoidable and inadvertent implications. Firstly, what should have remained a functional crime scene under surveillance of the FBI and other investigative authorities has now become an idealized public “expedition” of the weapons and other possessions of the malicious San Bernardo murderers. Likewise, the images of the Quran, the poster on the wall with “Allah” written on it and various other Islamic books found in the apartment, will further increase the sentiment of Islamophobia among the general public.  For people who are already falling victim to Islamophobia and the unwarranted fear of Islam, they now have another excuse to associate these images with terrorism. Instead, we should focus our attention on the innocent victims, voicing our disapproval of American gun laws and the NRA, as well as remaining unified and informed during this truly difficult time. It is crucial for us to remain informed, impartial and cognizant as we are inundated daily with images, stories, and reports of this ongoing investigation. 

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