Originally published in Statesman
The execution-style murder of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, N.C., is heart-breaking to read about; even worse, however, is the delay and lack of coverage by the mainstream media.
Though unfortunate, the muted response wasn’t at all surprising. Had the killer been a Muslim who, like Craig Hicks, spewed bigoted comments online, we would have had 24-hour coverage. The media would have put the entire Muslim community on trial and held the Muslims of Chapel Hill personally responsible.
The fact that the killer was an adult white male makes it easy for the media to give him every benefit of a doubt. It seems that in the eyes of the media, “innocent until proven guilty” is only true for certain segments of society.
The victims Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha were true humanitarians, and their loss is not only a loss for the Muslim community but also for our entire nation. May their spirit of service live on in every life they touched.
