Originally published in The Baltimore Sun
When tragedy strikes, communities come together against those who breach peace and commit heinous crimes. The murder of three innocent Muslims near Chapel Hill, North Carolina is nothing short of such a tragedy (“N.C. killings linked to Islamophobia,” Feb. 13). But today’s media shows a sharp contrast in the coverage of such attacks committed by those belonging to the Muslim faith as compared to attacks by members of all other faiths.
Muslim perpetrators are almost always identified by their faith in headlines of these attacks, implying religious motives. Not only does the media show such a double standard in portraying these crimes, but the general public also seems to show such bias toward any crimes committed by any persons identified with the Muslim faith. The public doesn’t call for anti-atheist marches and rallies as has been expected from Muslim communities after violence perpetrated by those belonging to its faith.
The decision on the motives of the alleged perpetrator, Craig Hicks, has been left to the police as it should be and true equality and fairness calls for the same for members of the Muslim community.
