Chapel Hill Murders: An Appeal to Our Inner Humanity
The heart-breaking murder of three North Carolina students has shocked the conscience of the American Muslim community and garnered the attention of the national media. The three-victims, Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; Yusor Mohammad, 21; and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, were fatally shot in the head by Craig Stephen Hicks, in their home. Some reports claimed that the shootings occurred over a parking dispute. But the father of two of the victims said it was motivated by more than just a dispute over a parking spot saying, “This was not a dispute over a parking space; this was a hate crime.”
While the initial policy reports have not confirmed whether the tragedy was a hate crime, the incident has brought a focus on the increasing anti-Muslim sentiment in our country. Anti-Muslim violence and incidents are the second most frequent religiously-motivated hate crimes. From mosque permits being denied to women with head scarves being discriminated against to bullying of Muslim students, the nation has not seen this level of anti-Muslim hysteria in recent years.
The execution-style of the three students at Chapel Hill and the environment of hate warrants a moment of national reflection: What is it that we are doing to create such a toxic atmosphere? Where does this anti-Muslim sentiment stem from? Who are the individuals and groups who are peddling this hate?
Policy makers and the media must understand how sensationalized rhetoric can quickly influence how people view issues pertaining to Muslims. By using terms like “Islamic terrorism” or “radical Islamists,” a simplistic and “them-vs-us” view of complex issues is propagated. Far from correctly identifying the problem, as they claim they are doing, it actually oversimplifies and misidentifies the problem. Furthermore, it equates Islam with violent acts, which puts American Muslims at the receiving end of vitriol, hysteria and even violence.
The media also has a responsibility in the manner in which it covers such events. We are all too aware that when a Muslim is a perpetrator of violence, then the word “terrorist” is thrown around haphazardly. Pundits call for harsh responses, and news coverage devolves into hypothetical motivations and scenarios. The paradigm in which the media reports on violence is biased and reflects poorly upon its credibility, whereupon the media becomes a source of propaganda, not reliable news.
This is not to say the media coverage on the Chapel Hill shooting has been all bad. We have seen comprehensive coverage of the Chapel Hill incident on major news networks, including CNN, Huffington Post, Reuters, Washington Post, Fox News,New York Times, and more.
And this brings us to the self-reflection American Muslims must make, especially activists. We must react in an appropriate, respectful manner. The victim’s families are confident the murders were a hate crime. We cannot jump to conclusions, however, and undermine the investigation by law enforcement. This will end in American Muslims losing credibility, therefore taking needed attention away from the fight against anti-Muslim hate.
This issue, like so many others, is about responsible leadership, from the media, law enforcement and American Muslim organizations. - Muslim Public Affairs Council
