Post #2: The Media, Ft. Hood, and Muslims

On Thursday, November 5, 2008 a gunman went on a shooting spree in Texas at the Soldier Readiness Center of Ft. Hood. Before he was incapacitated, the gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, killed thirteen people and wounded thirty others. This heinous act spawned a period of mourning for both the military community and the nation.

While I was horrified by the murders, I was unsettled by the unprofessional and unabashedly prejudice coverage of the massacre. In the initial hours and days after the shooting, when the media had no additional information related to the Ft. Hood incident, it began to paint its own portrait of Hasan and his motives. Despite the fact that there are at least 1.8 million Muslims in the United States, 3572 Muslims actively serving in the armed forces, (while many in the military would say that the number could be as high as 20,000) and unprecedented mental health problems in the military, the media decided that it would portray this individual as a terrorist – simply because of his name.

I am convinced that this is not merely a one hiccup in a larger context of good reporting. It is rather an incident that represents a consistent trend of unwarranted hostility against Muslims. Cable newsmen such as Bill O’Reilly would quickly reject this assertion by contending that “85 percent of network news stories on Ft. Hood did not mention the word terrorism.” Does Bill O’Reilly want a cookie? This is no accomplishment unless one is operating under the assumption that a news agency is incapable of conveying ideas through subtlety and innuendo…and we all know that this is not true. In fact, this is precisely what the media did in the Ft. Hood incident. CNN, “the worldwide leader in news,” wrote stories with titles like “Fort Hood suspect Nidal Malik Hasan seemed cool, calm, religious,” and it published videos of the gunman wearing a shalwar kameez. In addition, CNN ran stories citing bystanders who added no value to the investigation besides indicating that “‘[Hassan and his roommate] had some Arabic signs [outside of their apartment]’.” But if you are not yet convinced, lets go to Fox News. This new organization utilized the Ft. Hood shooting to advance the idea that the American military should conduct special screenings of Muslim officers. All of this reporting was cryptic language that only fans the flames of hate and intolerance.

But, in order to strengthen my argument, it is important that other instances of media bias against Muslims be mentioned in this posting. Perhaps the best example is the 2008 presidential election. During this election, the media was complicit in the rumor that then Senator Obama was Muslim. Instead of rejecting the idea that there was nothing wrong with being Muslim, the media validated the accusation (which obviously had the undercurrent that Islam is synonymous with terrorism.) by attempting to prove or disprove the charge. Additionally, the media showed its intentions when it perpetuated the controversy over the right of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, to be sworn in on a Qur’an.

In my concluding remarks I want to make it absolutely clear that I do not believe that Hasan is not a terrorist. In fact, it is entirely possible that the Ft. Hood shooting could ultimately be a terrorist incident. But to make an accusation that influences public opinion before there is any sufficient evidence to support it is unwarranted, unethical, unprofessional, and flat-out dangerous. This kind of reporting is deleterious to the American image abroad, and is detrimental to the President’s strategy of reengaging the Muslim world. However, some would say that the media’s responsibility is not to assist the President in the realization of his political goals. I disagree. Reengaging the Arab and Muslim communities is not a political goal. While it might have political implications, this is an apolitical task that is designed to promote mutual respect between two communities and the United States.

On another level, this brand of reporting is a domestic embarrassment. It is a direct affront not only to the dignity and sacrifice of Muslim Americans who serve in the American military, but also their proud legacy of contributions to this society. The media needs to grow up.