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The Dominant Media's Jihad against Muslims
Whenever Muslims are charged, the dominant media provides support without ever questioning the legitimacy of accusations. As a result, innocent victims are vilified. They're presumed guilty unless proved innocent. Fear is instilled in the public, while law enforcement officials are portrayed as public defenders, working to keep us safe from bad guys. Below are some samples of media bias:
-- The New York Times headlined, "Mass. Man Arrested in Terrorism Case....The authorities said he had conspired to attack civilians at a shopping mall, American soldiers abroad and two members of the executive branch of the federal government."
-- AP called Mehanna "an Incompetent Wannabe" and practically accused him of "plotting to shoot up a mall, kill US troops fighting overseas, and assassinate US officials" here at home;
-- Fox News highlighted the alleged plot, called Mehanna "Defiant in Court," and said he was only foiled by being "unable to get into terror camps for training and failed to get access to automatic weapons;"
-- the Wall Street Journal headlined the "Plots to Shoot Up Mall, Kill Federal Officials" by a man "out on bail (from an earlier unsubstantiated charge and) awaiting trial;"
-- the Washington Post reported about the: "Massachusetts man arrested on terror charges" (for) conspiring to support terrorists by seeking training from Islamic extremist fighters overseas...."
-- Time magazine offered a "two-minute bio" about an "Alleged US Terrorist....plann(ing) to carry out a 'violent jihad' by killing US politicians, (and) attack(ing) US shopping malls;"
-- the Christian Science Monitor headlined how the "FBI traced Tarek Mehanna in his quest to become a jihadi" and practically accused him of "try(ing) to become a terrorist for eight years following the 9/11 attacks....;" and
-- Jihad Watch, an Islamaphobic web site, called Mehanna "a Misunderstander of Islam," then accused him of "plotting 'violent jihad.' "
Nowhere do major media or hate group reports suggest possible bogus charges, ulterior motives behind them, innocent people being targeted, secret evidence withheld to compromise a proper defense, intimidation of juries, or that everyone is presumed innocent unless proved guilty in fair and open proceedings with defendants having competent counsel.
According to muslimmatters.org after Mehanna's 2008 arrest, the FBI was "Desperate for Results (so they) Arrest(ed a) US Citizen on Two-Year-Old (unsubstantiated) Charges" and got their usual scare headlines for support.
These comments followed his October 21 arrest:
"All of us here at MM believe, based on the facts that we know, that Tareq is innocent of the crimes that he has been accused of....MM is often on the front lines against disinformation about Islam, and actively seeks to counter the radicalization of Muslims."
MM's goal "is to educate readers about the fallacies and dangers of all types of extremism by promoting Orthodox Islam....we believe that Islamophobes are indirectly aiding and abetting terrorists' recruiting efforts by fitting into their agenda and supporting their stereotypes."
Many Muslims were shocked about the news on Mehanna. "It was generally thought (his 2008 charges were bogus) and that (he) had been falsely accused. After all, (post-9/11), the civil liberties of the Muslim American community had been slowly withered away by the Patriot Act, warrantless wiretapping, the denial of the basic American right of habeas corpus, and unsavory tactics that targeted (Muslims) in general....we at MM" know his "reputation as a family man and a peaceful citizen" and presume he's innocent "unless proven otherwise.... (We) remain highly skeptical that he was actually a 'terrorist in disguise.' "
