The Muslim countries have turned conflict zones by the western hegemonies
by Raihana Sayeeda Kamal
Western media and the politicians take different stances and show different outlooks on different attackers in gruesome mass shooting cases.
They tend to show empathy towards the white attackers while they directly call it ‘terror attack’ or ‘Jihadist attack’ when the attacker is Muslim.
The US has seen a series of gunmen attacks this year, back to back two attacks in last week. According to Mother Jones Investigation, at least 69 people fell victim of the mass shootings in the US this year.
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Trump accused white supremacy responsible for mass shooting at Texas which killed at least 22.
But he did not confront that bigotry and nationalist ideology are responsible for the rise of mass shootings in the US.
He has been assuring the Americans of taking gun control policy but he has done nothing to root out ‘white supremacy’ from his country.
Texas shooter Patrick Crusius to rationalise his action published a manifesto filled with racist speeches toward immigrants and Latinos.
“This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas,” he wrote, the Guardian reported.
But the American and the western media are trying to ‘empathise’ the shooter by deeming him ‘loner’, radicalised by the spread of racist hatred in social media.
The same kind of reaction by them was observed after the serial bombing by a white bomber Mark Anthony Conditt in Austin, Texas, which killed three innocent strangers and injured a police officer when he blew himself.
The New York Times reported that Conditt was a loner and raised by a religious extremist family.
Even Austin Police Chief called Conditt’s gruesome suicidal video ‘an outcry of a challenged young man’, says a Guardian report.
FoxNews.com made an empathetic commentary on the shooter. They focused on what he could’ve have done if he were not a killer.
The empathy and humanisation of their brutal murder by the whites are actually helping white supremacy grow.
The killers use the racial media to manipulate their crimes and find a way to get away with.
We do not observe the same kind of empathy for the Jihadists.
When it is a white man, the western media generally tries to protect the identity which we do not find in Jihadist attackers’ cases.
Sometimes the media doesn’t reveal the identity. And when the attacker discloses his identity publicly, they use ‘suspect’ before the name.
In the Christchurch attack in New Zealand, Australian shooter Brenton Tarran, even after killing 51 Muslims at a mosque and circulating the livestream of the massacre in the internet, was deemed as ‘suspect killer’.
The royal commission over the Christchurch attack -- formed to inquire about the steps that could’ve been taken to avoid the tragedy -- didn’t take any statements from the survivors of the attack.
According to a Guardian report, the survivors alleged that they were not interviewed or consulted by the investigative team.
The Muslim community especially the survivors feel that they are ignored by the team which raises question about the transparency of the investigation, says a Guardian report.
The prosecution does not allow any media to attend hearings, read or cite evidences.
The journalists also feel shut out of the process and they also feel that there is a lack of ‘transparency’.
Is it because they want to protect the white ‘killer’?
The media or police never protects the identity of the Jihadists. The media term it ‘Terror attack’ right after the massacre even before the prosecution begins.
The Muslim countries have turned conflict zones by the western hegemonies.
In the name of destroying the ISIS or Jihadists, they are releasing bombs, using chemical weapons on the countries which cause thousands to die and millions to flee their own countries and become ‘unacceptable’ refugees.
But they don’t do the same in white shooters cases.
Why are there differences in actions?
The attacks by both of the radicalised armed groups must be addressed with equal seriousness.
The fanatic nationalist ideology and the tendency to protect the white killers are letting the numbers of attacks grow.
Gun control would not curb the racial attacks rather US and the western authorities must tackle the mass killings by ‘white supremacy’ with the same strict policy they take against the ‘Jihadist.’
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The writer is a journalist of Bangladesh, worked with the oldest English daily - The Daily Observer as Sub-Editor for long time; now with The Business Standard, renowned English daily; and writes articles on various issues on regular basis.
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