The media needs to be more responsible for how it links Islam and Islamist terrorism
Careless reporting of Islamist terrorism plays into the hands of its perpetrators, explain Griffith University’s Audrey Courty and Halim Rane in this crossposting from The Conversation.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the US, Islam has become central to debates about social cohesion and national security in Australia.
Restrictions on Muslim immigration have been openly discussed – most recently by Senator Fraser Anning in his maiden speech to parliament – and many believe another terrorist attack in the name of “Islam” is inevitable.
Confronted with this reality, the media are playing an essential role in informing us about Islam and influencing how we respond. But, perhaps due to a limited understanding of Islam or a fear of antagonising Muslims, a fundamental point has largely been absent from reporting: the threat of terrorism does not stem from Islam. Rather, it stems from Islamism, a political ideology.
Some good points raised, but this article contains subjective interpretations of the causes of terrorism. It also makes a subjective differentiation between “Islam” and “Islamism.”