The mass shooting that took place last Saturday night in an Orlando night club has been portrayed by many media outlets as a terrorist attack. The probable cause of such a label is due to the origin of the shooter, who had an Islamic background. Classifying this horrific event as something done by a terrorist is NOT correct. Plainly put, this event is a hate crime, meant to target the night club that was specified to the LGBTQ community in Orlando.
To connect the attacks to the religion of Islam would be completely inappropriate and uncalled for. Yet it still occurs. By continuously doing so, media outlets portray the idea of Islam being a violent religion, it reinforces the idea that people who practice this religion are a threat.
The tragic event in Orlando took place one week into the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is a month of fasting and reflection upon oneself in order to remember that the body is more than just vehicle of need, that it goes beyond to transcend other necessities. Practicing Ramadan is meant to remind us that the soul is connected to the body, and the soul needs more than earthly things. It is a month of giving back to the community, and many that partake in the tradition tend to do selfless acts towards others, of the faith or otherwise.
A true believer in the religion would be aware of the sanctity of this month as well the words of the Qur'an. Murder is strictly forbidden in the Qur’an. Qur’an 6:151 says, “and do not kill a soul that God has made sacrosanct, save lawfully.” Essentially, no one man has the right to take another life, leave that to the law, similar to the death penalty still practiced in many U.S. states. Calling this man a "devout" Muslim when he essentially commits one of the most important sins stated in the Holy book is contradictory.
Media channels instill harsh comments in their headlines that target a certain group of people incorrectly. This can be seen throughout media portrayal of killings, not the most recent shooting alone. After 9/11, the media began consistently using Islam as a scapegoat for murders. Creating headlines that are meant to be sensational and extremist to pull in attention will not accurately account the truth.
Since news outlets rely on public attention to make a profit, sometimes bias and ignorance will surpass the truth. However, by spreading a personal view of a culture, especially a negative one can create large scale fear. These can result in hate crimes towards a group of people similar to the attack on a New York man who was leaving his local Mosque.
