Moderate news outlets are more likely to not discuss scripture, and if they do, it is usually referring to how a certain terrorist interpreted the scripture for themselves. However, verses from the Bible or other holy books are not mentioned in the media as much as Islamic scripture when justifying terrorism. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, an associate professor at the University of St. Thomas, found that violence is prevalent and justified many times throughout Abrahamic religious texts. He theorized that the similar presence of a “Deity who uses unfathomable violence to both reward and punish" may explain why Muslim, Christian, and Jewish extremists interpret texts more violently. Pallmeyer further points out an ironic fact that the public and media
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The increase in Islamophobic violence has resulted in attacks not only against Muslims, but against individuals mistaken as Muslims, such as Sikhs. Since 9/11, Sikhs have been indiscriminately targeted as terrorists because of the similarities between the appearance of male Sikhs and the stereotypical portrayal of Muslims, wearing a turban and a beard. Even though Sikhs do not practice Islam, the extent of harassment had been so great after 9/11 that a volunteer coalition had been founded for Sikhs who had been mistaken for Muslims and attacked (Nasser). Political issues have also risen that could be attributed to the fear-mongering inspired by the media. In January 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that banned immigration from 7 Muslim majority countries. This was condemned for being xenophobic and religiously discriminant, as no American has ever been killed by citizens of the 7 banned countries (Beauchamp). Some criticized the influence that FOX News had on the executive order, as Trump has often praised FOX’s portrayal of himself, which would give him further incentive to watch the network and expose him to more right-wing ideology (Satlin). The executive order not only targeted Muslims outside of the United States, but marginalized Muslims and immigrants within the United States. Hence, the biased and negative portrayal of Muslims in the media has resulted in social and political issues that continue to impact American
The increase in Islamophobic violence has resulted in attacks not only against Muslims, but against individuals mistaken as Muslims, such as Sikhs. Since 9/11, Sikhs have been indiscriminately targeted as terrorists because of the similarities between the appearance of male Sikhs and the stereotypical portrayal of Muslims, wearing a turban and a beard. Even though Sikhs do not practice Islam, the extent of harassment had been so great after 9/11 that a volunteer coalition had been founded for Sikhs who had been mistaken for Muslims and attacked (Nasser). Political issues have also risen that could be attributed to the fear-mongering inspired by the media. In January 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that banned immigration from 7 Muslim majority countries. This was condemned for being xenophobic and religiously discriminant, as no American has ever been killed by citizens of the 7 banned countries (Beauchamp). Some criticized the influence that FOX News had on the executive order, as Trump has often praised FOX’s portrayal of himself, which would give him further incentive to watch the network and expose him to more right-wing ideology (Satlin). The executive order not only targeted Muslims outside of the United States, but marginalized Muslims and immigrants within the United States. Hence, the biased and negative portrayal of Muslims in the media has resulted in social and political issues that continue to impact American