Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Ask A (Born Again) Muslim

Home
Muslim
Austin Bomber Mark Anthony Conditt- Serial Bomber or Terrorist?

Austin Bomber Mark Anthony Conditt- Serial Bomber or Terrorist?

Last updated on: March 23, 2018 at 7:45 pm by Ejaz Naqvi, MD

Austin Bomber Mark Anthony Conditt- Serial Bomber or Terrorist? 2018-03-23T19:45:11-07:00 Ejaz Naqvi, MD

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It was perhaps ironic that the Austin serial bomber blew himself up. But when does a ‘serial bomber’ become a terrorist? When is a mass murderer reported as a terrorist? In the media reporting at least, it depends on who the culprit is, rather than the act itself. More specifically, it depends on whether the culprit is a Muslim or not.

Even a cursory review of the reporting makes the media bias rather clear, as we will see in the following paragraphs.

Mark Anthony Conditt, the ‘Austin serial bomber’ blew himself up yesterday as the authorities zeroed in on him. This is how CNN reported the news. The headline read:

What We Know About the Serial Bomber.

The Austin serial bomber killed himself when he detonated one of his bombs early Wednesday. He was responsible for six other devices, five of which detonated, killing two people and injuring five others.

The New York Times headlines read:

Lu cky Breaks, Video and Pink Gloves Led to Austin Bombing Suspect

The NY Times story further stated:

In a matter of hours, Mr. Conditt’s bombing spree, as well as his life, would be over. As SWAT officers closed in, Mr. Conditt — a 23-year-old man from the Austin suburbs with no criminal record…

“Mr. Conditt”?

How many times have you seen the reports of “Mr. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev” (after Boston marathon attack)?

The USA Today’s headline:

Who was Mark Anthony Conditt, the Austin serial bomber?

And the NBC News:

Trail to Austin bombing suspect combined high-tech and old-fashioned techniques

I can go on and on but you got the picture.

No mention of the word terrorism in reference to the five bombings he is believed to have committed. No mention that Conditt was in fact a terrorist. I wonder how the media would have reported if his name was Kareem Omar.

Racism?

Many have pointed out that the victims were blacks, at least on the first two bombings and therefore the bombings were racially motivated. That may be true. But it is still terrorism, likely motivated by racism.

Definition of terrorism

Is it not an act of terrorism? Just ask the citizens of Austin. They would tell you they were terrified.

Ok, I know the legal definition of terrorism requires a motive. The U.N. general assembly defined it as follows in 1994.[1]

Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them.

The FBI defines domestic terrorism as “perpetrated by individuals and/or groups inspired by or associated with primarily U.S.-based movements that espouse extremist ideologies of a political, religious, social, racial or environmental nature.”

Title 22 of the U.S. Code defines terrorism as “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.”

And sure we don’t know Conditt’s motives. But does the media await for the motives to be known when the culprit “looks Muslim”, or has a Muslim-sounding name?

Not only is the act called terrorism, but if the culprit is a Muslim, these acts receive much more attention in the media.

The good news is that folks have started to realize the apparent bias.

As reported by Independent, a well-respected UK news outlet, on July 3, 2017 published the study conducted by Erin Kearns and colleagues from Georgia State university, with the following headline:

Terror attacks receive five times more media coverage if perpetrator is Muslim, study finds

Analysis of coverage of all terrorist attacks in the US between 2011 and 2015 found there was a 449 per cent increase in media attention when the perpetrator was Muslim.

The authors said the finding suggests the media is making people disproportionately fearful of Muslim terrorists.

They found that the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which was carried out by two Muslim attackers and killed three people, received almost 20 per cent of all coverage relating to US terror attacks in the five-year period.

In contrast, reporting of a 2012 massacre at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that left six people dead and was carried out by Wade Michael Page – a white man, constituted just 3.8 per cent of coverage.

A mass shooting by Dylann Roof, who is also white, at an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina, killed nine people but received only 7.4 per cent of media coverage, while a 2014 attack by Frazier Glenn Miller on a Kansas synagogue left three dead but accounted for just 3.3 per cent of reports.

After the Las Vegas “massacre”, the Poynter published this piece on October 2, 2017 with the following headline.

‘Lone wolf’ or ‘terrorist’? How bias can shape news coverage[2]

Another decision: describing the attack that authorities say was committed by Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old white man, as a “mass shooting” rather than “domestic terrorism.” When a Muslim person mows down innocent victims and terrorizes a community, media and authorities are quick to declare it terrorism; when a white, non-Muslim attacker does the same, he is usually described as a disturbed loner in a freak incident. In both cases, journalists arrive at these conclusions early in the news cycle when information is incomplete. (Official statistics show far more terrorism in the U.S. is committed by white men than by Muslims).

What’s the impact? Why do we/should we care?

First of all this is about fair and objective reporting.

Secondly, there is a psychological impact with immense implications for bias, negative perceptions, hatred and even bigotry.

Muniba Saleem, a social psychologist from university of Michigan conducted a study in April 2017, showing videos of Muslims to three different groups. One showed them in a negative light including clips of them committing acts of terrorism; the other showed them in positive light, doing humanitarian work, while the third group saw neutral clips.

The three groups were asked various questions following the videos. One question was if they would support public policies against the Muslims.

The researchers discovered that after participants watched the negative news clips, they supported all kinds of unconstitutional policies targeting Muslim Americans.[3]

We should be fair and just and call it what it is- regardless of the color, religion, ethnicity or race of the victims OR the perpetrators.

O you who believe! be maintainers of justice, bearers of witness of God’s sake, though it may be against your own selves or (your) parents or near relatives; if he be rich or poor, God is nearer to them both in compassion; therefore do not follow (your) low desires, lest you deviate; and if you swerve or turn aside, then surely God is aware of what you do. The Qur’an 4:135

You see, negative portrayals lead to negative perceptions which leads to negative opinion and in worse case scenarios hatred, and in some cases, violence.

This may not be ‘fake news’ or overt Islamophobia, but it certainly qualifies for biased and perhaps dishonest reporting, don’t you think?

[1] https://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/49/a49r060.htm

[2] https://www.poynter.org/news/lone-wolf-or-terrorist-how-bias-can-shape-news-coverage

[3] https://www.npr.org/2017/06/19/532963059/when-is-it-terrorism-how-the-media-covers-attacks-by-muslim-perpetrators

Austin Serial Bomber

Mark anthony Conditt

Austin Serial Bomber

Austin serial bombings

Previous Post

March 20, 2018

3 Reasons Why We Were Created- From Quran and Bible's Perspective

Next Post

March 27, 2018 Holy Week and Easter- A Time to Love Your Neighbor, Not Bash Them

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #IStandWithIlhan #ISupportRashidaTlaib #JusticeForZainab #MeToo #shithole Countries #Shitholecountries 1001 Inventions 2017 in review 2019 2nd amendment 4th of July 58 Palestinians 99 names of God Afghanistan Afterlife Al Ma'idah Allah Alms America and Islam American mosque American Muslim American Muslims Animals in paradise Annunciation anti-Semitism Aquatic origin Arafat Arkansas Arrogance Ashura Ashura and Karbala atheism atheism and islam Atheism and Muslim atheist Attacks on places of worship Austin Serial Bomber ave a dream Avicenna Benjamin Corey Beyond rituals Bible Bible and science Biden inauguration Big Bang Black Lives Matter Brett Kavanaugh Burcin Mutlu-Pakdil Burma Caliph Donald Trump Cell phones and mobile devices Chanukah Charity Charlottesville Chastity Child murder Child rape Christchurch mosque attacks Christchurch Mosques shootings Christian Christian Fundamentalism Christian Muslim Dialogue Christian Muslim interfaith Christian Taliban Christian-Muslim Dialogue Christians Christine Blaise Ford Christmas Christmas and Gaza Church Church of Ebgland Civil liberty CNN Explosive Device Coexist Conor Lamb Corona virus Covenant of Muhammad Covid-19 Virus Creation Creation in 6 days Creation in Quran and Bible Creation vs evolution Creationism Cross channel Patheos dialogue Crucifisxion Daily Prayer Services Day of Arafah Dayton shooting Dear Mother Devin Kelley Diamond Rule Domestic terrorism Domestic Violence Domestic Violence in Muslim communities Easter Edhi Eid Eid Al Adha Eid Al Fitr Eid Mubarak El Paso shooting Elohim End of Life care Environment Protection Ethnic Cleansing Evolution Evolution theory Explosive Devices in Mail Fact-Checking Faith and civil liberties Faith and justice Faith and religion Faith and suffering Fake news Fasting and ramadan Fasting in Torah and Gospel Fasting on Ashura Fear Inc fear mongers Fear of God Flat Earth Flat Earther Flu Flu prevention Flu tips Flu vaccine Followers of christ forgiveness forms of interfaith dialogue Freedom of expression Freedom of religion Friday at Kaaba Friday prayer Friday prayer at Kaaba Friday prayer during Hajj Gaza General Wesley Clark Genocide George Floyd Glad Tidings God God Fearing God of Abraham God's Mercy Golden Rule Good Friday Gospel Gospels Gratitude Gun control laws gun safety Gun violence Hagia sophia Hajj Hajj 2020 Hajj 2020 Day of Arafah Hajj 2022 Hajj in review Halal Hanukkah Happy Father's day Happy New Hijri Year Happy New Year Hate crime hate speech Hijab Hijabi scientist Holy Land Holy week Hot takes Humility I have a dream I have a dream in the Quran Ihram ilad un Nabi Ilhan Omar Imam Ali Imam hussain In God we trust In God's image infidels Intelligent design Inter religious relations Interfaith Interfaith Dialogue Interfaith Iftar Intra Faith Dialogue Intra-Faith dialogue Islam and Jesus Islam and racism Islam in America Islam Judaism and Christianity Islam One Religion Islam- way of Abraham Islam-Facts Islam-one religion Islamberg Islamic Comamndments Islamic golden age Islamic jesus Islamic Mannerism Islamophobia ISNA Israel's capital Jerusalem Jeruslam Jesus Jesus and end of times Jesus and Gaza Jesus Christ Jewish-Muslim dialogue Jewish-Muslim Relations Jews Jews Christians and Muslims Jihad Joe Biden Joseph son of Jacob Just Muslim Justin Trudeau Kaaba Karbala Kashmir Kavanaugh confirmation Killings of Palestinians Kind and Loving God Kind God and sufferings Kobe Bryant Kosher Labor Day Las vegas shooting Las vegas terror Last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad Last Supper Law of Moses Leaving religion Lent Life lessons Linda Sarsour lllegal immigrants Loving God Make America Great aagain Malala Mannerism lessons Marijuana Mark anthony Conditt Martin Luther King Martin Luther King Day Mary Maryam Masjid Nabawi Mass shooting Mawlid Mawlid un nabi Mecca Medical Marijuana Medina Medina AlQiblatayn mosque Medina Baqih meditation Merciful God Merry Christmas Mike Pompeo mindfulness Miracles of the Qur'an Mitzvah MLK Day Mosque Most Forgiving God mother of Jesus Mother's day Mount Sinai Monastery Muhammad Muharram Muharram and Karbala Muslim Muslim Americans Muslim Christian Dialogue Muslim contribution to Science Muslim gatekeeprs Muslim Jesus Muslim Nobel prize winners Muslim Review Year 2022 Muslim scientists Muslim Unity Muslim Women in Congress Muslim-Atheist dialogue Muslim-Christian relations Muslims-Facts Muzdalifah My Hajj My Jihad Myanmar Myths about Islam Myths about Muslims Nativity Nativity of Jesus New Year New Year resolution New Year Wishes Nobel prize Nones Northern California fires not flu Nuns Occupied Kashmir OJ Simpson One nation under God Onjil Original Sin osque of prphet Muhammad Palestine Parkland school shooting Pew Research center Pilgramage Pilgrims Pillars of Islam Pious Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting Plastic Platinum Rule Police racism Pope Francis meeting with Ayatollah Sistani Pot Prayers Prophet Muhammad Prophets of Islam Protestant Proud American Pulpit Purpose of creation Quba mosque Qur'an Quran Quran and Jesus Quran and Science Quran commandments Quran is easy to understand racism Racism and Diversity Ramadan Ramadan Fasting Ramadan Kareem Rashida Tlaib Rashida Tlaib Cursing Rebuttal to Hemant Mehta Religion and science Religion is the solution Religion vs science Religiosity Religious scientists Removing life support Republicans and Christianity Retirement Riazul Jennah Rick Saccone Righteousness Rohingya Roman Catholic Round Earth Roy Moore defeat Safa and Marwa Salah Salat Saudi exported extremism Saudi Oil filed attack Science and Faith Science and religion scientist and atheism Secretary of state Senate hearing Sermon on the Mount Sexual abuse Sexual harassment Sharia Sharia Law Shia Shia Sunni Unity Social Justice and Islam Sri Lanka Terror Attacks on Easter St. Catherine Monastery Stand with Kashmir Straight Path Submission to God Sunni Sunni-Shia unity Supplications supremacists Supreme court judge Supreme court nomination synagogues and churches Talbiya Taliban Ten Commandments Terror plot against Islamberg Terrorism Texas church shooting Thank God Thankfulness Thanksgiving Thanksgiving celebration Thanksgiving Day the mother of Jesus Torah Tree of Life Tree of Life Synagogue True Christians Trump Trump and misogyny Trump's decision for recognition of Jerusalem Trump's threat to Sanctuary cities Trusting God Tzedekah Uhad Umrah UN resolution Uncategorized Unchristian Republican behavior UnChurched United Ummah UnMosqued US Embassy in Jerusalem US war with seven countries Uyghurs Vatican on Eid Violence in Gaza Wahhabisim War on Christmas wellness What Would Jesus Do? What would Muhammad do? white supermacist White supremacists White Supremacy Why were we created Women's march WWJD Yemen Zakat Zamzam well

Select a Month April 2024 March 2024 December 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 December 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz