Do you think that a person's religion should be reported in the press when they are guilty of a crime?

Question

The reason why I ask is just recently it was reported on a headline "Muslim guilty of inciting murder". I think that this is totally wrong and can only lead to tension amongst faiths. After all you don't see headlines like "Christian gets life for murder" or "Jew gets fined for theft"

A person's belief or faith should not have anything to do with what crime they are guilty of.

I work alongside people from different faiths and I have no problem with that. Mainly my work takes me into Tunisia a 98% Muslim country, my colleagues accept that I am Christian and we share views.

What I can't understand why the press find it necessary to single out the Muslim faith when reporting any crime commited by a Muslim. Why not go for the whole hog and put headlines mentioning all faiths! It is time that the press stopped this farce!

There are crimes committed by people from all faiths but yet we don't see these faiths reported in the press!

Answer 1

I don't believe religion or race has anything to do with it, a criminal is a criminal regardless.

Answer 2

The media is well known for stirring up hatred, a headline like that will sell more papers. It's sad and it's wrong but it's true. The only time a persons religion should be stated is if it had something to do with the crime.
I've not read the story you mention but if this Muslim was trying to incite the murder of non Muslims then yes it should be stated in the story. If a person of one religion murders or incites murder to a person or people of another religion and it is because they are have a different religion then that would make it important to the story. If the crime was committed because of a different reason then it is irrelevant what religions are involved.

Answer 3

Good Q.Perceptions have a key role.
There does seem to be a tendency so yes I agree with you.
Say a christian in Lebanon 'murders' a Muslim
then if you as journalists/press report one then you must report the other to show unbias.
The problem somewhat is that most of the murders etc
at the moment in that whole region is very much Muslim vs Muslim or Muslim vs Jew,
so it has become easy to see a Muslim vs anything that moves,,,,
so every 5 minutes on some network we hear
Muslim kills etc etc
It is also because it is largely in the Muslim world that Christians see the sheer barbarity that the people are employing.
Where as in the christian lands there is relative peace.
That is also a big deal in the perception stakes.....

Answer 4

No I don't think it is right. The press rarely states, Christian found guilty of......

No I'm not Muslim, I'm a Christian, who has a lot of hard work to do before I deserve the title!

Having said that, this particular case was different because of what he was inciting. He should have kept his mouth well and truly shut.
We all have the right to demonstrate, but not incite mass murder...
The crowd were mainly Muslim, so the press added this fact, to clarify who was using their right, he wasn't inciting other faiths to join in the killing. It speaks volumes...
Cassandra

Answer 5

I agree that a crime report should not include a person's religion. This practice probably stems from the current social/political hysteria which wrongly equates being Muslim with being a terrorist or anti-American or some other such foolishness. It is the most recent media bias -- another version of "a black man was seen..." as opposed to a "white man was seen..." , or references to whatever nationality was in disfavor at the time, ie, the Irish, the Chinese, etc.

Answer 6

If it's a terrorist attack, or religious intolerance, ect then yes. The same as racist attacks involve naming race then religion should be the same as well as being persecuted or victimized for your political beliefs. I'm an open minded person and believe in equality, but I have to say that political correctness and the people who try to enforce it with the most ridiculous statements such as Christmas and nativity being offensive to other cultures is ludicrous we are a christian country and we have freedom of speech, equality regardless of race religion, ect. But it seems to me the worse thing you can be in the UK now is a white working class English man and it's WRONG!!!

Answer 7

Yes! People should be made aware that the overwhelming majority of all crime, on all levels, is committed by "people of faith," more than 90% of them christians. People will finally see the danger of these death cults and toss them on the garbage heap of history (where they should have been left thousands of years ago) replacing them with reason and common sense. The benefits to society would be immeasurable.

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Answer 8

Only if the crime was motivated by religion, and then the particular religious sect or denomination should be specifically named rather than the general name of the whole religion. It is stupid to look for reasons to give bad press to a mostly law abiding group.

Answer 9

It puts the wrong issue into the public focus; people of all religions are capable of committing crimes, but the religion has no bearing on the matter.

Answer 10

You have a good idea because faith has had the reputation as a cover and that should not be so. This kind of nakedness( uncovering) the truth beneath the blanket would, in my opinion , give the world a view of them self they have not yet seen and in so doing they may have their chance to change. thank you for your work and your words.

Answer 11

I agree fully, a persons religion has nothing to do with the crime, it is just a way of inciting racism, which is totally unacceptable.