The shocking and brutal murder of Helen Joanne Cox, a Labour MP, by a neo-Nazi led to an outpouring of grief among the general population last week. People of all faiths and backgrounds paid tribute to the Labour backbencher as she was described by many as a devoted, kind, perfect and utterly amazing mother and politician,[1] who championed the rights of the less fortunate in our society, including immigrants, refugees and the oppressed in locations as far as Palestine and Syria.[2]
However, the feelings of sorrow quickly turned to anger and frustration among a number of different communities across the country. This was by and large due to the manner in which Ms Cox’s murder was portrayed in the media, with many incensed that the assassination of a well-known pro-EU and pro-immigration MP was not being referred to as a terrorist attack by the mass media, despite clear evidence from a number of sources supporting this claim.[3]
A terrorist attack is commonly defined as an “unofficial or unauthorised use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of a political aim”.[4] Scrutinising the actions of Ms Cox’s killer, Thomas Mair, 52, leading up to, during and after the murder, it becomes clear that the underlying reason she was murdered was for the perpetrator to put his far-right political beliefs into practice.
Firstly, Mr Mair was allegedly heard shouting “Britain First” during the attack, a reference to an ultra-nationalist and anti-Muslim political party, known to despise the pro-immigration and pro-EU work that Ms Cox was engaged in.[5] Secondly, during the murder trial, when asked to give his name in court, Mr Mair shouted “death to traitors, freedom for Britain”;[6] another sign that the perpetrator’s motivation was to implement his far-right political ambitions. Thirdly, it was revealed by West Yorkshire Police that, during his arrest, Mr Mair referred to himself as a political activist,[7] and in the hours following his arrest far-right racist memorabilia urging people to leave the EU was found scattered around his home.[8]
Despite this information having been readily available to all media outlets, not only in Britain but also across the world, the right-wing media began “humanising” her murderer by referring to him as a “loner” and a “quiet”,[9][10] “helpful” and “polite” man with “mental health issues”.[11][12][13] It appeared as if there was a clear refusal on their part to acknowledge the attack as a terror related incident and the first terrorist attack to have taken place in Britain in just under a decade.
Therefore, it begs the questions as to why there was such reluctance among many media outlets to label Mr Mair as a terrorist? Only last week, over fifty people were brutally murdered in an Orlando nightclub by an individual who, just like Mr Mair, was described as a “quiet”, “polite”, “loner”; a “positive person”, with “mental health issues”,[14] yet no time was wasted in declaring him a terrorist.
This is not the first time the right-wing media have been found guilty of double standards in their coverage of crimes committed by people of different races and faiths. Such media outlets are guilty of gross levels of irresponsible reporting to the extent that it is now widely believed that a racial and religious criterion is the definitive standard used to determine who is labeled as a terrorist. In other words, if someone who happens to look like a Muslim commits a violent crime then it must surely be attributed to a destructive religious ideology and must automatically be a terrorist attack. Whereas, a violent crime committed by a White individual is routinely attributed to more reasonable explanations, such as mental health issues. Such a lazy and pernicious notion has been peddled by neoconservatives and Islamophobes now for decades and continues to be consumed by the majority who are frequently spoon-fed the ridiculous notion that not all Muslims are terrorists, but certainly all terrorists are Muslims, despite factual evidence showing that between 94% to 98% of terrorist incidents in Europe and America are committed by non-Muslims.[15][16]
Double standards have also been exemplified by the clear disparity in which Muslim and White non-Muslim criminals are treated by the right-wing media. One can draw parallels with the infamous case of Mohammad Emwazi and the present case of Thomas Mair. In February 2015 research director of CAGE, Asim Qureshi, retrospectively described Mr Emwazi as a “beautiful young man”; a reference to him before he became radicalised and turned into a brutal killer. Such a description about Mr Emwazi was met with widespread condemnation from media outlets across Britain, as well as politicians, who repeated the accusation that Mr Qureshi and CAGE were terrorist sympathisers, with Prime Minister David Cameron joining the public witch-hunt by labeling the organisation as consisting of a group of “extremists”.[17] Similarly, in recent days the Daily Mail and The Telegraph have repeated claims that Mr Mair, an individual who brutally assassinated a Labour MP, was a “helpful, polite and gentle man”. However, on this occasion, despite the gravity of the crime, which was essentially an attack on British democracy, no words of condemnation were used against the Daily Mail or The Telegraph and neither were they accused of sympathising with a terrorist.
Mr Mair’s links to far-right extremists has also largely gone unnoticed in the media. Last week, it was revealed that Mr Mair was a long time supporter of the American neo-Nazi National Alliance.[18] Referring back to his alleged reference to Britain First and his statement in court where he declared “death to traitors, freedom for Britain”, it provides a disturbing insight into his exposure to far-right extremist ideology. Mr Mair’s statement about “death to traitors” was identical to a speech given by Britain First’s deputy leader, Jayda Fransen, in September 2015 when she announced the Party’s leader, Paul Golding, would be campaigning to become the Mayor of London in 2016. During the speech she made a reference to the party’s “pro-EU, Islamist-loving opponents” for “ruining our country” and disturbingly went on to say
“they think they can get away with ruining our country, turning us into a Third World country, giving away our homes, jobs and heritage, but they will face the wrath of the Britain First movement, make no mistake about it! We will not rest until every traitor is punished for their crimes against our country. And by punished, I mean good old fashioned British justice at the end of a rope.”[19]
Firstly, it appears Ms Jansen’s words had an enormous impact on Mr Mair’s outlook as he not only repeated her claims in court but it appears he also enforced her words by killing Ms Cox; an individual Britain First would have had no hesitation in referring to as a “traitor” for her pro-EU and pro-immigration stance. Secondly, despite the far-right racist group denying any connection to Mr Mair, pictures of him attending an anti-Islam Britain First rally have been circulating on social media, which the organisation has attempted to conceal.[20] The connections between Britain First and Mr Mair are further strengthened by eyewitness testimony, with two eyewitnesses having heard Mr Mair say “Britain First” during the shocking murder.
Nevertheless, to place the entire blame of the brutal assassination on far-right extremism ignores the real mechanisms that have helped perpetuate and fuel the poison of far right racism and anti-Muslim bigotry in mainstream British society. Those who ought to be held equally accountable for Ms Cox’s murder are the journalists and news editors from right-wing newspapers, as well as neoconservative politicians and other racists who have played a pivotal role in indoctrinating the masses into believing that ethnic and religious minority groups in the UK, like Muslims, are their enemies.
While fringe groups like Britain First and the EDL should be despised for the bigoted views they espouse to their followers, they are the scapegoats in Ms Cox’s murder and a manifestation of the propaganda war that has existed for decades and continues to exist with great verve in Britain against Muslims, refugees and immigrants.
Bias media reporting by right-wing news outlets and the use of politicised rhetoric by some politicians to reinforce Islamophobia provides the likes of Thomas Mair and many like him with the ammunition and encouragement to hate Muslims and immigrants in Britain, through the repetition of lies and the disproportionate exaggeration of their faults. As a result, this has led to attacks against them and anyone like Ms Cox who challenged the establishment’s and right-wing media’s negative portrayal of them in the UK.[21]
[donationbanner]
Source: www.islam21c.com
Notes:
[1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/18/devoted-kind-and-carefree-the-jo-cox-i-knew/
[2] http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/16/jo-cox-global-aid-worker-to-labour-adviser
[4] http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/terrorism
[5] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/16/labour-mp-jo-cox-shot-in-west-yorkshire
[10] http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jo-cox-shooting-suspect-quiet-8212246
[11] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/16/jo-cox-mp-everything-we-know-so-far-about-thomas-mair/
[15] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-alnatour/muslims-are-not-terrorist_b_8718000.html
As Turkey tourism is declining and Britain is secretly defending the hidden white evil terrorist’s , the time is
right to emigrate to a new city in Turkey to reignite the light where the ottomans were extinguished.
The disbelievers are one an united and friends to one another , Turkey is only a minor pawn in NATO
SUNNIS and Turkey alliance required . BRITISH Muslims need to think now it’s Brexit tommorow is
Muslimexit from Britain – Let’s work together to make a new islamic 21c city in Turkey nr Syria so that we can be ready
when the last days are closer.
A Muslim is a citizen of this tiny global village. The whole world belongs to Muslims. Native Brits must learn to respect and tolerate those who are different. Muslim community in all western countries need Masajid, state funded Muslim schools with Muslim teachers, halal meat, sharia laws, time of for Friday afternoon prayers in the Masjid, two religious official holidays per year and Muslim cemeteries. Stop treating foreigners like garbage and they will stop ruining your precious country. Why did you let them in in the first place if you didn’t want them here? They left everything in their countries because of your promises. Are you so anxious to please that you can’t say “no”? I would love to see you go to a foreign land where you don’t have any friends, you don’t even know anyone and you don’t speak the language, and start from scratch. I would just LOVE to watch you do that. Let them integrate and stop segregating them. What I want is people being nice to each other. I don’t care about race.
IA
http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk
“The whole world belongs to Muslims. ”
…and that is the kind of remark and sincerely-held opinion which inspires distrust – at best – and hatred of muslims among people who disagree with them.
sallam alaikom dear author and psychologist br. and dr. Amar,
may I ask if it were possible to contact you in any way other than over this medium?
barak Allah feekom and may you have blessed remaining Ramadan days
peace
I went to Trafalgar Square, which was like a coming together of our national family. The hashtag #LoveLikeJo says it all really. I wouldn’t say “the feelings of sorrow quickly turned to anger and frustration” but rather quickly turned into outpouring of national love from many “different communities across the country”.
The (right and left) media has portrayed Thomas Mair in the most despicable terms, and has made his terror connections clear, on their front pages.
But it remains a fact that Thomas Mair is not being tried under terrorism laws, and that is regrettable, because he should be.
Be fair, even when pointing to unfairness.
Can you provide one example of a newspaper referring to Thomas Mair as a “terrorist” on their front page straight after the assassination? Oh, you can’t can you because what you have said is false. Also, not sure what rock you have been hiding under but a lot of people from different communities have been angry and frustrated by the way in which newspapers have not referred to Mair as a terrorist. Numerous Facebook and Twitter posts have been evident of this.
So you are the who should be truthful and fair. Actually, go play “happy Muslim” with your fellow sellouts Naved.
The Times front page of June 18th went with the headline: “MP’s Killer Linked to Far-Right Terrorists” (try this link: http://imgur.com/uRiIbH6 – hope it works)
When the despicable person went to court and said his name was “Death to Traitors”, papers reflected the nation’s utter disgust. The Daily Mail began its front page with: “For a nation utterly sickened by the death of Jo Cox, a revolting new low.”
Yes indeed, many were rightly questioning why it wasn’t being handled as an act of terrorism – I would include myself in that too. It was an anti-state killing for extreme political purposes, so it went beyond the hate crime that it also was, no question about it in my mind. I remain dissatisfied that Thomas Mair is not being tried under terrorism laws, and so we should continue to question this.
The overwhelming public response, over an above such questions, was a stirring communal show of love, goodness and national togetherness.
From me to you,
Duas and best wishes.
The Times article does NOT refer to Mair as a terrorist. It states that he is “linked to far right terrorists”. That’s not even suggesting he is sympathetic to far right extremists. In case you want to rebutt what I have written in my comment above, by saying someone is linked to a far right terrorist group does not equate a person to be a terrorist. Furthermore, none of the examples you mentioned refer to Mair as a terrorist, only that his crime was “disgusting”. So your initial comment is invalid and completely inappropriate. I hope you can apologise for that. Thanks.
Err ok… will happily apologise if it calms, only who should I be apologising to, and what am I apologising for?
From a newspaper Editor’s perspective, they couldn’t accurately report the killer as a terrorist, I don’t think. This is because the killer did not belong to a terrorist organisation, he was not arrested and charged under terrorism laws, and he didn’t release anti-state video material or stand in the street making an anti-state case for his killing. However, for reasons I have stated, I think it SHOULD be treated as a terrorist attack.
“Linked to terrorists” all bold and clear on The Times’ front page makes his “terror connections” clear. It’s not the same as saying “he is a terrorist” (though it implies it very strongly: a far as the law is concerned, if you murder an MP for political reasons and are linked to terrorists then you are what? And the reading public?). The Times headline is as far as any paper headline could (credibly) go. As I’ve said it wouldn’t be editorially sound to say “he is a terrorist”.
Because he isn’t being tried under terrorism laws and because Britain First is a legitimate political organisation (scum as it is), newspapers can only push the conversation on this, and some commentators have been doing that.
How words in the headline are framed to one side, surely you must agree that “the truth about the assassination” was the overwhelming public response: a stirring communal show of love, goodness and national togetherness?? To omit such a national show of love cannot, as led by her family and friends, and which resonated far and wide, over and above… to omit such a show is hardly a fair portrayal of what happened.
[Once again, if you’re upset by my conversation thread(s), then hey, apologies, sorry, I’m not aiming to upset you or diss you or whatever.]
Duas and good wishes again,
NS
I went to Trafalgar Square, which was like a coming together of our national family. The hashtag #LoveLikeJo says it all really. I wouldn’t say “the feelings of sorrow quickly turned to anger and frustration” but rather quickly turned into outpouring of national love from many “different communities across the country”.
The (ring and left) media has portrayed Thomas Mair in the most despicable terms, and has made his terror connections clear, on their front pages.
But it remains a fact that Thomas Mair is not being tried under terrorism laws, and that is regrettable, because he should be.
Be fair, even when pointing to unfairness.
peace unto you, unto me and unto us all.
media../..the ruh that is in us all and is of the amr of Allah of which we have little knowledge of….who is doing what? and who is getting the credit…deception deception……
we all come into the life alone and all leave alone…silence is golden…yet as imam Ali (may Allah be pleased with him and honour his face) said if he did or not Allah knows best…” do not take the silence of a believer as his arrogance perhaps he is in battle with him self”…..as to his blessed son imam Hassan..if and when a muslim comes to a group of muslims and they think he is unwell, it is not as such but he is as faqih muslim…..may Allah make us all strong…because we are heading for something….albeit humanity first…….as islam is chosen by the Creator as best way for us i.e. the human race…..we as muslims are not chosen or special nor superior but may be just lucky as to be part of the supreme way…..with that said, the enemy is not human….:) and first of all its within, so may we remember the beloved’s dua when looking in the mirror. just for starters ………al tama alkubra…al-saqaa…….I do not know you neither you me…who knows who?..leave me alone….haha!…strange are the times…..if just to be a bit positive…. good suspicion I suppose is needed..and it is Allah who judges in the end…..
satan the jumper…even though in this blessed Ramadan…or may be as it is in this month the lesser satans…..hadith” every bell ring is a devil”!!!! and the beloved does not mention things from his desires, as we all know. the media is smart though…?! as to the enemy i.e. satan and the other creations who may not want to good for us the humans….they may have eyes but they truly can not see….I suppose we have to be in the fortress……I advise you all but my self first…zikr zikr zikr……
can anyone advise me how to get my information back form the system?…I would advise you all to do so the same..only if you wish…!
sorry all over the place….dajjal’s followers mostly women…?! how do the brothers sense or as the author br. Amar is a psychologist how does affect..i do not know what does it affect us in our bodies and what goes around in our bodies…etc?….it seems all inter linked…….transport and it’s barriers…..who is who?….concealment of what?…?….
are muslims the only ones to get to heaven? sabeans? jews? christains?….sister in humanity Jo? who can say and who can not?……albeit time is running out…..and this is getting serious….it certainly is a mystery….and it is not definelty not about the money , even though we are unfortunately fooled to believe so…I pray God guides us all…I tell myself first, but it needs work and striving, in order to find what we need to find…..remember it is not about the muslims but humanity…we are just fortunate to have had ahead start….and everything blessing will be asked about?….what is ahead is definetly more important….i.e. the hereafter….
currently listening as writing this…al iman w al-Asr……”no complete love for Allah, without first loving mankind”……..vs the law or not ..I do not care….but peace sometimes can not come with out a fight…just like getting rid of a cancer…..as to the monitors…if you are from amongst us the humans…?!! just a plea…pass on the message….humanity is truly at risk……and the seal of the prophets/ i.e. the paracleet as what is still in the current bible states him as such… I think john 16…..anyway he is truly a mercy not just for mankind but for the whole universe and perhaps even beyond…..please please….submit…not to us…but submission to the ONE who created this temporary life…..there is room for us all on what is left of this world…please do not be deceived by satan and the world, because it is truly a delusion/illusion…..if you are really peace makers and do want what is good for Britain and humanity in general…at least let us have an open mass discussion and let the people be truly informed and let them vote for what is best for us all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a no body…but do not concentrate on what I am about to say…and take your thoughts to the above…….but as to what is prophesied in the past, and on those words… I warn thee, I warn thee…..mainly of what is after death and what is to come!!……if you do decide to choose arrogance and to clench onto power and continue to oppress…with that said, power does not neccessarly have to be taken away…as long as it is justice and peace,,,because as you may know there is no peace with out true freedom…….please let us all live in peace….
time running low…so I am gone in 3..mins
so peace unto all humanity
” Ms Cox’s killer, Thomas Mair, 52, ”
You mean “Ms Cox’s alleged killer, Thomas Mair, 52”, or do you think a trial is a needless luxury?
You sound like a Britain First supporter Hector. It’s laughable how you liberal secular Islamophobes hide behind fake names when posting on Islamic websites. Please to refrain…
@Oscar Lol here, here, on your bike Hector. Enough is Enough… #Yawn
Is your real name Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, then, or are you some otherwise unknown Oscar?
You haven’t said whether you think a trial is a needless luxury, Oscar. As Thomas Mair isn’t being tried under any laws yet, let alone “terrorism laws”, it does look a little like it. Just which “terrorism laws” do you want him tried under? Does conviction under those “terrorism laws” entail more severe sentences than a mere murder?
You sound like a Britain First supporter “Hector”. It’s laughable how you secular liberal Islamophobes hide behind fake names when posting on Islamic websites. Please to refrain…
Did the British do a trial in the cases of rendition? Did the Americans in Guantanamo. It’s Western policy if supposed democratic nations not to do a trial when it suits them. How many drone attacks do we have without a trial! There are hundreds!!
As I aid before you need to open your eyes! You don’t have the moral or higher ground in any argument any more!
Well, abu mustafa, if you think trials are unnecessary luxuries, why the fuss about Mr Mair’s decision to inhume Ms Cox?