LONDON – Whilst the terrible events of the Boston Marathon are still fresh in our minds, and the shooting of two police officers and a suspect in a nearby suburb are understandably causing press speculation about the faith and ethnicity of those involved, Faith Matters (www.faith-matters.org) urges media and commentators to report with sensitivity as news continues to break.
Already Faith Matters – a UK interfaith charity which runs the ‘Tell MAMA’ anti-Muslim hatred project (www.tellmamauk.org) – has noticed a marked ‘spike’ in online hate comments directed towards Muslim organisations and individuals. Online hatred can poison community relations and stoke tensions, leading to further violence.
The bombers and their atrocious acts are to be utterly condemned without reservation. Their hatred should not be allowed to prevail or cause tension between Muslims in either the USA or UK. Boston drew together after the awful events of Monday, and we call for the same here in the UK. We should remember that sport unites, not divides, on the eve of London’s Marathon.
Fiyaz Mughal,
Director – Faith Matters & TELL MAMA