Watch: CNN reporter – Sikhs targeted “unfairly”


by Sunny Hundal    
9:01 am - August 6th 2012

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A CNN reporter yesterday says Sikhs are “unfairly” targeted because they look like Muslims.

via Buzzfeed)

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Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments


1. Cylux

I recall in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 reading more than a few news reports of American Sikhs being beaten up in revenge attacks. Looks like little has changed unfortunately.

2. Cylux

Also while the implication is that American Muslims would have been ‘targeted fairly’, let’s not forget that a not insignificant section of American society is under the suspicion that CAIR is in fact a clandestine terrorist organisation. That this framed discourse slips so easily from the tongue of a national newscaster, that the victims were from the wrong religion so this makes the tragedy ‘unfair’, should really give those who call for humanitarian intervention by the US military in Muslim majority countries pause. They might ask themselves “just what am I asking to be unleashed?”
They won’t though.

3. Chaise Guevara

Reminds me of the attitude during the AIDS epidemic: it mostly affected heroin users, homosexuals and hemophiliacs, and some people said that the hemophiliacs were the “innocent” victims of the disease, indicating that the others had it coming.

On the other hand, it could just be poor phrasing.

4. margin4error

I suspect the “unfairly” means “accidentally” – but its all pretty outrageous either way.

5. Mark Wills

How come no Mosque ever had a massacre even though Muslims have way more Mosques then Sikhs have Temples! This proves the attacker attacked the SIkhs because he thought Turban means Muslim! ANd the reporter is correct to say what he said! Infact CNN and Media hid the fact that Sikhs are not Muslims. Why do Muslims want to go against the Koran and make people think non-mulims are Muslism. Every Muslim should help point out that Sikhs re a different faith! Unless your saying Sikhs sould let people think they are Muslism? Ok then Muslims should let people think Muslims are Hindus too!

6. Mark Wills

Everybody knows the Massacre would have been avoided if the attac=ker knew they were not Muslim! If this is not the fact then name how manny Mosques ever had a massacre in USA! Only Sikhs have disproportionatly been targeted! Many Muslims relish in non-muslims getting killed! Muslims hate Christians and Hindus and every faith ofcourse they like ignnorance! If Muslims were honest they would hold sighs speaking up in defense of Sikhs. In UK Sikhs defended many Mosques from Attacks by Withe malita groups! But no Muslim Groups defend Sikh Temples!

7. margin4error

Mark

who says muslims want the world to believe sikhs are muslims? I’ve never come across that sentiment among my muslim friends.

8. Chaise Guevara

@ 6 Mark

You’re too subtle for me. I *think* you dislike a certain religious group but I can’t quite make out who from your deviously well-constructed comments, plus of course I’m still getting through all those sources you provided for your claims. To be honest I doubt anyone on LC is capable of dealing with an intellect such as yours. Might I suggest the Daily Mail site or BBC Have Your Say, where you might find the level of conversation up to your standards?

9. Robert the cripple

I had to check twice and could not understand why it’s not Fox TV.

10. Cylux

@5 Well if it’s western news agencies with predominately Christian presenters confusing the masses into thinking that turban=Muslim, then in what way are Muslims responsible for the misinformation?

Besides, from a tactical point of view having an actual Mosque gunned down by a white guy with a 9/11 tattoo would be much more useful in recruitment terms for radical Islamists, inflaming their ‘west v Islam’ narrative nicely. So the conspiracy plot is a bit of a non starter anyway.

11. Shatterface

Reminds me of the attitude during the AIDS epidemic: it mostly affected heroin users, homosexuals and hemophiliacs, and some people said that the hemophiliacs were the “innocent” victims of the disease, indicating that the others had it coming.

An attitude Chris Morris spoofed in his Brass Eye ‘bad AIDS’ sketch.

Also similar to the distinction between ‘prostitutes’ and ‘innocent women’ targeted by Peter Sutcliffe.

Or Julian Assange.

12. margin4error

Shatterface

It’s interesting that everyone now forgets that the police didn’t give a monkeys about the Sutcliffe murders until a non-prostitute was murders with the same MO.

Does anyone really think they’d be any different now?

13. Shatterface

Does anyone really think they’d be any different now?

I think they’d certainly be more careful about the language they use.

14. margin4error

Shatterface

So they would play the PR game better while not giving a monkey’s? Yep, that sound like the British police. Well, it would if they were not so often incapable of getting the basic pr right.

15. Chris

Any chance of tightening gun laws now? No, didn’t think so. How many more shootings do they need before they try and make a change?

I’m not sure whether the CNN guy really meant to imply that attacks on Muslims are “fair” but it was certainly a poor choice of words.

16. Cylux

Any chance of tightening gun laws now? No, didn’t think so. How many more shootings do they need before they try and make a change?

By this point it’s fairly safe to say that a sizeable portion of the American electorate regards random massacres as a worthwhile price to pay for continued easy access to shiny guns and ammo.

17. Charlieman

@12. margin4error: “It’s interesting that everyone now forgets that the police didn’t give a monkeys about the Sutcliffe murders until a non-prostitute was murders with the same MO.”

Possibly I have read too much David Peace to assume that the police were not bothered. That is about recent years and recent reading.

Aside from that, as a teenager in Lancashire, I was aware of the violent murder of a “good time girl” in Preston. A school colleague had exceptional ability to earwig conversations between an investigating officer (his father) and his wife. So we heard the horrible stories fourth hand.

18. douglas clark

Quite an appalling view, IMO.

It is a ‘simple mistake’ to target Sikhs?

What utter shit that is.

These idiots should not be targetting anyone.

That is a nation consumed by it’s own stupid news channels. Has the bottom fallen out of UK society because of 7/7? No.

Has America collapsed into idiocy due to 9/11? Yes.

Nuff said.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
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  58. Laetizia Coronet

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  65. The awful US media coverage of Sikh temple shootings | Liberal Conspiracy

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  87. Hanny Wieles

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