Int’l media has responsibility to cover US Muslims’ killing: Dar al-Iftaa

International media has a “great ethical responsibility” in fighting extremism, as associations between faith and “terrorism” fuel hatred and animosity, Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa said in a Wednesday statement following the murder of three U.S. Muslims in North Carolina. The “horrifying” murder of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu Saleh and Razan Abu Saleh “reveals the preposterous face of extremism” and proves that “terrorism” does not have “any religious base,” Dar al-Iftaa said, offered its “heartfelt condolences” to the family and friends of the victims “Dar al-Iftaa calls on the world to stand united in the face of these waves of extremism and to realize that the purpose of people’s diversity in religion, color and language is to know one another and benefit from one another, not to kill each other,” the statement said. The “false association” some international media make between Islam and brutal acts leaves the space for “ill-hearted” people with “sick mentalities” and “warped logic” to inflict their “rage” upon innocent Muslims, the statement added. The hashtags #ChapelHillShooting and #Muslimlivesmatter have gone viral on Twitter, with condemnations that mainstream media has not “properly covered” the attack and comparisons with coverage of similar incidents perpetrated by Muslims. “We all need to rise up to our collective responsibility of fighting these extremist ideologies which results in ruthless acts of murders and killings,” said Dr. Ibrahim Negm, the Senior Advisor to the Grand Mufti. “This recent wave of gruesome acts of killing based on racial profiling and religious discrimination marks a dark chapter in human history,” the statement said, adding that the “fatal concept of clash of civilizations” that promotes confrontations against people who differ in religion, national identity or race catalyzes a hospitable medium for “fanatical beliefs.” “Many, many amazing people have condemned this crime from across the world including many random people who seem to want to apologize for the heinous acts of this man. Muslims know all too well that the actions of few may not define the masses. Love shall overcome,” a Facebook page dedicated to the slain trio said. Established in 1895, Dar al-Iftaa is Egypt’s government-sponsored religious institution responsible for issuing fatwas and religious opinions. Along with Al-Azhar, the world’s foremost institution for Islamic scholarship established in 970, they are regarded as reliable sources of Islamic teachings in the Muslim world.