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Utah's Teenage Killer, the Muslim Connection Ignored
NewsBusters.org ^ | 2/15/07 | Warner Todd Huston

Posted on 02/15/2007 11:28:06 AM PST by Mobile Vulgus

I have been watching the "reportage" on the regrettable incident of a teenaged killer's rampage in a Utah shopping mall with mounting interest. In nearly every story of this crime the fact that this youngster is from a Muslim background is either muted or ignored altogether.

The AP, for instance, avoids identifying the boy as a Muslim in all their stories that I saw. In one, they merely identify the region in Bosnia in which he lived as the "northeastern enclave where up to 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered in 1995" but do not even speculate as to the boy or his family being Muslims. It is all rather dutifully avoided. In another story, the AP doesn't even use the word Muslim at all.

Even in the local press, like the Utah Desert News, the issue of his background is ignored or made entirely incidental. The Desert News, in fact, makes just one mention that the "family are Muslims from Bosnia who had lived in the vicinity of Sarajevo" in a rather lengthy and otherwise complete story of the incident.

Worse, the New York Times is making the wild assumption that it is "Bosnian immigrants", not the rest of America, that should be afraid for their lives in theirs titled "Anti-Bosnian Backlash Feared in Utah".

In the Times' story the Muslin issue is given scant notice and the focus is put on how we ignorant Americans are sure to start beating up "Bosnians" right and left. The word Muslim seems to have been replaced rather ridiculously with "Bosnian", as if Americans will seek out "Bosnians" upon which to take out their anger instead of Muslims. The fact is, though, "Bosnians" do not loom as the enemy in the minds of Americans, but Muslims do. How many Americans would instantly become wary if someone were to tell them they are "Bosnian"?

In the Times' story the word Muslim is used exactly once:

The number of Bosnian refugees in the Salt Lake City area has been estimated to be 3,000 to 7,000, most of them Muslims fleeing violence by Serbs in the early 1990s.
So, the Times seems to feel regular Americans are the threat not rampaging Muslims. And, even if this boy was not a practicing Muslim, something we do not know as a factor because of the current deficient state of reporting, the fact that he is from a Muslim family is quite germane to the story.

I would find it perfectly reasonable to include in these stories language that could benignly bring up the issue without fanning the flames of anti-Muslim sentiment. It would not be beyond reasonability to say something such as "It is not known if the boy's Muslim background is a factor in his rampage", or some such rhetoric.

But to wholly ignore the issue seems rather un-journalistic, wouldn't you say? It would also seem to be out of character for the MSM in the normal scheme of things.

The 18 year-old killer, Sulejmen Talovic, was driven from his home with his Mother at four, he lived in the aforementioned refugee camp until he was about 9 and then he moved to the USA with his family in 1998. He was thought to be a "loner" with no friends, but wasn't thought of as a trouble maker, being generally a quiet youngster.

That all ended this week with his murderous trip to the mall.

Of course, it isn't possible with what is known to say that his Muslim background directly led to this rampage, or that it was a result of religious extremism. It is wholly possible that this kid was so mentally traumatized by his young life in a war zone that he snapped.

But, here are some interesting facts. The USA is the good guy in the story of Bosnia's Muslims. In fact, Bosnian Muslims today are one of the few Muslim communities who have thus far violently opposed the kind of religious hatred funded by the Saudis with their exportation of Wahhabism and one of the few that are vehemently pro-American because of the advocacy the US offered them in the efforts to stop Slabodon Milosevic's campaigns of ethnic cleansing.

So, it seems somewhat unlikely that he learned any hatred of the USA from his familial traditions.

But the boy is still a Muslim and he wouldn't be the only one to stray from his family's traditions and ideals to take on a radical ideology.

So we are left with at least two possibilities as to the boy's motives.

Neither possibility is discussed in any story about this incident, however.

The question is, why is his Muslim background being completely ignored?

Is it just a question of not knowing the facts and the MSM doesn't want to speculate? This would be a hard thing to believe since speculation is one of their favorite games. Remember how Timothy McVeigh was immediately called a Christian, a White Separatist, or that he was part of a militia, etc.? There was little waiting for facts to emerge with McVeigh. Another incident that showed the MSM's willingness to run with any point no matter if it is proven or not was the Richard Jewel bombing story. That poor guy was so hounded by the MSM that it ruined his life as he was convicted in the press before anything was ascertained.

So, are we to believe that the MSM suddenly got a conscience and decided to go cautious on this boy's Muslim background?

It's doubtful!

But as to the MSM's real motive on this one... well, I'll leave that to each of you.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Utah; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: islam; muslim; sjs; suddenjihadsyndrome; terrorist; utah; whichmosque
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...but we KNOW all Muslims are innocent in the eyes of the MSM! It's the evil Christians we gotta watch out for!
1 posted on 02/15/2007 11:28:08 AM PST by Mobile Vulgus
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To: Mobile Vulgus

don't forget the drive-by amish....clip clop...clip clop...BANG..clip clop..clip clop...


2 posted on 02/15/2007 11:30:24 AM PST by GeorgiaDawg32 (I'm a Patriot Guard Rider..www.patriotguard.org for info..)
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To: Mobile Vulgus
Shhhhhh! You slandering "The Religion of Peace."

I just heard Rush compare GWB to Richard Nixon. Damn Rush is smart.
3 posted on 02/15/2007 11:32:34 AM PST by EndWelfareToday (Live free and keep what you earn. - Tancredo or Hunter)
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To: Mobile Vulgus
So we are left with at least two possibilities as to the boy's motives.
  • He adopted a radical Muslim hatred of the west
  • He was so traumatized by his youth he just snapped and there is no religious influence

Neither possibility is discussed in any story about this incident, however.

The last sentence is not accurate. As of yesterday afternoon, the Associated Press started floating the story that Talovic was a post-traumatic stress syndrome sufferer:

Suspect in Utah Killings Fled Bosnia War [the Associated Press at its finest]

4 posted on 02/15/2007 11:34:22 AM PST by snarks_when_bored
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To: Mobile Vulgus

You want things to be worse? start pushing people into a corner. You didn't cast aspersions upon all cannibals when you found out Dahmer was one, did you?

LOL it's still in bad taste for the media to be banging the bigotry drum. Bigotry happens when you use the actions of a few to blanket indict the many.


5 posted on 02/15/2007 11:34:37 AM PST by kinghorse (calls them like I sees them)
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To: Mobile Vulgus

Is that supposed to be a beard?


6 posted on 02/15/2007 11:38:11 AM PST by BunnySlippers
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To: Mobile Vulgus
Home made video is here. Look for "home video".

It does not show much but you can hear what's happening. The off duty officer was very brave considering he was in plain clothes which could have led to confusion with the other officers arriving and that he had only one clip of ammo.

7 posted on 02/15/2007 11:39:22 AM PST by isthisnickcool (Rick Perry for governor.Of another state!)
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To: Mobile Vulgus

The real motive of the media in this is to hide the truth from us. Some would say that the media don't want us to panic.
Others would say that the media feel that the unmentionable people are poor, downtrodden, underclass have-nots and therefore should be forgiven for whatever evil they do.


8 posted on 02/15/2007 11:40:27 AM PST by Leftism is Mentally Deranged (mediabots are 100% in the tank for jihadists)
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To: Mobile Vulgus
"Screech! Racism!"
9 posted on 02/15/2007 11:41:25 AM PST by pabianice
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To: snarks_when_bored
Here's an incomplete list of Sudden Jihad Syndrome terrorists who were all described as acting alone by the cops and/or FBI:

Ali R. Warrayat
An Arizona Home Depot employee jumped out of the car’s path. To drown out the man’s yells, Warrayat reached over to his car radio and blasted Arabic music before crashing through the front doors.

Charles Bishop (Bishra)
A note written by the 15-year-old boy who crashed a Cessna into a Tampa office building indicated he supported Osama bin Laden and that the act was deliberate, authorities say.

Haider Mohammed
Contacted by Palm Springs Police, FBI investigators described Muslim who was arrested after threatening to 'Kill All Jews' as "not a person of interest."

Hesham Mohamed Ali Hadayet
The suspect, Egyptian-born Hesham Mohamed Ali Hadayet, left two people dead and five injured at the El Al airlines ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport before being fatally shot by a security guard.

John Muhammad
Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint, charging alleged Beltway Sniper John Muhammad with 20 felony counts, including extortion and intent to commit murder.

Marc Lepine (Gamal Gharbhi)
For 45 minutes on Dec. 6, 1989 an enraged gunman roamed the corridors of Montreal's École Polytechnique and killed 14 women.

Mohammed Ali Alayed
After apparently undergoing a religious awakening, a Saudi Arabian student in Houston killed his Jewish friend by slashing his throat.

Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar
Just-graduated student named Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, 22, and an Iranian immigrant, drove a sport utility vehicle into a crowded pedestrian zone at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He struck nine people.

Naveed Afzal Haq
Eyewitnesses told the Seattle News that Mr. Haq announced, "I'm a Muslim American; I'm angry at Israel," and then began shooting. He killed one woman and wounded five others.

Omeed Aziz Popal
Up to 14 hurt in San Francisco hit-and-run spree. Seven are critical. The driver believed to have struck and killed a man in Fremont earlier.

Sulejman Talovic
Police Tuesday identified the gunman accused in Monday night's Trolley Square shooting as Sulejman Talovic, an 18-year-old Bosnian refugee who lived in Salt Lake City.

When you have victims of Sudden Jihad Syndrome piling up all over the country, the reasonable person would conclude -- that's terrorism.

Whether the root cause of these rampages is in the genes of these maniacs or the result of a conspiracy is completely irrelevant.

10 posted on 02/15/2007 11:41:30 AM PST by Beckwith (The dhimmicrats and liberal media have chosen sides and they've sided with the Jihadists.)
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To: Mobile Vulgus

True. I've only heard the guy described as "Muslim" on Rush and here.


11 posted on 02/15/2007 11:47:20 AM PST by NewCenturions
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To: All
RE: old media ignores

And that's the way it is February, 2007.

Society of Professional Propagandizing Journalists Diversity guidelines for professional "journalists" requires it since within days of 9/11/01.

To wit,

Avoid using word combinations such as 'Islamic terrorist' or 'Muslim extremist' . . .

Avoid using terms such as 'jihad' unless you are certain of their precise meaning ... [jihad means] to exert oneself for the good of Islam and to better oneself.

Ask men and women from within targeted communities to review your coverage and make suggestions. [read: censor]

When writing about terrorism, remember to include white supremacist, radical anti-abortionists and other groups with a history of such activity.

12 posted on 02/15/2007 11:49:59 AM PST by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: kinghorse
"Bigotry happens when you use the actions of a few to blanket indict the many." You said

Arguments based on emotionally laden words "Bigot" are not sound.

Of course we judge larger groups based on the actions of representatives of this population. In fact there is nothing wrong with it and it is sound reasoning to do so.
13 posted on 02/15/2007 11:50:37 AM PST by Red6 (Come and get it.)
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To: Mobile Vulgus

bookmark


14 posted on 02/15/2007 11:51:14 AM PST by DocRock (What would Solomon Do?)
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To: Mobile Vulgus

Why am I not surprised that this guy was a Muslim?
I remember back in December, the cops busted a wannabe Muslim terrorist in Ohio who planned on attacking a shopping mall with grenades hidden in trash cans.


15 posted on 02/15/2007 11:51:51 AM PST by Chewie84
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To: Mobile Vulgus
As a nation we have no mechanism left for survival.
We willingly ignore the fact that our enemy is our enemy. Islam declared war on US. We didn't start the war, we didn't want the war, but one sure fire way to lose the war is to deny that our enemy is our enemy.
16 posted on 02/15/2007 11:52:23 AM PST by GrandEagle
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To: Mobile Vulgus

It wont be ignored if someone cleans up the sound on the mall video and picks up and confirms the "Allah Akbar" chant in the background when the police confronted him.


17 posted on 02/15/2007 11:52:51 AM PST by silverleaf (Fasten your seat belts- it's going to be a BUMPY ride.)
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To: Mobile Vulgus
Worse, the New York Times is making the wild assumption that it is "Bosnian immigrants", not the rest of America, that should be afraid for their lives in theirs titled "Anti-Bosnian Backlash Feared in Utah".

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

My anger prompts me to refrain from commenting on this type of article, but that is worse than indifference.
It never occured to the mental midgets at the New York Times that, absent the crazed frenzy of mass murder by the muslim killer, no "Anti-Bosnian immigrant backlash" charecterization would be possible!

18 posted on 02/15/2007 11:53:14 AM PST by Publius6961 (MSM: Israelis are killed by rockets; Lebanese are killed by Israelis.)
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To: Beckwith
RE: Sudden Jihad Syndrome

Good one!

A search found only one hit on "Sudden Jihad Syndrome" from more than a year ago. It's catchy and should be used often, IMO.

The hit came with

TERRORISM 2006, Special Bibliography No. 330 August 2006 Compiled by Maxwell AFB, AL personnel. Hundreds of references at

http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/terror06.htm

Thanks!

19 posted on 02/15/2007 12:00:28 PM PST by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: Beckwith
Thank you for that excellent collection of individual muslims acting out their rage, and getting away with excuses.

I have saved it and will repost it at every opportunity. The clueless right here on FR, for whatever reason, ignorance, stupidity, political correctness, kum-ba-ya syndrome, whatever, still refuse to see the obvious.

I hope that you don't mind my "borrowing" it.

20 posted on 02/15/2007 12:02:33 PM PST by Publius6961 (MSM: Israelis are killed by rockets; Lebanese are killed by Israelis.)
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