The sensational media feeding frenzy aro…
The sensational media feeding frenzy around the death of Luqman Ameen Abdullah continues as news organizations around the country begin to make desperate, absurd efforts to “localize” the story by claiming Abdullah “had ties” to the local area if he has ever happened to pass through there.
This is from a tv station out of Atlanta:
Federal authorities in Detroit said the leader of a radical U.S. Sunni Islam group, whom Channel 2 has confirmed had ties to Atlanta, was killed in a shootout with federal agents.
What are the “ties”?
Channel 2 Action News investigative reporter Mark Winne said Abdullah had many friends and associates in Atlanta. Winne said Abdullah attended the opening ceremonies for an Islamic sports competition in 2007 in Atlanta’s West End area. Prominent Islamic leaders from around the country were also there.
The result of this kind of ‘localization’ will be to heighten fear and mistrust of local Muslims, and will likely feed into new incidents of discrimination and hate crimes.
johnpi, 
Rabiya, and 
mirelle are discussing.
mirelle 9:32 pm on October 29, 2009 Permalink
I just scrolled through your listing of the second day stories and, while I thought I might be overreacting to the reporting yesterday, I’m thinking today that I was probably too mild in my criticism. Wow. I guess I’ll just add this to that long list of reasons why I’m glad I dropped out of journalism school in my last semester, saving me from having to explain for decades to come why I got a Bachelor of Journalism.
johnpi 10:28 pm on October 29, 2009 Permalink
Yes. US society right now is salted throughout with people trained in journalism but who are now doing other things due to the devolution of that industry/craft/profession.
Rabiya 7:38 am on October 30, 2009 Permalink
Aren’t his “ties” that he is part of Jamil Amin’s organization which itself was an offshoot of the Dar when the Dar became Jamat al Fuqra- there’s a fun group of people – and Amin and others decided not to follow along and created Ummah instead? Was just speaking to a brother yesterday who met this guy several times and is very familiar with the Dar, Ummah, and the rest of them. His impression of the guy was different than Abu Noor’s. Inshallah, there is a book (Muslim authored) coming out some time this year I think or early 2010 about the Dar and its offshoots, and how this has affected the history of American Muslims, even though, apparently, a lot of us don’t even know about this stuff.
johnpi 8:11 am on October 30, 2009 Permalink
Awesome information Rabiya. Shukran.
I would be curious to know more about the book, like who the author is and what the title will be, if you can find out.