UC-Berkeley campus groups, including the Muslim Student Association, Hillel, and Students for Justice in Palestine, held a memorial observance for the three murdered North Carolina students on Thursday.
Like that seen elsewhere in the country, accusations of media bias and Islamophobia came up:
“The media coverage has been very minimal, they’ve been slow to cover it, and they’ve avoided discussing the prejudice involved,” [MSA co-chair Unis Barakat] said. “The culture of Islamophobia is very important to combat at UC Berkeley to avoid resurgence and protect our community.”
The Daily Californian reports:
Approximately 200 students gathered on the steps of Sproul around 6 p.m., many greeting each other with hugs and words of assurance. The program began with a reading of verses from the Quran, followed by a video tribute from one of the victim’s friends.
Abdi Hassan, co-chair of the MSA, said that despite the event’s gravity, he hoped that the vigil would strengthen the campus community.
“This isn’t a Muslim-only tragedy,” he said. “This is a tragedy for college students everywhere. This affects all of us as students. This could have been any students from any community.”
Unis Barakat, co-chair of MSA, spoke prior to the event and called the vigil a way for the student body to express its grief and support for the victims’ families.
Barakat also emphasized the importance of holding the media accountable in order to confront the issue of Islamophobia.
After a minute of silence, individuals in the crowd were asked to turn to their neighbors and share their reactions upon hearing the news reports of the shootings. Many cited shock, sadness and frustration with the media, while others were shaken by the similarities between themselves and the victims.
Marium Navid, a UC Berkeley junior and ASUC senator, spoke about the events at UNC during Wednesday’s ASUC meeting. Although she said the ASUC has no definite plans, she added that “there will be some type of action.”
Navid said the ASUC and campus groups, such as the Greek community, hope to hold anti-Islamophobia workshops in the near future.
Thus far, there is scant evidence that the killer, Craig Stephen Hicks, was motivated by anything other than anger over a parking situation.
Current evidence also shows that Hicks doesn’t harbor a special disdain for Islam — he despises all religions.
As for the media bias issue, the fact that Hicks appears to be an atheist with a penchant for progressive causes is likely the reason the media was slow — not in reporting the killings — but, if anything, in dissecting his background.
UPDATE: UCLA held a vigil the same day with many expressing similar sentiments about Islamophobia and media coverage.
Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter
IMAGE: FirasMT/Flickr
Please join the conversation about our stories on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, MeWe, Rumble, Gab, Minds and Gettr.