Victim blaming says plenty about the media and how out of touch many journalists are
Are people seriously shocked that a religious leader holds religious views including about the ever expanding alphabet people?
Rita Panahi
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The disgraceful victim blaming we’ve seen from segments of the media in the aftermath of an alleged terrorist attack is disappointing but sadly not all that surprising.
Vision of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel being attacked during a sermon shocked the world.
But some in the media seem fixated on the bishop’s supposedly controversial comments, almost suggesting he invited hostility.
The Sydney Morning Herald ran a piece with the headline “Hate me, accept me, or reject me; The inflammatory words of bishop stabbed in Sydney attack.”
Inflammatory? Really?
Their “news” piece began with this: “The bishop targeted in Monday night’s stabbing attack in western Sydney has previously claimed the Islamic prophet Muhammad and other religious figures cannot be compared to Jesus, made inflammatory comments toward the LGBTQI+ community and fought against Covid lockdowns and vaccines.”
Presumably the Nine papers are still stridently pro-lockdown and Covid-vaccine mandates in 2024, even after everything we’ve learned, so much so that they deem the bishop’s commentary as provocative.
And are they seriously shocked that a religious leader holds religious views including about the ever expanding alphabet people.
News.com.au also wrote a piece, missing a byline, highlighting what it called the bishop’s “colourful past.”
The anonymous journalist wrote about the bishop’s “hardline views” on American politics, evolution and marriage.
Again, a bishop holding religious views seems to be shocking to segments of the media.
And, being critical of Joe Biden’s presidency doesn’t exactly amount to an extreme or radical view.
Not to be outdone, Yahoo News ran what looked like an opinion piece masquerading as news in which Bishop Mar Mari was maligned as “a fire and brimstone preacher”.
They also noted that in July 2021 he spoke out strongly against lockdowns.
This victim blaming says plenty about the media and how out of touch many journalists are with at least half of the population.
For his part Bishop Mar Mari has shown incredible grace in forgiving his attacker and calling for his congregation to be “Christlike” and not “return evil with evil, return it with good”. “My beloveds I want you to always be calm,” the bishop said in a sermon released online.
“We should never forget we are very blessed to be Aussies but above all we are Christians and we need to act like it. Love never fails … I forgive whoever has done this act, I say to him, you’re my son, I love you and I will always pray for you.”
Our churches would be full if we had more religious leaders like Bishop Mar Mari.
Far from “inflammatory” or radical, he appears to be a strong leader of the Assyrian community.
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