Ban on religious profiling in media pushed 10/03/2010

Ban on religious profiling in media pushed

10/03/2010
Mediamen may land in jail by using the words “Muslim terrorist or Muslim bandits” in their writing and broadcasting jobs once a measure criminalizing such act is enacted into law.

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara and Lanao del Sur Rep. Pangalian Balindong, authors of House Bills 431 and 1103, said the measures will stop media practitioners from using the words Muslim in describing a suspected person who has committed an unlawful act.

Balindong noted that there were occasions where criminal suspects and persons convicted of criminal acts are being described as “Muslim criminals, Muslim terrorists, Muslim drug pushers, Muslim bandits and Muslim holdup men.”

“These kinds of words and other hosts of offenses connote a negative message of the term Muslim,” the lawmaker stressed..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20101003hed6.html