In the advent of any ‘terror’ related event we experience a plethora of apologies and condemnations from leaders worldwide. These are some very important considerations we should all keep in mind before we hurry to issue our responses:
- Wait for the truth to emerge. Not every act of violence by a Muslim is “terrorism”.
- Don’t jump on the bandwagon. Avoid knee jerk reactions and speculation until a motive is established.
- Think before you speak. Public statements must be measured and refer to the wider context in which violence is occurring.
- Avoid loaded terms. When you speak, use neutral language to avoid pitfalls of loaded terms such as “terrorism”, “extremism” and “radicalisation”.
- Be independent. Maintain your independence in analysis and don’t be led by the government and the media on events.
- Be mindful of wider agendas. Act only in the interest of your community, while being aware of wider agendas that seek to further securitise our society.
- Avoid collective guilt. Avoid statements that imply a collective guilt. They only perpetuate negative stereotypes about Muslims.
(NOTE: CAGE represents cases of individuals based on the remit of our work. Supporting a case does not mean we agree with the views or actions of the individual. Content published on CAGE may not reflect the official position of our organisation.)