"I, therefore, ask you to add a Muslim voice and mention the rise in Islamophobia to make your article more balanced and fairer."
December 18, 2023
To:
Harold Munro, Editor-in-Chief, Vancouver Sun
Carey Bermingham, News Editor, Digital, Vancouver Sun
Dear Harold Munro and Carey Bermingham,
I am writing to express concern about the article: “Ottawa minor charged with terror plot against Jewish people,” published on December 16 in Vancouver Sun.
There are two significant issues in your article.
First, it only gives voice and space to Gerry Almendrades, the National Director for Community Security for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), a pro-Israel organization.
Second, you do not mention the fact that Islamophobia has also been on the rise since October 7.
Other media outlets that have covered this story give voice and space to members of the Muslim community and mention Islamophobia, such as this CBC article.
I, therefore, ask you to add a Muslim voice and mention the rise in Islamophobia to make your article more balanced and fairer.
I hope Vancouver Sun will make these changes and cover local Islamophobia and Antisemitism events in a fair and balanced way.
Sincerely,
Fatima Haidar,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East