Ibrahim Bala didn’t just “die in an attack” – he was murdered

What do you think when you see the title “Senior dies in attack after leaving an Oshawa mosque.” Is murder the first thing that comes to mind? Presumably not, because it sounds accidental, unintentional, and as if it was an unfortunate accident that occurred, or that someone later died from their injuries. Not that someone deliberately killed them, or that there is a possibility of this being a hate crime. The phrasing undermines the crime that was committed, and this is crucial because language shapes our perception. If we can’t call murder for what it is, how can we have honest conversations about hate, violence and accountability in Canada.

Ibrahim Bala was an 80-year-old Muslim man who lived in Oshawa and was said to be a “very dear community brother,” and “the first to be a friend” to newcomers to Oshawa helping them form roots in the city. The horrible events on October 16^th, left him with significant injuries, and resulted in him dying at the scene.

“Well, dear reader, it is an obligation for news outlets to do as follows: report the news.”

There are so many murders committed on a day-to-day basis around the world, and as devastating as that may be, you’re probably wondering what stands out about this murder, and what makes the way it was reported so important? Well, dear reader, it is an obligation for news outlets to do as follows: report the news. If a news outlet can’t even name the term “murdered,” or even take in the possibility that this was a hate crime, not only is that misinformation, but it is a huge tell on what’s going on in our society. Where allegedly a news outlet doesn’t want to mention the “m” word because of this unfortunate individual’s religious beliefs.

The spokesperson wouldn’t even mention the word “murder” when reading a statement issued by the Islamic Centre of Oshawa shedding light on the situation, which clued me in that this was intentional.

Imagine this was the report of someone you loved and cared dearly for, how would you feel if you read that headline. Like the egregious act toward them was belittled, minimized, and that what happened to said person doesn’t matter. Over the years and throughout history, where have we seen the systematic neglect of marginalized communities?

Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and costliest hurricanes in American history. You would think the response to this would be efficient, but no. In fact, the response was and still is heavily criticized for the New Orleans governments’ inaction and slow response just because it affected an area with low-income African American individuals. FEMA’s (Federal Emergency Management Agency) response was disorganized and delayed, particularly in the Lower Ninth Ward, which was a poor and historically Black neighbourhood. Then the President at the time, George W. Bush publicly praised his FEMA director for his handling of the crisis, while people were dying in flooded areas. Furthermore, the journalists and politicians, including President Bush, initially dismissed eyewitness accounts of violence and lawlessness among the displaced people.

Although the title technically wasn’t wrong, this news channel failed to report, or acknowledge what truly happened to Ibrahim Bala. No matter if there is an update that absolves this of being a hate crime, that’s not my point. I am saying that reporting a murder with language that minimizes its importance and obscures the truth, decreases public awareness and creates mistrust within the people that follow what you report.

When did we forget that words shape how we see reality? In a time when our communities rely on news to seek truth and justice, and especially when criminal acts around the world are so desperately trying to silence people, the words we choose and the channels we support matter more than ever before.