The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused international and Nigerian media organisations of applying double standards in reporting religiously motivated violence, insisting that Kenyan preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie should be described as a Christian terrorist rather than a cult leader.
MURIC argued that describing Mackenzie’s activities as a cult incident, rather than terrorism, amounted to selective judgment, particularly when compared with the way criminal acts involving Muslims are reported and classified.
The group made its position known in a statement issued on Thursday by its Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, following a Kenyan court’s sentencing of Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the deaths of 191 of his followers in Shakahola Forest.
According to MURIC, Mackenzie was the pastor and founder of the Good News International Church, and the victims were members of his religious organisation.
The organisation questioned why international media outlets, including CNN, BBC and France 24, continued to describe Mackenzie as a cult leader rather than using the terrorism label it believes is appropriate.
It alleged that similar incidents involving individuals with Muslim names are often quickly characterised as terrorism, extremism or religious fanaticism, while crimes committed by Christian religious figures receive different descriptions.
MURIC cited the 1978 Jonestown mass killings in Guyana, led by American religious figure Jim Jones, and the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand by Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, as examples of what it described as inconsistent media characterisation of religiously motivated violence.
The group also referenced the case of Nathaniel Samuel, identified as a Christian suicide bomber in Nigeria, and the reported recovery of weapons from Christian militia members arrested in Plateau State.
It maintained that religious identity should not determine how criminal activities are described, arguing that individuals involved in violence should be subjected to equal scrutiny irrespective of their faith.
” MURIC rejects the asymmetric stereotyping of Muslims alone as fanatics and terrorists. Stigmatisation blurs vision and beclouds the mind. No one with a mindset can see any good on the other side. Neither can he see any wrong in the anointed,” the statement said.
The organisation further argued that consistent language in media reporting was necessary to prevent religious prejudice and ensure fairness in public discourse.
It called on media organisations to adopt what it described as an impartial approach to reporting religiously linked crimes, insisting that perpetrators should be judged by their actions rather than their religious affiliations.
MURIC said society would benefit from reduced religious stereotyping and more balanced media narratives, urging journalists to apply the same standards when reporting violence involving adherents of different faiths.
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