Mainstream Media Comes Under Fire for ‘Biased’ Coverage of Shia Religious Event · Global Voices
Batool Al Musawi

Bilad Alqadeem, Bahrain. 11th November 2013 — Ashura ceremony in Bilad alqadeem 11. — Ashura is commemorated by Shi'a Muslims as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10 Muharram in the year 61 AH. Photograph by bahrain14feb bilad. Copyright: Demotix. Used with permission.
Millions of people around the world gathered to commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain bin Ali, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. Participants took part in art galleries, blood donations and lectures, and as hundreds of thousands lined up in huge processions marking Ashura, as the day is called, the coverage of international media outlets like AFP, Yahoo, Daily Mail, RT and others, focused on a disputed bloody tradition called tatbir, which involves cutting slits in the scalps of participants.
On social media, they were criticized for portraying the story in “biased” news reports instead of showing the full picture of rituals that took place mainly in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Bahrain, which have large Shia communities.
#العراق | العراقيون يحييون مراسم عاشوراء في #كربلاء. pic.twitter.com/hPveNsDgf9
— Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) October 25, 2015
Iraqis hold Ashura rituals in Karbala.
Ashura is an annual remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, marked on the 10th of the Islamic month of Muharram. Shia Muslims around the world mark this day by attending sermons on the lessons of Imam Hussain's sacrifice for justice and mourning the martyrs of the Karbala massacre that took place some 1,300 years ago.
Covering the event, AFP in particular came under fire after tweeting a picture of graphic content without prior warning. The picture showed Iraqi men who practiced self-flagellation (tatbir in Arabic) as their way of mourning.
@AFP a professional media shouldn't broadcast such sensitive pic without warnings…
— Anthony Samaha (@anthonysamaha) October 24, 2015
@AFP Disturbing. And why should these be released without an advisory? What's the point?
— Anshu Chhibber (@AnshuChhibber) October 24, 2015
@afp stupid Agence France-Presse you just ruined my day. Thank you!
— iDaveV2.9 (@DaveV2_9) October 24, 2015
Others, who said they related to the religious belief, described the coverage as “biased”.
@AFP I'm a shiite , this is my response to this very biased and coordinated coverage pic.twitter.com/RB3raVtX0u
— مراسل 14 فبراير (@Feb14Reporter) October 25, 2015
@AFP If you are going to do a report on something, educate yourself properly. It's a shame with what you are doing with your power.
— Fatema Jaffer (@Fatemaajaffer) October 24, 2015
The tweet seems to have sparked anger over a practice that has long been disputed among Shia Muslims themselves after prominent clergymen like Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenie said it was forbidden and against Islam.
#Tatbir is a fabricated tradition&a heresy;undoubtedly God is not pleased w/ such a practice https://t.co/hfNsRAilYN pic.twitter.com/YCrXY5of8t
— RT khamenei (@RT_Khamenei) October 24, 2015
Has the AFP not done its homework on the news story? Some replies couldn't help but to blame that this was intentional unfair coverage of a category of believers.
@AFP you showed pictures of 100 people who does this, why don't you show pictures for millions of shia who disagree with it! shame on you
— م. ميثم العطار (@Maitham_Alattar) October 25, 2015
@AFP @ahmed6216 if you knew any better you'd know not all Shias comply to this ‘ritual’
— Yas (@yasmineali__) October 24, 2015
@AFP all Sunnis and most Shias agree this is not Islamic.
— تاتـولوژی. مرسی، اه. (@blackvvine) October 24, 2015
Other media outlets have not escaped the criticism, too.
@RT_com you people need to do some research because Shias do not believe in tatbir it is forbidden in our religion!!! Understand that!
— souha (@Souha0_o) October 25, 2015
Maybe mention its largest peaceful gathering in world, people of all faiths commemorate but no they focus on tatbir. https://t.co/u7ph5kN9Y2
— Hasan Hafidh (@HasHafidh) October 25, 2015
As the conversation went on and drifted in different directions, some thought doing AFP's homework might help in giving viewers a clearer picture of the Ashura processions.
This is also from karbala @AFP Or r u blinded by hate At the shrine of Abu Fadhil Al-Abbas (AS) today.. Ya Abbas 💚 pic.twitter.com/ydSXoEaDIc
— omairdo (@goodmmann) October 24, 2015
Hashtags like #Ashura and #HussainInspires also provide a better view into the cultural and religious sides of the anniversary.
The lessons of Imam #Hussain (as)'s sacrifice in Karbala. Imp to know; even more imp to embody. #muharram1437 pic.twitter.com/ugLViIZavY
— Mohammadia English (@MohammadiaEng) October 20, 2015
Pilgrims take part in blood donation drive on #Ashura in Kadhimiya district of Baghdad #Hussaininspires pic.twitter.com/8vXJluFlAt
— Ali Hadi Al-Musawi (@ahmusawi) October 25, 2015
المرسم الحسيني في المنامة #ويبقى_الحسين pic.twitter.com/xhPJ5GIWYG
— رحيق المنامة (@ra7eeq1) October 16, 2015
The [Imam] Hussain Art Gallery in Manama.
The Atelier of Imam Hussein Holy Shrine المرسم الحسيني في العتبة الحسينية المقدسة http://t.co/WTptI7rMcx #art pic.twitter.com/yKyUjKSXGO
— CESÎM ZEYDAN (@cesimzeydan) May 1, 2015
The art gallery in the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain, [located in Karbala, Iraq].
“التوعية” تفتتح مركز “التوعية الحسيني” بالعاصمة مساء أمس السبت 3 محرم 1437هـ الموافق 17 أك… http://t.co/O2oyqw970N pic.twitter.com/ZMNbA6vlEy
— جمعية التوعية (@tawiya) October 18, 2015
The Enlightenment Society opens its infographic gallery in the capital Manama on Saturday evening [Bahrain].
Some shared pictures of non-Muslims who participated in activities marking Ashura.
فنان تايلندي في جمعية المرسم الحسيني في البحرين ليلة السابع من محرم يبدع في رسم صورة ترمز لسيدالشهداء عليه السلام 37 pic.twitter.com/k07nQW938u
— وُردُ‏‏ةعَمِـرهِہ‏ِ (@habooo72) October 22, 2015
A Thai artist in the Imam Hussain Art Gallery in Bahrain draws a marvelous symbolic picture of Imam Hussain in the 7th night of Muharram.
Christian and Sabian communities of Basra join #Ashura processions #Hussaininspires pic.twitter.com/Kod9sgfZ0I
— Ali Hadi Al-Musawi (@ahmusawi) October 25, 2015
Italian UN peacekeepers in South #Lebanon preparing Hreeseh (traditional #Ashura food) 😂 pic.twitter.com/f4yrg7zooi
— Rana Harbi (@RanaHarbi) October 18, 2015
The processions will be held again at the start of December to mark the passing of 40 days from the death of Imam Hussain, during which the holy city of Karbala, Iran, is expected to welcome over 20 million people from across the globe. Can we expect news agencies to do a better job by showing the whole picture of the event or does selective reporting make a better story?
You can see the reports below (Warning: Graphic content)