4/19/2013

How frightening to have your photos on the news



Two young men got the scare of their lives when their photos appeared in several newspaper as suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing incident. Both were middle eastern and fit the western stereotyping of what bombers are likely to look like. And the media were so happy to flash their photos across their pages.

Here are some remarks made by one of the suspects and his family and reported by AP. The two could have been killed or shot at just because of the news and their photographs. They were lucky that two other suspects surfaced. If not, they would have remained the prime suspects and living in fear with life threatening moments. Could they have saved themselves by turning up at the police station? Or could that become worst given the prejudice against them and the notoriety of some policemen in the US. They could turn up in good faith in a police station to clear their names but the whole episode could become a nightmare.

Yes, they were lucky, and right to stay indoors away from the suspicious eyes of people eager to take the bombers down. Thank God they are safe now.

‘REVERE, Mass. (AP) — A teenager said he is scared to go outside after he was portrayed on the Internet and on the front page of the New York Post as connected to the deadly Boston Marathon bombings.

Photos of Salah Eddin Barhoum, 17, and friend Yassine Zaime were posted on websites whose users have been scouring marathon finish line photos for suspects. The two were also on the Post's front Thursday with the headline: "Bag men: Feds seek these two pictured at Boston Marathon."

The Post reported later Thursday that the pair weren't considered suspects, and the FBI has since identified two other men as suspects in Monday's bombings, which killed three people and injured more than 180.

But Barhoum, a track runner at Revere High School, said he is convinced some will blame him for the bombings, no matter what.

He said he was so fearful on Thursday that he ran back to the high school after a track meet when he saw a man in a car staring at him, talking into a phone. He said he won't feel safe until the bombers are caught.

"I'm going to be scared going to school," Barhoum said. "Workwise, my family, everything is going to be scary."

Attempts to reach Zaime were not immediately successful.

Barhoum's father, El Houssein Barhoum, who moved his family from Morocco five years ago, said he is worried his son will be shot and fears for his wife and two young daughters. He said he can't go to his job as a baker in Boston.

"Right now, we are not secure," he said. "So, the news (media), when they put something, they should be sure about the information."

The two could have been killed or shot at just because of the news and their photographs. They were lucky that two other suspects surfaced. If not, they would have remained the prime suspects and living in fear with life threatening moments. Could they have saved themselves by turning up at the police station? Or could that become worst given the prejudice against them and the notoriety of some policemen in the US. They could turn up in good faith in a police station to clear their names but the whole episode could become a nightmare.

Yes, they were lucky, and right to stay indoors away from the suspicious eyes of people eager to take the bombers down. Thank God they are safe now. It must be real scary.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

This world is full of lies and people will create more lies to cover their old lies.

bond

Anonymous said...

Apparently they have killed one suspect and another on the run. How many of you believe that these two suspects are the real bombers? The FBIs are grappling straws. Anything that moves is a suspect. They are desperate to break this case which they have not a single clue before it kaboomed. Absolutely embarrassing.

Anonymous said...

The media that posted the pics of the two innocent but claimed as suspects are so IRRESPONSIBLE!

Anonymous said...

It was reported that they were brothers from Chechya residing for years in the US.

Kind of Foreign Talents for US leh.

Anonymous said...

[Boston bombing:
How internet detectives got it very wrong]

By Dave Lee
Technology reporter, BBC News

19 April 2013
Last updated at 16:53 GMT


"For the past 48 hours,
internet users have been working with each other to piece together clues about the culprits of the Boston bombings.

The result?

They got it wrong -
and left innocent people fearing for their safety.

Many are now asking:
should 'crowd-sourced investigations' be stopped?"


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22214511

Anonymous said...

ST Forum 20April

[Views differ on rising materialism]

Marietta Koh Ai-meng (Mrs)


"WHILE I agree with Mrs Anuradha Singh that there is something inherently wrong about the profligate display of wealth
('Guard against rising materialism'; Wednesday),
I have come to realise that there are some who actually believe the wealthy have every right to spend their money any way they wish
and that their extravagance is vindicated by their aspirations for a better life.

It is a fact that social norms and mores are ever changing.

However, there should be no compromise in the case of certain behaviour or values that are incontrovertibly unacceptable,
especially when others are harmed.


http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/forum-letters/story/views-differ-rising-materialism-20130420

Anonymous said...

Seah Chiang Nee's Saturday column

[PAP out to regain support]


"Elections may not be due anytime soon
but the govt is already embarking on radical moves to win back voters.

The list of problems the govt faces today is long
and will take a lot more efforts than the present ones – and political will – to resolve.

On top of the list is excessive immigration,
especially the admission of more than 140,000 S-Pass professionals and middle-ranking managers to work in the city-state
and thus undercutting locals."


http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/4/20/focus/12996939&sec

Anonymous said...

My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different website and thought I might as well check things out.
I like what I see so i am just following you.
Look forward to looking over your web page again.

My page - http://safedietplans.com

patriot said...

@ Anon 8:58 Above;

You may have succeeded to piss off some blogger by wearibg them with your nonsensical and mostly perverted postings. Whether you are on a personal agenda or engaged as a specialist to a mission, I am afraid You are going to fail here.

I am asking Redbean to delete every of your rubbish here. And I am also requesting Gintai to come back to be with Redbean aka Chua Chin Leng and Gilbert Goh to give you a run.

I would also hope that others here and elsewhere will have you exposed and duly punished. However, it is not too late for you to repent before repercussions cone to you and your family. Do believe that every misdeed will have consequence, think about it.

patriot

patriot said...

Correction to my 9:31 am Post.

'You may have succeeded to piss off some bloggers by wearing them down......'

My apology.

patriot

patriot said...

Like to add that for you to put that much rubbish at 'feedmetothefish' blogsite after his demise is unforgivable.

You are worse than a beast.

patriot

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi Patriot, did I miss anything? I opened the link posted by 8:58 and it was about dieting. Please enlighten.

patriot said...

This poster have been posting irrelevant, unrelated and nonsense comments at most blogsites. Those comments were disguised as adverts and living matters but HAVE NO RELEVANCE TO THE TOPICS AND SUBJECTS BEING DISCUSSED.

patriot

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi Patriot, there are plenty of such spams in the net. Sometimes when I am generous, I leave them alone esp when they are not porn or repulsive postings.

Interesting to know how you could identify this one. The safe diet looks innocuous enough.

patriot said...

It is because there are too many that they are able to cause fatique and wear down netizens, mainly bloggers, whose sites got shitted by them.
They appeared innocuous alrite but, they have latent destructive effects.

To hell with them.

patriot

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Your point taken. Will delete all of them when they appeared, except this one.

Thanks.

patriot said...

By the way, Gintai said to me that he will return to play his part in nation building to the bst he can.
He said that Sg has gone to the dogs and the latters have got rabbies with them. If the dogs remain stray and roam as they like, the wellbeings of everyone around will be affected. Me believes Sinkies got to agree with him.

Let us welcome Gintai and give hin our supports.

patriot

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Did you remind him to buy me kopi? Not many are clicking on the adverts and I am only getting half a cup of kopi now. : )

patriot said...

Gintai prefers to have kopi, nasik lemak or bakchormee with You in person. He has a habit of rushing to queue and pay for the drinks an foods for those older than him. His motto of 遵老敬贤(respect the elders and the enlightened) allow us the older folks feel worthy.

He will meet You at places convenient to You somemore. Hard to get such a respectful guy in Sin.

patriot

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

It's good to have people brought up under the old school of thought.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

patriot & redbean:

Redbean, put the capcha on lah. It will radically reduce (but not totally remove) the useless spam.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@833:

>> The media that posted the pics of the two innocent but claimed as suspects are so IRRESPONSIBLE!

That's the MSM for you. Totally sensationalist and profit centered no matter what. They NEVER check out their facts -- they just publish.

I'm not at all surprised. These alleged "suspects" can consider themselves lucky they weren't SHOT!

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Maximum caffeine overload for redbean, so he can party all through Saturday night.

Numerous kopi clicks from UK, Netherlands, Singapore, Turkey, Sweden, Russian Federation, and (this one) from USA.

I urge bloggers to use reliable VPN and proxy service providers. The spam posted here is potentially dangerous -- you click on link, you expose yourself to potential security risks -- like infection of your machine by trojans or worms.

Plus when you use switching proxies and exit nodes, redbean gets more coffee when you click, because your IP address changes.

patriot said...

Matilah is right that the postings by spammers contain worms and are trojan horses. They are out to do damages which are their missions mostly as paid agents. Their comments/postings appear innocuous and interesting to attract unsuspecting readers to click on.

The use of sexual material to lure and entrap is especially insidious and sinister, even evil.

Whoever engages these agents must be very dark in their nature.

patriot

The said...

176 injured and 3 killed on front page of Straits Times. Only consolation prize - only kopi for redbean. If only it was first prize. Then redbean would have centuries of kopi provided for.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Matilah, how do you know who clicks on the advert? I have no idea at all.

And all bloggers please do not click on any links provided no matter how innocuous unless they are provided by our regular bloggers.

Cheers.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

> Matilah, how do you know who clicks on the advert? I have no idea at all.

Neither do I.