Is the Media Ignoring Anti-Semitism at Indiana U?

Recently, eight Hebrew texts were stolen from Indiana University’s Wells Library and urinated on. But the incident has received little media attention.

On Monday, November 27, eight Hebrew texts were stolen from Indiana University’s Wells Library and urinated on.  Only a few days previously, unknown perpetrators defaced and threw rocks at the windows of Jewish community buildings (Chabad House and the campus Hillel).

How did the country respond? Jewish websites have spoken up. But The New York Times, The Washington Post, and USA Today have omitted to cover the story. It would be quite the understatement to say that anti-Islamic actions garner significantly more attention.

Why? Is it because the anti-Semitic incident at Indiana University is such an anomaly that it can be dismissed as one crazy Hoosier – an action that is no way representative of this trend?  The statistics certainly don’t suggest this is the case.  According to the FBI’s 2009 data, of the 1,575 victims of anti-religious hate crimes, “71.9 percent were victims because of an offender’s anti-Jewish bias; 8.4 percent were victims because of anti-Islamic bias; 3.7 percent were victims because of anti-Catholic bias.” See the stats here.

Burning Korans and attacking mosques are offensive actions that should be strongly condemned when they occur.  Attacks on other religions deserve equal attention.