Did Religious Discrimination Against Islam Help To Convict Serial's Adnan Syed?

The Huffington Post | By Carol Kuruvilla
Posted: 12/17/2014 8:06 am EST
Updated: 12/17/2014 10:59 am EST

When he found himself in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Adnan Syed made a conscious choice to “be a better Muslim.”

At least that’s what he told Sarah Koenig, host and executive producer of Serial, the podcast that has brought the 15-year-old murder of Hae-Min Lee back to light. Like many young people, Syed initially identified as Muslim just because his parents were part of the faith. As an adult, however, he has reportedly thought more deeply about what it means to believe in God.

“Now he can say that for nearly half his life, he’s lived like he’s supposed to,” says Koenig in Episode 9 of the immensely popular series. “He knows it’s a rationalization of his situation, but it’s been the most helpful one.”

Syed is currently serving a life sentence for a murder he claims he had nothing to do with. The prosecutors and police were supposed to handle the investigation without giving in to any kind of religious bias. But Koenig has repeatedly raised the question of whether prejudiced views of Syed’s Pakistani heritage and Muslim faith may have tainted the way they presented the case to the jury.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/17/serial-adnan-muslim_n_6338172.html?ir=Religion

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