Dear Sir/ Madam
I hope you will publish my opinion regarding the horrific incident against two British young ladies that took place early this week in Zanzibar and which is my humble submission it has been over hyped by your organization.
Not only blown out of proportion but it has also been taken out of context and even worse unreasonably related to imagined religious extemism angle for what the Western world has always associated Zanzibar with.
None one doubts that the attack was horrific and should be condemned very strongly but the kind of reporting your organization put light on this story was that to show the British girls were targeted for their religions and also it has been reported somewhere ( not in Skynews) because they were Jews.
While we accept that cases of mugging have happened in Zanzibar, it is also true acid attacks have happened before for instance against Secretary to Muffti, but still the incident is isolated and could have happened anywhere even in London, and indeed such cases have happened, albeit among British Asians.
It is true that the last few years we have seen the rise of religious tension, but no anger at any time has been directed to foreigners and this SkyNews as large tentacles it has, it could have checked with British High Commission in Dar es salam.
Such kind of reporting tends to paint negative picture of Zanzibar which has had centuries of togetherness of all religions with Hindu Temple, Sikh Temples, Mosque and Churches staying shoulder to shoulder and people of all faith marrying one another.
I have been born and bred in the Stone Town the centre for tourism activities and have been BBC Correspondent for over 20 years have known frictions to take place between foreigners and locals when the visitors misbehave like wearing skimpy attires or caressing or kissing in public or at times attempting to enter mosque.
In such accident the visitors are asked to respect the local traditions and cultures and uphold Zanzibari values as much as one would be expected to do the same in London, Cardiff or Glasgow.
One such time when Zanzibaris expect foreigners to respect their culture is during the Ramadhan fasting month of which the two young girls arrived in Zanzibar. I suspect they were not adequately oriented and that is why one of them was confronted by local lady when she was caught singing (probably dancing) in the streets.
But also one might suspect the girls were not that innocent and were flirting around as it was caught in their tweeter statuses which have now been deleted, of which you can find on twitters you published on the snapshot that has been caught, though mostly have been erased after the incident.
Do not understand me to say this might be the cause, but merely suggesting that the girls were like any young girls even in far away land, trying to enjoy their stay to the fullest.
There are a lot of foreign expatriates who work in Zanzibar and can vouch the islands as very good for foreigners security with Tourism Patrol and Community Police being creation by the Government in beefing up security.
It is very unfortunate that the two girls had gone out alone during the time of breaking the fast when 99 percent of Zanzibaris are inside their houses for the iftar.
I am sure the Zanzibar Government will warmly welcome Sky News to do a tourism story in Zanzibar freely and independently so that this august and powerful organization will report a story that Zanzibar deserves.
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