Police should handle terrorist case carefully

The word “terrorist” is a loaded one. And for a generation that has experienced the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a war on terror and the Virginia Tech massacre, “terrorism” is not a term we easily can shrug off or ignore.

So in light of 17-year-old Zachariah Aslam’s arrest last week for allegedly making a terrorist threat or false report of terrorism, it’s only natural that the MSU community reacted with concern and confusion.

Authorities simply can’t throw out a word like “terrorist” without properly explaining what’s at stake in the case. And they certainly have a responsibly to inform students and those in the greater MSU community whether lives were in legitimate danger, and whether these were empty threats.

If lives seriously were in danger and Aslam’s alleged threats had real weight, the police certainly have a responsibility to thoroughly investigate. But that responsibility also extends to properly informing the public. The public has a right to know the facts of this case — perhaps not immediately, but very soon. Keeping a 17-year-old in custody for days on a $150,000 bond is an exceptional situation. If the public is expected to keep silent and not ask questions while Aslam remains in custody, the least authorities could do is take the time to explain why his situation is so exceptional.

The more time the public spends speculating about the facts of this case, the more people will assume wrong ideas. We live in a society where people are innocent until proven guilty, but the police certainly haven’t done Aslam any favors by effectively labeling him a “terrorist.”

Aslam might or might not be worthy of favors, but cryptic statements about the charge originating from a “mental health setting” only fuel rumors; they don’t squelch them.

MSU police aren’t the only ones who have been mum on the details; the MSU administration is keeping quiet, as well. Aslam is stated as being “formerly enrolled,” and it’s unclear what his official status is with the university. University officials have walked a fine line here; if Aslam is convicted, MSU will look as though they had the foresight to do the right things to kick him out right away.

If not, they’ll have some explaining to do if he seeks to re-enroll in the future. It’s understandable that an institution would want to distance itself from a terrorist, but one would hope they’d be reasonable enough to do so once a person is convicted and not simply under arrest.

When police refuse to release information to the press and the public, we are forced to get our information from anonymous sources or others who might or might not be reliable. In some cases, this can further disseminate rumors that don’t make the job of the police any easier. The best things the police could do now is be open and up-front with the specifics of their investigation. Doing so would promote confidence in the authorities, set the public at ease and prevent further damage to Aslam’s reputation.

This isn’t to say police necessarily have made a misstep yet, but the window to be open and up-front about this case is closing quickly.