To the Editor:

The Newton Beacon fell short of basic journalistic standards in its article highlighting criticism of Newton’s first public Eid ul-Adha celebration.

The story centered on a grievance letter that sought to link event organizers and partners to terrorism and extremism. Those claims were unsubstantiated, yet the article did not clearly characterize them as such. By initially linking directly to the letter, the Beacon gave those allegations a wider audience and a degree of credibility unsupported by evidence.

Just as concerning, there is no indication that the Beacon sought comment from event organizers before publication. Fair reporting requires giving those accused an opportunity to respond.

Newton’s first public Eid celebration brought hundreds of residents together in a spirit of community and inclusion. The Beacon chose not to attend or cover that event, but it did give attention to unsupported allegations about it. The celebration deserved coverage; the allegations deserved scrutiny.

Sarah Rahman
Auburndale

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Editor’s Note: The article in question did say the letter’s accusations were unsubstantiated.