A newspaper has apologised for depicting Muslims celebrating the end of Ramadan on its front page on September 11.
The Portland Press Herald featured a front-page photo of people praying at the end of the Muslim holy month on the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the U.S.
The paper’s editor and publisher was forced to issue an apology to readers who complained saying they were offended by the coverage.
The newspaper covered the end of Ramadan last Saturday and published its coverage of events around the country marking the anniversary of the terrorist attacks the following day.
In his apology, Richard Conor, the editor of the paper, said the Ramadan celebration at the Portland Expo at the weekend warranted coverage but said the paper ‘should have shown sensitivity ‘towards the painful memories stirred by the anniversary of 9/11'.
In the open letter apology, Mr Conor declared: ‘We made a news decision on Friday that offended many readers and we sincerely apologise for it.
‘Many saw Saturday’s front-page story and photo regarding the local observance of the end of Ramadan as offensive, particularly on the day, September 11, when our nation and the world were paying tribute to those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks nine years ago.
‘We have acknowledged that we erred by at least not offering balance to the story and its prominent position on the front page.
‘What you are reading today was the planned coverage of the 9/11 events.
‘We believed that the day after the anniversary would be the appropriate occasion to provide extensive new coverage of the events and observances conducted locally and elsewhere.
‘In hindsight, it is clear that we should have handled this differently and with greater sensitivity toward the painful memories stirred by the anniversary of 9/11.’
Mr Conor said the newspaper had received some sharp criticism criticism of its coverage on its website and Facebook page.The weekend’s commemorations of the terrorist attacks in the U.S. were overshadowed somewhat by the media frenzy caused by Florida pastor Terry Jones’ plans to burn the Koran on September 11 in protest at the building of a mosque near the Ground Zero site where the Twin Towers once stood in New York.
Mr Jones eventually backed down from his plans, claiming to have received assurances the Islamic cultural centre would be relocated.
The New York imam behind the centre though has said no such deal has been reached.