Rosie Ayliffe says president is wrongly using daughter’s death in Australia to further ‘persecution of innocent people’ 
 
 The mother of a murdered British backpacker has accused Donald Trump of using “fake news” about her daughter’s death to further the “persecution of innocent people” by falsely claiming she was the victim of a terrorist attack. 
 
 Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, and Tom Jackson, 30, were killed in a knife attack at a hostel in Queensland, Australia, last August. Smail Ayad, 29, from France, has been charged with their murder. 
 
 
 
 On Monday the White House released a list of 78 attacks that it described as “executed or inspired by” Islamic State to support a claim by Trump that the media has been under-reporting terrorist atrocities. 
 
 The full list of Trump's 'under-reported' terror attacks – and how they were reported Read more 
 
 The list, which was designed to bolster the case for Trump’s ban on travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries, included the killings of Ayliffe-Chung and Jackson. 
 
 In a defiant open letter to Trump, Rosie Ayliffe pointed out that police discounted the possibility that the attack was terrorism related despite reports that the attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the stabbing. 
 
 “My daughter’s death will not be used to further this insane persecution of innocent people,” she wrote. 
 
 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Rosie Ayliffe, in Matlock. She has repeatedly challenged what she says is the myth of a connection between her daughter’s death and Islamic fundamentalism. Photograph: Caters News Agency 
 
 She told the Guardian that since the White House published the list, Ray Rohweder, a police chief in Queensland responsible for investigating case, had emailed her to repeat that there was “no terror link” in her daughter’s death. 
 
 “It’s the police who say it wasn’t a terror attack. That’s good enough for me and it should be good enough for Trump,” she said. 
 
 She added: “He [Trump] is trying to justify his actions in not allowing Muslims into the country from these seven countries. He’s trying to find examples of terror and this just isn’t one of them. 
 
 “It does look like fake news. It’s another example of some conniving unpleasant politicking. He [Trump] is using it in a quite pernicious way to justify unfair practices and discrimination against people I find personally we have a lot to learn from.” 
 
 The email from Rohweder said: “The crimes were not about race or religion, but individual criminal behaviour. I am so sorry that your terrible loss has become the subject of further comment.” 
 
 Ayliffe, from Cromford in Derbyshire, has repeatedly challenged what she says is the myth of a connection between her daughter’s death and Islamic fundamentalism. She suggested that Mia’s funeral should include a reading from the Qur’an to help discount the myth. 
 
 Ayliffe, who wrote The Rough Guide to Turkey travel book, said: “I’ve lived and worked in Muslim countries. And I was perfectly happy for my daughter to travel in a Muslim country. She wasn’t killed in a Muslim country. She was killed in a Christian country, by a French national. It was not a racist, or a terror attack.” 
 
 She added: “Trump hasn’t just got Mia’s death wrong. He’s got everything wrong regarding Islam and immigration. What he really needs to do is visit some of these countries and learn about their cultures.” 
 
 In her letter to Trump, she wrote: “The circumstances of Mia and Tom’s deaths prove that those with the strength of character to travel the world and learn about other cultures should be cherished as brave, resilient characters who have so much to offer if they are nurtured and give opportunities rather than defeated by adverse circumstances.” 
 
 She said of Trump’s travel ban: “This vilification of whole nation states and their people based on religion is a terrifying reminder of the horror that can ensue when we allow ourselves to be led by ignorant people into darkness and hatred.” ||||| CLOSE Skip in Skip x Embed x Share Of the 78 on the list 59 were reported on USA TODAY, many of which were covered extensively. More than 200 stories were published about the incidents on the list. USA TODAY NETWORK 
 
 Donald Trump speaks at Saint Anselm College Monday, June 13, 2016, in Manchester, N.H. (Photo: Jim Cole, AP) 
 
 LONDON — The parents of two British tourists who were fatally stabbed in Australia have sharply criticized President Trump after their deaths appeared on a list of terrorist attacks that the White House said have not received enough attention from the media. 
 
 Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 20, was stabbed to death in front of dozens of people at a hostel near Townsville in Queensland state in August. Another Briton, Tom Jackson, 30, was stabbed when he came to Ayliffe-Chung’s aid and died in a hospital a week later. 
 
 But even though police in Australia ruled out terrorism in the case, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the incident still appeared on a list of 78 attacks the White House said were terror-related and "executed or inspired" by the Islamic State. 
 
 Man accused of killing #Derbyshire backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung formally charged with the murder of a man who tried to protect her. pic.twitter.com/6VC61DPbug — Gem News (@wearegemnews) October 28, 2016 
 
 “My daughter's death will not be used to further this insane persecution of innocent people,” Ayliffe-Chung’s mother Rosie Ayliffe wrote in a letter to Trump published on Facebook. 
 
 “This vilification of whole nation states and their people based on religion is a terrifying reminder of the horror that can ensue when we allow ourselves to be led by ignorant people into darkness and hatred,” she wrote 
 
 Les Jackson, Tom Jackson’s father, wrote on Facebook: “I’m pretty sure he (Trump) and his advisors know full well — or could very easily verify — that Tom and Mia died not as the result of an act of terror but rather through the actions of a disturbed individual. Of course, that doesn’t suit his agenda." 
 
 .@realDonaldTrump An open letter regarding the deaths of the heroic Tom Jackson and my daughter, Mia Ayliffe-Chung: pic.twitter.com/e4oK5eey0H — Rosie Ayliffe (@RosieAyliffe) February 7, 2017 
 
 Ayliffe-Chung and Jackson were killed by a 29-year-old French national named Smail Ayad. 
 
 Queensland Police Service Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski alleged that Ayad shouted "Allahu Akbar" — Arabic for God is the greatest — during the attack. 
 
 However, investigators concluded that there was no indication the attack was motivated by extremism and the suspect had no known ties to the Islamic State. 
 
 Investigators suspect Ayad may have been romantically obsessed with Ayliffe-Chung. Ayad's lawyer said in October that Ayad was diagnosed with schizophrenia. 
 
 The Queensland Mental Health Court is considering whether Ayad is fit to stand trial, the Independent reported. 
 
 In the letter, Ayliffe-Chung's mother wrote that she wanted to "discount this myth of a connection between my daughter’s death and Islamic fundamentalism." 
 
 "Any fool can shout Allahu Akbar as they commit a crime," she added. 
 
 @realdonaldtrump has sought to politicise my son’s murder in his campaign of persecution and hatred. Here’s what I think… pic.twitter.com/fpetXZyfdw — Les Jackson (@les_jackson) February 7, 2017 
 
 The son of Curtis Cheng, an Australian police accountant whose death was also on the White House list — although in this instance for an incident that does appear to be terror-related — said governments should not "drag" families through the traumatic incidents again, the ABC reported. 
 
 Cheng was shot dead as he left a police building in Sydney in Oct. 2015. His 15-year-old, Iranian-born attacker had become radicalized, Australian media reported. 
 
 "(It was) a bit of a shock and surprise that this has made news again in a very obtuse and sort of illogical way," Cheng's son Alpha Cheng told ABC Radio Canberra. 
 
 The White House claimed its list of attacks supported Trump's assertion that media organizations were deliberately failing to adequately report on terror attacks. USA TODAY reported on 59 of the 78 attacks on the list. All the attacks that went unreported either involved non-fatal terrorist episodes or two or fewer deaths. 
 
 Trump signed an executive order Jan. 27 to temporarily ban the refugee program and citizens of seven majority-Muslim nations from entering the United States because of security concerns. 
 
 CLOSE Skip in Skip x Embed x Share Arguments over President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration have concluded in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. AP 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2kNxdB5 ||||| Donald Trump's terror list claims slammed by families of Mia Ayliffe-Chung, Curtis Cheng 
 
 Updated 
 
 The families of British backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung and police accountant Curtis Cheng have hit out at US President Donald Trump for claiming their loved ones died in terror attacks ignored by Western media. 
 
 The Trump administration referred to both Ms Ayliffe-Chung and Mr Cheng's death in a list of 78 alleged terror attacks, which was intended to back up the new President's claim the media has under-reported attacks inspired by the Islamic State militant group. 
 
 Ms Ayliffe-Chung's mother Rosie Ayliffe, 53, has written an open letter to Mr Trump criticising his "vilification" of Muslims, while Mr Cheng's son has told the ABC it is unfair for governments to "drag" affected families through the incidents again. 
 
 Ms Ayliffe-Chung and Tom Jackson, 30, were fatally stabbed in front of about 30 people at Shelley's Backpackers in Home Hill, south of Townsville, last year. 
 
 A 29-year-old French national, Smail Ayad, was charged over the deaths. 
 
 In her letter to Mr Trump, Ms Ayliffe criticised the US administration for using her daughter's death to demonise Muslims. 
 
 "This vilification of whole nation states and their people based on religion is a terrifying reminder of the horror that can ensue when we allow ourselves to be led by ignorant people into darkness and hatred," she wrote. 
 
 Ms Ayliffe said she wanted to "point out the facts" about what happened to her daughter. 
 
 "Ayad was not an Islamic fundamentalist, he wasn't even a practicing Muslim," she told the ABC. 
 
 "It's a retrograde step on Trump's part. Queensland Police have also rejected the claims, saying the crime was not race or religion." 
 
 Earth a 'very dangerous place' 
 
 In a statement, Queensland Police said they had ruled out the possibility the stabbing was terrorism related. 
 
 "We are confident [the French national] acted alone and had no known local connection," police said. 
 
 Sorry, this video has expired Video: Trump accuses press of not reporting terror attacks (ABC News) 
 
 On Monday, Mr Trump claimed news outlets were intentionally not covering terrorist attacks in the West. 
 
 The White House then sent journalists a list of terror attacks it believes did not receive adequate attention from Western media. 
 
 White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on Wednesday the administration just wanted to be "very clear" about the under-reporting of terror attacks. 
 
 "We wanted to be very clear there were a lot of examples between 2014 and 2016 that occurred and many of them haven't got the attention that they have deserved," he said. 
 
 "It's becoming too often that we're seeing these attacks not get the spectacular attention that they deserve and I think it undermines the understanding of the threat that we face around this country." 
 
 "[Mr Trump] cares about making sure that we don't have attacks in this country, that we're protected, that we're ahead of the curve and I think what we need to do is to remind people that the earth is a very dangerous place these days. 
 
 "That ISIS is trying to do us harm and that the President's commitment is to keep this country safe and I think part of this is to make sure the American people are reminded how prevalent these attacks are." 
 
 Parramatta shooting widely reported by media, son says 
 
 Mr Cheng's son Alpha took issue with the White House using the incident to make a point about media coverage of terrorism. 
 
 "[There was] a bit of confusion, a bit of shock and surprise that this has made news again in a very obtuse and sort of illogical way," he told ABC Radio Canberra. 
 
 "Because from my understanding, in terms of my experience, that this one was one event reported quite widely, and discussed by Australian and global media." 
 
 Mr Cheng said governments should not "drag" families through these incidents again. 
 
 "It's a painful experience for myself, for the survivors of the Lindt Cafe or other attacks," he said. 
 
 "I think the media has a role to play in terms of not giving focus to the perpetrators but to the experiences of people that have survived or experienced these situations." 
 
 He said the Parramatta shooting, which claimed the life of his father, was widely reported by Australian and global media. 
 
 "The White House seems like it has selectively chosen to suit their agenda," he said. 
 
 "We have to also remember that on the same day as the Lindt Cafe siege … that it was also the same day as the Peshawar school massacre in Pakistan, where over 100 children were massacred. 
 
 "In terms of that story, it hasn't got the attention of Western media. It is not based on fact or indeed the reality and it seems like a kneejerk reaction to criticisms … of the approach of the current administration." 
 
 Topics: donald-trump, world-politics, government-and-politics, law-crime-and-justice, crime, unrest-conflict-and-war, terrorism, united-states, united-kingdom, home-hill-4806 
 
 First posted
– Two Australian parents are blasting President Trump for including the incident that killed their children on his list of 78 terror attacks he contends weren't properly covered by the media, USA Today reports. British tourists Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 20, and Tom Jackson, 30, were stabbed to death at an Australian hostel in August. Police say Smail Ayad, the French national who killed them, may have been "romantically obsessed" with Ayliffe-Chung. He has no connection to the Islamic State and was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. Despite that, the deaths of Ayliffe-Chung and Jackson were deemed terror-related by Trump. In an open letter to Trump, Rosie Ayliffe accuses the president of using her daughter's death to "further this insane persecution of innocent people" and "lead ignorant people into darkness and hatred." In his own open letter, Les Jackson says Trump is purposefully lying about his son's death to "suit his agenda." Ayliffe says that after seeing Trump's list, the police chief in charge of the investigation emailed to let her know there was still "no terror link" in the case, the Guardian reports. Even people whose family members actually were killed in terror attacks aren't thrilled with Trump's list. Alpha Chung, whose father died in such an attack in Australia, tells ABC it's a "painful experience" to have the death of a loved one dragged back into the news to further a political agenda. And he says the attack that resulted in his father's death was heavily covered all over the world.