Bermudians must be careful of joining campaigns that promise "to stamp out crime,'' because such calls often come from individuals who have ulterior motives, a speaker warned on the weekend.

And until the Island's men understand their role as the protectors of their own families and communities, the current climate of crime and violence will continue and probably get worse.

Imam Faheem Shuaibe of Oakland, California, shared these thoughts with a small gathering at the Dr. E.F. Gordon Memorial Hall on Sunday.

On Saturday he addressed more than 200 people including several Members of Parliament at the St. Paul's Christian Education Centre in Paget.

At that time he spoke about the way that television was breaking down the bonds between parents and children.

This, he said, contributed to mental illness in young people who hold a view of the world as a hostile and violent place.

On Sunday he continued his presentation which centred on the sociological and political solutions to crime.

He cautioned the gathering to be wary of the way crime is portrayed on television and in newspapers because he said it is often exaggerated to suit the conservative or liberal biases of the dominant interests in society.

Consequently, law abiding citizens were made to feel that crime is everywhere when in fact it was not as bad as it is presented.

Nevertheless, he said well meaning citizens who accept the media's version of the extent of criminal activity in Bermuda are destined to react in ignorance and thus be susceptible to being used.

"Media has been used to foster political interests for years and years since Birth of a Nation,'' he said. "So it has been a tool of political manipulation.'' Furthermore he said that politicians bent on getting re-elected use the media to ensure that their version of realty gets spread widely in a bid to be returned to office.

As a result, Bermudians have to dissect the liberal and conservative biases that are inherent in public discussions on crime and make up their own minds instead of relying on others.

"Don't presume that what you see in the media, press and otherwise (is an) accurate representation of the reality,'' he said.

"If you don't have a firm knowledge yourself of that reality or from a source that you trust, don't be quick to say what the media have said is the fact.'' Imam Shuaibe said it was unsurprising that so-called street crimes -- robberies, hand bag snatching and assaults -- receive the attention that they do while so-called white collar crimes do not get the same attention.

"Human beings commit crimes,'' he added. "The issue of crime among blacks is the issue of bodily injury.

"The media representation of that kind of crime and the political attitude toward that kind of crime has defined one crime as being worse than the other.'' Bermudians he said have to ask why sentences meted out to street criminals are often more severe than those handed out to white collar criminals who are found guilty of embezzlement and fraud that often involves thousands of dollars.

Why he asked is a street criminal's $40 robbery treated more seriously than that of a professional who steals a million dollars? Iman Shuaibe said that in order to place crime and punishment in its proper perspective Bermudians needed to understand that the authorities in media and politics define what real crime is and who the real criminals are.

"The crime of an individual is not simply isolated to the individual's will to be immoral,'' he added.

"It has to do with conditions and it also has to do with how the individual personality has been shaped and formed which includes the issue of television and television consumption.

"It also includes the issue of parenting and the issue of social circumstances that this person has to live and try to survive in.

"You cannot ignore the environmental circumstances (or) the political and economic circumstances that this person has to survive in when you talk about the question of crime.'' Imam Shuaibe said that part of the solution to crime is to place it in its proper perspective. Once that is done Bermudians must work toward a better relationship with their Police Service.

This should be followed by work to improve the relationships between parents and children and teachers and students.

But men he urged, have to return to the their role as the protectors of their community so that its vitality is not drained away.