Adnan Syed is the subject of the "Serial" podcast. This podcast discusses the murder of Hae Min Lee, for which Syed was convicted. The podcast discusses many reasons why Syed should not have been convicted of this crime, regardless of whether he committed it or not. The reason for this is mainly the lack of evidence. This leads to the question, “Why was he convicted if there was so little evidence?” Well, as briefly mentioned in episode ten, the answer appears to be Islamophobia. However, it is also seen that Syed was not the perfect child that his parents thought he was. His actions are the factors to be examined by juries, and not his religion or race. The fact that Adnan is Muslim was a factor in his conviction, but less attention needs to be paid to his religion as a factor in the crime. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The 14th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees “equal protection of the laws.” A defendant accused of a crime must be judged in light of admissible evidence, not stereotypes about his past. Adnan was born on American soil to immigrants from Pakistan. However, no matter where his parents are from, he is American. Unfortunately, the record strongly suggests and encourages that the State of Maryland did not treat the defendant as an American when they prosecuted him. We are forced to conclude that he was not prosecuted based on the evidence alone but also because of his background, his culture and his race. In episode ten of Serial the theme of Islamophobia is touched upon. It's easy to see why people might think that the fact that Adnan was Muslim was a factor in his belief. Vicki Walsh, the prosecutor in Adnan's case, said during the trial: “Investigations reveal that he can also tag assets from Pakistan. It is our position, your honor, that if you post bail, then you will issue him a passport in these circumstances to flee the country." (Koenig) This shows that the prosecution used Adnan's religion against him. Seen how it was convicted, it obviously worked. Adnan was not treated the same as an American should have been paid less attention to Adnan's ethnicity in order for him to have a fair trial which was called by the police for Hae this episode, Adnan reveals details about himself that proves that he was not as perfect as his parents believed authority figures. Adnan tells Koenig that, “I remember that phone call and I remember being high at the time because the craziest thing is being high and having the police call me. I'll never forget it.” (Koenig) Adnan telling Koenig he was high is just one example of the truth about Adnan contrasting with the narrative his parents believed. His actions should have been examined more than his race. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay One might say that Islamophobia had no legitimacy in the process, but this is easily seen as untrue. The prosecutor specifically states that because he has a Pakistani family, he would be more likely to flee. This shows that the prosecutor's attitude is specifically anti-Islamic. Adnan's race played a large role in his conviction, but his actions should have been what they were.