Juan Williams has become the latest victim of sharia and the oppression of speech deemed insulting to Muslims. His voice, although no longer on NPR will be hearde by a much wider audience with FOXNews as his 3-year contract shows. At least FOX has the balls to give voice to ALL opinions, not merely the ones dictated by left doctrine.
You can read many articles about this dark day in journalism, here is my take.
As of Wednesday, Oct 19, 2010 Juan Williams, 10 year veteran of National Public Radio and frequent guest on national news programs is no longer allowed to practice free speech. Intimidation from Islam and Muslim advocacy groups, fear of reprisals and an abdication of journalistic integrity all contributed to Mr. Williams demise.
On Monday, Oct 17, on the O’reily Factor Juan make the comment that, when at the airport, if he saw anyone dressed in what he termed Muslim garb he would become concerned, even frightened for a moment. He made the connection that this was a natural reaction after 9/11 and that he believed many Americans felt the same way.
Speaking as a guest within an informal discussion his views are allowed, even encouraged as part of a lively debate. Yet his words, and the implications behind them, as seen by NPR were nothing less than hate speech, a direct violation of NPR rules regarding the tolerance and multi-culturalism practiced by public broadcasting and agreed to by its employees.
Remarkable in its condemnation was this statement that Mr. Williams views "were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR." These editorial standards and practices must have been pulled from the Society of Professional Journalists stylebook on how to write about Islam and Muslims. For example, the stylebook says “Portray Muslims, Arabs and Middle Eastern and South Asian Americans in the richness of their diverse experiences” yet you’re not allowed to use the word jihad, as part of the richness of Islam. “Avoid using terms such as "jihad" unless you are certain of their precise meaning… The basic meaning of "jihad" is to exert oneself for the good of Islam...” These guidelines are nothing more than the stifling of true free speech, which NPR is using against Juan Williams.
The memo from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) points towards intimidation and a call for NPR to do something about this insult to Islam. From the CAIR memo to NPR “Such irresponsible and inflammatory comments would not be tolerated if they targeted any other racial, ethnic or religious minority, and they should not pass without action by NPR."
Ibrahim Hooper, Communications Director for CAIR said that Mr. Williams words were no less than a call for the continuation of profiling of Arab men between age 18 and 35. If one listens to the entire conversation between Williams and O’reily it is obvious Juan is not a bigot or anti-Muslim, he is, however concerned with Muslim radicals and states that position regularly. For CAIR to make the leap that Juan Williams hates Muslims and needs to be punished for those thoughts belies its image as a moderate voice of Islam.
There are millions of Muslims who want nothing to do with jihad or killing in the name of Allah. If those Muslims across the world do nothing to back their words of condemnation with real actions to actually dig out and expose the jihad doctrine from within its own house, it is impossible to determine who are the jihadists and who are not. Juan Williams said what he believed for himself, and thought others probably felt the same way. Rather than demonize him for practicing free speech, it should be recognized that the when people get nervous around those dressed in Muslim garb, it just might be the fault of those who commit murder, and other acts of violence, and do it in the name of Islam.
No one asks that question. I wonder why?
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