CBS: ‘Anti-Muslim Propaganda’ To Blame for U.S. Homegrown Terrorism

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On the CBS Evening News on Saturday, correspondent Kimberly Dozier reported on a recent rise in homegrown Islamic extremism in the United States and explored the motivation behind it: “... terrorism experts agree militant Islam is becoming an American problem....the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan make potent recruiting tools. They’re portrayed by the militants as America’s war on Islam.”

Dozier went on to cite American bigotry as another cause: “Muslim community leaders here say young people are also being driven to extremes by post-9/11 anti-Muslim propaganda like this.” An obscure anti-Muslim video was played as she continued: “And rising incidents of genuine anti-Muslim discrimination. Civil rights complaints have jumped 10 percent in just the past year, according to the Council on American Islamic Relations.”

While using C.A.I.R. as a credible source, Dozier only briefly mentioned the organization’s radical ties: “There’s been tension between the FBI and the Council over alleged links to militant groups which it denies.” She then offered a dismissive statement from C.A.I.R.: “It says U.S. authorities should start using the Muslim community as a resource, not an adversary, to help it police its own.”

Here is a full transcript of the segment:

6:35PM

JEFF GLOR: Pakistani police today continued to question five young American Muslims suspected of making contact with a Taliban recruiter. Well, here at home, law enforcement officials and Muslim leaders alike are doing a lot of serious rethinking. Kimberly Dozier in Washington has more.

KIMBERLY DOZIER: From the shooting last month at Fort Hood, to this week’s arrests of five young American suspects in Pakistan, terrorism experts agree militant Islam is becoming an American problem.

ZEYNO BARAN [SENIOR FELLOW, HUDSON INSTITUTE]: We do have a homegrown terror problem that really needs to be addressed and explained.

DOZIER: Alleged Army shooter Nidal Hasan and the young men who traveled to Pakistan all worshipped at mosques in Virginia. But Zeyno Baran says they were more likely exposed to the extremes of militant Islam only a click away on the Web.

BARAN: And we have these ‘Google imam’ problems where you just Google a question and then you get a bunch of Web sites and you have no idea who these people are.

DOZIER: Muslim experts say the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan make potent recruiting tools. They’re portrayed by the militants as America’s war on Islam. Al Qaeda even has its own American spokesman, U.S.-born Adam Gadahn. He addressed American Muslims in a tape that came out just yesterday.

ADAM GADAHN [AL QAEDA SPOKESMAN]: The blood of countless innocent Muslims is on your hands.

DOZIER: But Muslim community leaders here say young people are also being driven to extremes by post-9/11 anti-Muslim propaganda like this.

[CLIP OF ANTI-MUSLIM AD]

TEXT ON-SCREEN: Muslims Are Taking Over The World; and faster than you ever imagined.

NARRATOR: There are over nine million [Muslims in the United States].

DOZIER: And rising incidents of genuine anti-Muslim discrimination. Civil rights complaints have jumped 10 percent in just the past year, according to the Council on American Islamic Relations. The group is launching a new Web site to give young Muslims an outlet for their anger through civic action, in court or at the ballot box, not on a foreign battlefield.

NIHAD AWAD [COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS]: And we can immunize our people against these cyber attacks, so to speak.

DOZIER: And it was the Council which urged the families of those five suspected would-be militants to report them missing to the FBI.

AWAD: I believe that was a success story because the Muslim community took the lead.

DOZIER: There’s been tension between the FBI and the Council over alleged links to militant groups which it denies. It says U.S. authorities should start using the Muslim community as a resource, not an adversary, to help it police its own – Jeff.

GLOR: Alright. Kimberly Dozier in Washington tonight – Kimberly, thank you.