When it comes to Islam, the approach of too many media outlets seems to be to avoid questioning authority. Whether this attitude stems from fear (as in the case of Lawrence O'Donnell), ignorance, or plain old-fashioned political correctness doesn't really matter because the end result is the same: when extremist Islamic groups like the Council on Islamic Relations say "jump," far too many news organizations say "how high."
It's not asking for much, really. When, for instance, other religious groups (be they Catholic, Mormon, Jewish, etc.) make complaints, the usual procedure is to talk to the person or group being accused and allow them to tell there side of the story. It's basic journalism. It appears, however, that St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Tim Townsend doesn't believe that, at least when the complaint involves CAIR making allegations against the conservative blog Little Green Footballs. Let's take a look:
A national Muslim civil rights organization has asked the FBI to investigate what it considers threats made on the Internet against a Bosnian mosque in St. Louis.
One blog post cited by the group made reference to vandalism and another to the use of dynamite.
Zachary Lowe, a special agent in the St. Louis office of the FBI, said Tuesday that while he could not confirm an investigation, the bureau "takes all threats against people very seriously, especially religious and ethnic groups."
No mention, of course, that CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in a fund-raising scandal involving the funding of terrorist groups. No, it's a "civil rights" group.
Another blog, called "Little Green Footballs," linked to the "Gateway Pundit" post, and several comments on "Little Green Footballs," caused the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations to contact the FBI, said Ibrahim Hooper, the council's spokesman.
"We ourselves get these kinds of hate messages and threats frequently," Hooper said. "But you never know who's just talking and who's going to carry out some these threats, so you have to check them out."
On the "Gateway Pundit," a blogger who identified herself as Kathi, wrote: "It is really hard on us white, non-muslims to have to live with these folks taking over our neighborhood and community. Our government helping these people relocate into America's heartland is like inviting the enemy into your camp. It's totally disgusting."
On "Little Green Footballs," blogger Amer1can wrote, "Would be a shame if it were to be vandalized or destroyed. Just a shame I tell you....wink wink STL youth."
Blogger Arthur E. Hippler added: "I suppose dynamite would be considered an extreme response."
Classic liberal journalism here. Are the derrogatory remarks made in a comment or in a blog post? Townsend and his editors seem incapable of understanding the difference between the two. First he tells us they were "comments" but then identifies the posters as "bloggers," a very basic error.
Surely a quick email to LGF editor Charles Johnson could have helped clarify things (especially since some anti-jihadist blogs are making allegations of fake hate) But that would've been too fair. Much easier to just regurgitate the propaganda of a fanatical religious group.
Had Townsend bothered to drop Johnson a line, he likely would have said something similar to what he just wrote in response:
- There are more than 25,000 registered users at LGF.
- There are often more than 5,000 comments posted every single day.
- It is run by one person, and comments such as those quoted by CAIR are policed and deleted as soon as possible. But this is an open discussion forum, and comments do not represent the opinion of LGF — as the disclaimer states on every single page of comments.
- The comments quoted by CAIR were posted at LGF for less than two hours before CAIR sent out their press release, and were deleted as soon as the administrator (that would be me) became aware of them. CAIR did not contact me about the comments either—they just went straight to the FBI, and put out a libelous press release.
I look forward to seeing Townsend and his colleagues engage in similar tactics against liberal blogs, trying to hold them liable for the much greater amount of hate and vitriol you find there.
Update 16:43. Johnson dropped Townsend a line provoking a bizarre, passive-agressive reaction from the Post-Dispatch reporter. Must-see followup.
—Matthew Sheffield is the creator and editor of NewsBusters.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
I look forward to seeing
February 20, 2008 - 17:35 ET by motherbeltI look forward to seeing Townsend and his colleagues engage in similar
tactics against liberal blogs, trying to hold them liable for the much
greater amount of hate and vitriol you find there.
Are these guys aware of the nature of the Internet?? Is Charles Johnson of LGF supposed to take personal responsibility for everything that gets posted in comments on his site?
Holy Cow! If they start investigating the garbage over at Democratic Underground, they won't have time for anything else!
They Are Not Being Remotely Fair
February 20, 2008 - 17:44 ET by dwillmoreLater in the article Townsend makes it clear that he understands the difference between a blog post and a blog comment.
I believe that the author simply cut and pasted comments they read from the PR release from CAIR and made the juiciest story possible. The St. Louis CBS local news followed suit.
I can't believe this...CAIR
February 20, 2008 - 17:48 ET by bigtimerI can't believe this...CAIR gets this kind of respect...wait a minute, it seems what they demand they always seem to get...
For me this is a very spooky picture and it is getting spookier each day.
CAIR IMHO is absolutely no friend of the USA.
I have listened to Ibrahim Cooper on shows and I do not like him one iota, but LGF deserves this kind of scrutiny, I think not....our freedoms are going to be taken away on the internet if we don't pay attention here because of groups like this.
Holy Cow, Matt...that email
February 20, 2008 - 18:07 ET by motherbeltHoly Cow, Matt...that email exchange is hilarious. Townsend immediately goes off with "Who said you were anti-Muslim, not me! (Johnson was referreing to the CAIR accusations, not Townsend) and then engages in the email version of sticking his tongue out at Johnson and growing more childish with every response.
His non- responses actually sound like a couple of posters here...
Holy Cow Times 2
February 21, 2008 - 02:14 ET by zeestephenI am pretty much unshockable when it comes to Hard Left journo- types, but Townsend's emails to LGF reach a new high in political arrogance. A Conservative journalist would have been fired on the spot for writing emails like that to a liberal blogger.
How long before Sharia law
February 20, 2008 - 18:47 ET by ConservativeRexHow long before Sharia law starts creeping into the US? Will it be after this next presidential election? Or the next one? I have no doubt an attempt will be made to institute a form of Sharia law in this country in my lifetime, and I am in my fifties.
We allow multiculturalism to dictate how laws are enacted in this country now, but how much more in the future? Any of you have Muslim female doctors? How would you feel about using them, knowing that they can not bear their arms for washing because it is against Sharia law? Still feel good about accomondating Muslims?
The truth is, this is not a Muslim country, it was never meant to be a Muslim country. We can not afford to accommodate them without them accepting and adopting OUR rules for life here. Anything else will literally be the death of us, and our nation. As always, the choice is clear. Are we up for the task? We'll see.
CR... The truth is, this
February 20, 2008 - 18:56 ET by bigtimerCR...
The truth is, this is not a Muslim country, it was never meant to be a Muslim country. We can not afford to accommodate them without them accepting and adopting OUR rules for life here. Anything else will literally be the death of us, and our nation. As always, the choice is clear. Are we up for the task? We'll see.
I pray we are...and it isn't too late, I have worried endlessly about this, we keep giving in to their demands, it is pure madness as far as I am concerned.
There must be no accommodation...
February 20, 2008 - 19:28 ET by ThalpyThere must be no accommodation at any level. As Auster and others have said, we have two choices: separation is one of the options. It is difficult, however, when the President and many others will not accept historical facts about "the Religion of Peace."
Sharia law in Texas of all places....
February 20, 2008 - 20:04 ET by Army BratConsrevative Rex...it' already here friend...
http://www.2ndcoa.courts.state.tx.u...OpinionID=14601
1.The Parties agree to arbitrate all existing issues among them in
the above mentioned Cause Numbers in the appropriate District Court,
which includes the Divorce Case, the child custody of the [sic] Noor
Qaddura and Farah Qaddura, the determination of each party's
responsibilities and duties according to the Islamic rules of law by
Texas Islamic Court.
2.All parties agree to sign the Texas Islamic Court required legal forms, and each party pays his required fees.
3.The panel of arbitrators of Texas Islamic Court will be formed
according to the rules and regulations of Texas Islamic Court. However,
the parties agree and suggest the following names for the panel:
.Mujahid Bakhash, the Imam of the Islamic Association of Tarrant County, Fort Worth, Texas.
.Main El-quda, the Imam of the Islamic Society of Arlington, Arlington, Texas.
.Abdel Salam Abu-Nar, the Imam of Dar Assalam Islamic Center, Arlington, Texas
4.Each Party will submit all of his documents, exhibits, and evidence to Texas Islamic Court.
5.The parties agree that the Ruling of the Texas Islamic Court in the
above mentioned Cause Numbers is Binding, and Final, and no party will
take any appeal or future legal action of any matter afterwards.
6.Each party will cause the above cause numbers to be abated pending
the decision by the arbitrators, and submit the decision of the
arbitrators for adoption by the respective courts. The parties will ask
the courts to refer the cases for arbitration to Texas Islamic court
within "Seven Days" from the establishment of the Texas Islamic Court
panel of Arbitrators. The assignment must include ALL cases, including
those filed against or on behalf of other family members related to the
parties. Each party will notify the other party, Texas Islamic Court,
and their respective attorneys, in writing of the assignment of all the
above Cause Numbers from the above appropriate District Court to Texas
Islamic Court.
And so the US starts down the happy path to the establishment of the new Islamic Caliphate.
Appreciate your freedoms now, cause if this continues, you aint gonna have any at all in the future.
Happy Trails...
/Sharia law in the US....not
February 20, 2008 - 20:29 ET by motherbelt/Sharia law in the US....not by conquest, but by capitulation.
I can see by the e-mail exchange
February 20, 2008 - 19:44 ET by c5thenThat Timmy Townsend is apparently in middle school.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
That reaction is not
February 20, 2008 - 20:16 ET by JSchulerThat reaction is not passive-agressive. The email I sent to Townsend in response is, however:
<blockquote>Mr. Townsend,
I would just like you to clarify something, as it seems one of your
editors has removed some clauses or sentences from your article
(http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/religion/story/92B3F732598CD5E9862573F50017B5F5?OpenDocument)
that makes some confusing statements.
The article states the following:
<i>On "Little Green Footballs," blogger Amer1can wrote, "Would be a shame
if it were to be vandalized or destroyed. Just a shame I tell
you....wink wink STL youth."
Blogger Arthur E. Hippler added: "I suppose dynamite would be considered
an extreme response."</i>
I'm sure you spot the problem here immediately. In your article, you
only mention three blogs: <i>Gateway Pundit</i>, which is run only by a
single man who goes by the moniker "Gateway Pundit," <i>Republic Riot</i>,
which which is run, alone, by Julia Gorin, and Little Green Footballs,
which is run, again, alone by <i>Charles Johnson</i> (It's amazing what you
can find out in two minutes of Google searching, isn't it?). Yet, you
talk about the bloggers "Amer1can" and "Arthur E. Hippler." What blogs
do they run? I know that Hippler has commented at blogs before, but I
don't see his blog (which, of course, as every user of Al Gore's
interweb knows, is required if one is to actually be a blogger at all).
As for Amer1can, well, his name is so common that Google doesn't help much.
This is rather important information that your editor seems to have
removed. In fact, you editor seems to have accidentally removed
punctuation as well, making it seem as though these bloggers ran Little
Green Footballs instead of their own site. I'm sure you're as astounded
as I am that such journalistic incompetence occurs at the<i>St. Louis
Post-Dispatch</i>.
Well, thankfully there are people, like yourself, with high ethical
standards who will be sure that this missing information is included in
a transparent manner, and the proper corrections be issued.
It's nothing to be embarrassed about, as I notice many news
organizations that have the same glitch. Often, it results in confusing
a commenter, who can be any schmo from off the street, with a blogger
(the person who actually runs the site), and thus smearing an entire
blog purely for having the gall to allow others an open forum to voice
their opinions. It's funny, because if I didn't know any better, I would
assume that these august institutions had assigned people who are
completely ignorant about the Web to report on it. It's crazy, I know.
I'm also copying your editors, as they need to know that there's a
glitch in the system. I trust that you would inform them as well, but I
know how finicky intra-organizational email systems can be at times.</blockquote>
I have my own experience with reporter
February 20, 2008 - 22:12 ET by VinceP1974Last year some news channel did a tv news story about a church that had put on its sign outside the following (one on each side)
The message of Islam is "submit, convert or die."
and
"When is the last time you heard of a Jew or Christian with a bomb strapped to their body?"
So this station did a story about it that essentially noticed the sign.. then went to an Islamic group for comment. The Islamic group said "Islam is a religion of peace", and then a majority of the story is the Church pastor defending himself against charges of bigotry, ignorance, malice , racism, and of course Islamophobia.
The story contained some statements by a woman named Debbie from the Islamic center that "islam is peace".
So I had first written to Debbie to challenge her on her statement adn then I emailed the TV news channel with my email that I had send to Debbie.
I write about it here:
http://home.comcast.net/~vincep312/church.html
Show me the money
February 20, 2008 - 22:37 ET by Lame CherryThis is bout a story bout a man named Saud
A poor desert man trying to keep his family fed
Then one day he was sitting by his food
And up from Rockefeller came bubblin crude
Black gold that is.............bribery.
Well first thing you know is Sauds a billionaire
Muslim folks said Saud get yourself a pair
Said bribe Americans and with their own money
Next thing you know America is run by Islamocommies
Yes all the big liberal and Conservative groups in America, all media, all corporations have billions invested in them by OPEC cartel members who are the buddies of the big cartel Rothschilds and Rockefellers who set up this high priced crude in an unbalance of trade.
That is why these Muslims get such free rides on every story, because they bribe all the outlets.
I dearly love the Saudi people as they have been a steadfast ally of the American people, but the fricking Islamofascist and Islamocommunist cranks in that nation who are millionaires and billionaires are acting as agents of Russia and the European fascists to bring down America.
These Judas in America selling out for bribes need to be put in prison and America needs to divest of the cranks.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
I wrote to the newspaper
February 20, 2008 - 22:37 ET by VinceP1974I just had to write that paper:
From: Vince
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 8:28 PM
To: 'ttownsend@post-dispatch.com'
Cc: 'pmaples@post-dispatch.com'; 'letters@post-dispatch.com'
Subject: Offensive story regarding Islam
I just read your ridiculous story about harassment against Muslims.. what did you do..? copy and paste this story together in the “Lets portray Muslims as poor little victims because the Muslim Brotherhood (do you even know who they are?) / HAMAS (do you even know who they are?) front group CAIR (which it must be obvious you don’t know who they are and the threat they pose this country) said so”?
There are many of us who educated ourselves about Islam and have come to view it as a grave threat to our way of life.. and what do you do ? You spread the propaganda of CAIR!
Did you even know that CAIR lost its status as a lobby group because of the improper way in which the group’s business is conducted?
I read your private email exchange with LGF’s blogger… my contempt for reporters like you grows by the day.
You are immature arrogant pricks and yet are in the so-important position of providing us our news. I would never imagine in a million years that a reporter would conduct his official business at the level of a 5 year old,.. BUT THANK YOU for waking me up from that delusion.
Speaking of delusion.. what is it with you reporters and your love of just passing along what Islamists say with absolutely no scrutiny?
Here.. read about another incident of journalist malpractice that I write about here:
http://home.comcast.net/~vincep312/church.html
What an incompetent you are.
Vince
As a former LGFer
February 20, 2008 - 23:12 ET by ChenZhenCharles has always rejected that label (or any label, for that matter).
Just sayin'.
CAIR
February 21, 2008 - 05:44 ET by R D HelmA national Muslim civil rights organization has asked the FBI to
investigate what it considers threats made on the Internet against a
Bosnian mosque in St. Louis.
Well, if the FBI was doing it's job instead of playing nice and trying not to offend the the enemy within, they would be rounding up the remaining CAIR operatives and preparing them for either prosecution or immediate deportation.
To me, our allowing this organization, which has known ties to Islamic terrorist organizations, to freely operate in this country at this time is akin to having had a NAZI outreach program operating here during WW II. Those charged with protecting us are apparently asleep at the switch.
The Islamo-supremecists already have the Canadian government going after people for dissing the "religion" of Islam. You have to wonder if we are really all that far behind.
I find it sad, and not a little troubling, that Michael Savage is among the very few in this entire nation who seems to fully understand the dangers to our fragile freedoms CAIR actually represents. It appears most others haven't a clue.
Proud member of the "Rough Republican Attack Machine."
Stock News Offers Reason for Hope
February 21, 2008 - 19:16 ET by BobMcCartyWritesA paragraph in an article published today in the Lee Newspapers-owned Arizona Star gives me reason for hope when it comes to the the future of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other liberal newspapers owned by Lee:
Translation: If they keep doing what they've been doing, they'll keep getting what they've been getting. Eventually, stockholders will revolt and changes will have to be made at newspapers like the Post-Dispatch. Perhaps, they'll even experiment with objectivity in reporting. What a concept!?
-- Bob McCarty Writes at BobMcCarty.com