On NPR, More of the Sentiment That Satire of Islam Abuses Press Freedom
At the tail end of the second hour of the Diane Rehm Show on many NPR stations Friday, defense reporter James Kitfield of the National Journal broke out his outrage about the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, which was firebombed this week. Like Time's Bruce Crumley, Kitfield saved his outrage for the "irresponsible" satirists and all his sensitivity for the Muslims of France.
In the Huffington Post, French journalist Romina Ruiz-Goiriena complained that while "For many, the publication has been an iconic soapbox for the far French left since its creation in 1960," it failed to achieve what freedom should: "The issue was not thought-provoking; it simply contributed to burgeoning anti-Muslim sentiment. What it should have been doing was pushing the conversation forward to confront the seemingly dormant but rampant institutional bigotry. After all, is that not the point of having a free press tradition in the first place?"
Kitfield felt the pain of Muslims that do not want their religious prophet depicted in any way. Like many journalists, he displays no sensitivity for the satirized Christian in France or anywhere, and somehow fails to be upset by a firebombed newspaper:
JAMES KITFIELD: I mean, that was very, very objectionable to, you know, a majority of Muslims to see their religious leader depicted in any way, but certainly not in sort of a satirical, laughable fashion. You know, I heard a comment from a French Muslim who I think got it exactly right, which is that just because you can do this thing because you have a First Amendment right or you have a right to free expression in Western societies doesn't mean you should do them. So I think I would hope we get to a place where we condemn this constant provocation. Why these provocations to a vast minority group inside of France? I think it's irresponsible.
KATTY KAY, guest host: Particularly when you already have tensions with those...
KITFIELD: Right, and people can die. I think it's irresponsible, but, you know, I would defend to the last straw to do it. I just hope we get to a place where the people who do do this get condemned by society for constantly provoking crises that we don't need right now.
This being NPR, Kay could only agree, and not ask how satire is irresponsible and "provokes crises" and violent Islamists are somehow not responsible for what they do at all.
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Comments
Even if every word is true..
Submitted by zenman1661 on Sat, 11/05/2011 - 10:34pm.
in no way does it excuse or absolve the viscous crime of fire bombing the building.
zenman
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 10:21am.
You just don't get it. If those magazine folks didn't want to get firebombed, they shouldn't have been in that building....or they shouldn't have worn that short skirt...or something like that.
New show "All American Muslim"
Submitted by MaximusBraveheart on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 9:45pm.
I just saw an add for this:
http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/all-american-muslim-sneak-peek-of-all-am...
Seemed to claim they are just as American, which may be the case, unless you endorse Sharia Law, which is NOT compatible with our Constitution. I wonder if the show will present facts and logical thinking.
-- Maximusbraveheart -- Is TRUTH knowable? Moral Relativism is the abandonment of Truth. Truth is knowable. Truth conforms to Reality. Reality is observable by evidence & witness in this day & from history. Relativism is Sesame Street play land.
Just as there are "push polls," that TV show is...
Submitted by Mike Bratton on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 8:57am.
...a "push show," designed to influence public opinion.
It's from the same people who air "Sister Wives," the folks at TLC. Surprise, surprise, surprise.
And are there Muslims who don't endorse Sharia? That would be something of an oxymoron, like a square without corners.
--Mike
NB do a thread on American Muslim?
Submitted by MaximusBraveheart on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 12:49pm.
If not, it seems a worthwhile discussion. Someone should watch and report back. Wonder how much spin there will be. Somehow I just don't think it will be a truthful presentation of the facts which would warn the public of the dangers of ISLAM to anyone interested in freedom.
-- Maximusbraveheart -- Is TRUTH knowable? Moral Relativism is the abandonment of Truth. Truth is knowable. Truth conforms to Reality. Reality is observable by evidence & witness in this day & from history. Relativism is Sesame Street play land.
American Muslim
Submitted by Agnostic on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 12:57pm.
Not to use too broad of a brush but it seems like the best parallel my experience can relate is to that of gang members that come into the hospitals where I have worked. They can some times be the nicest and most accommodating of patients but all that goes out the window as soon as they are under the influence of another member of the gang. It seems similar in the Islamic world. Muslims can be at peace and live well until they grow in numbers and radical elements start to incrementally acquire influence and power. Islam will trump a peaceful and respectful life.
Gangs...
Submitted by MaximusBraveheart on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 6:50pm.
Interesting!
PS: Comments on Muslim show- http://www.debbieschlussel.com/44172/ive-already-warned-you-about-all-am...
-- Maximusbraveheart -- Is TRUTH knowable? Moral Relativism is the abandonment of Truth. Truth is knowable. Truth conforms to Reality. Reality is observable by evidence & witness in this day & from history. Relativism is Sesame Street play land.
NPR does not represent me...I
Submitted by d1carter on Sat, 11/05/2011 - 10:41pm.
NPR does not represent me...I want my money back!
Pathetical
Submitted by almostacowboy on Sat, 11/05/2011 - 10:43pm.
hypocricy from the same folks that bring you al jazeera in English.
How exactly do you write a
Submitted by ant on Sat, 11/05/2011 - 11:01pm.
How exactly do you write a 'thought-provoking' article on islam? If I write an article on OWS's tendency to drop F-bombs on citizens, block traffic, set fires, and just cause general mayhem and violence like some Marxist zombie horror movie, does that mean I missed some nuance or sophisticated message underlying this central theme? Nah, I think not.
According to the Left,
Submitted by LinTaylor on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 1:24am.
Freedom of speech is perfectly wonderful if you're calling Herman Cain a horndog rapist, Chris Christie a walking (rolling?) sack of lard, or George Dubya a murderous psychopath who needs to be arrested, killed, then re-killed and his corpse urinated upon.
But if you say anything negative about the peaceful and serene religion of Islam, where being a woman ranks just slightly below being a dog, and you've crossed a line.
More double standard
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 5:11am.
Let's do a test. We'll show Mr Kitfield a photo of a crucifix submerged in urine and ask him if it is a provocation or an award winning work of art.
Then we will do the same with a Quran submerged in urine.
I wonder if they would feel
Submitted by Jimme on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 6:35am.
I wonder if they would feel the same sentiment if and NPR or Time studio got fire bombed for publishing a picture of a doo doo Jesus statue?
Mohammed - a prophet of murder
Submitted by ohio granny on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 9:50am.
Islamist prophet Mohammed is a prophet of murder and violence and possibly a pedophile. Murder anyone who disagrees with their definition of Islam?. Murder by, stoning, a woman who has been accused of adultery? "Honor killing of a daughter who has become too westernised? Genital multilation of young girls with out any sort of anesthesia?
How can anyone defend this kind of religion? Islam is a "religion" of violence. Violence is practiced and encouraged by the Koran. Why do the media and politicians continually defend this "religion"? Only when we stop being afraid of repercussions and call Islam what it is will we be able to deal with the violence they preach and practice.
The media and politicians need to stop being afraid to speak the truth. Political correctness is going kill us if this continues.
All freedoms come with responsibility as their price tag.
Submitted by drsamherman on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 11:12am.
I've said it before: the price of freedom of expression is the existence of opinions which are contrary to yours. Your corresponding responsibility is to turn off the TV, radio, computer or to put down the book or publication or to simply walk away. Short of the "yelling fire in a crowded theater" standard, prior restraint of free speech, because someone may find it offensive, has been turned aside time and time again in our courts. I would also remind people that there is NO mention of the "right not to be offended" anywhere in the Bill of Rights.
The slimy depths to which degenerate and devolved journalists will go to justify hiding behind free speech while simultaneously attacking those who exercise it never ceases to amaze me. You will get the usual justifications from journalists that they are just "being responsible" in the "exercise of their profession". Oh really? First off, journalism is not a profession. How can you call political whoring, diatribe, lying, wholesale character assassination and agenda-driven propagandizing a "profession"? Secondly, when did the media suddenly develop a conscience and transform into responsible citizens? That hasn't happened in our nation's history! And finally, who made journalists the arbiter of what people should read, watch, listen to, etc.? Most journalists are about 100 points in IQ behind a rock. At least the rock has the good sense to stay where it was put and not to talk back, ask stupid questions or try to scoop another rock.
Liberals do not seem to
Submitted by pfwag on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 12:30pm.
Liberals do not seem to understand that they are infidels and Muslims are commanded by their god and prophet to kill all the infidels.
I guess it's true. Muslims
Submitted by jessieH on Sun, 11/06/2011 - 1:44pm.
I guess it's true. Muslims have, absolutely, no sense of humor. That explains a lot.
The late Ayatollah Assaholah
Submitted by uhohshortsonthe... on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 8:28am.
The late Ayatollah Assaholah of Iran was famous for saying that humor has no place in Islam.
NPR Does What Their Paymasters Tell Them To
Submitted by Avitar on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 4:22am.
The are no laws that say a country like Saudi Arabia can not buy the services of NPR ot PBS. As long as their interests involve undercutting US support for Israel or keeping the US energy industry down the petrodollar money will continue to flow to PBS for environmental programing and revisions of history to Muslim fictions where the zero was invented by arabs and not India and the double action pump in Syria in the tenth century and not China before the first century BC. Of Course they edit the Jews right out of existance.
Freedom
Submitted by Morganfrost on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 11:06am.
"Right, and people can die."
Wrong. "People can die" if they choose to smoke. People tend to get murdered if they upset other people who want to strip us of our freedoms. I suppose there are two ways to approach this: 1) we can shrug and say that our freedoms shouldn't be exercised or defended if they really upset other cultures, particularly cultures who insist on acting as judge, jury and executioner when someone offends them; or 2) we can say that our freedoms aren't negotiable.
Freedom of speech isn't a freedom if it's subject to a terror veto.
This is what Muslims want...
Submitted by uhohshortsonthe... on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 8:27am.
...to shame westerners into not ever saying anything at all about Islam. Eventually, they will fight to make it illegal to insult religion(by which they mean only Islam). Muslim leaders have already proposed this to the UN.