Media Research Center President Brent Bozell made waves on the Fox Business show "Varney & Co." when he declared "I'm not Charlie." He said an al-Jazeera executive was not wrong to assert that "the right to be obnoxious and offensive just because you can is infantile." He explained just how offensive the magazine could be to Christians who revere the Holy Trinity.
Bozell denounced the terrorist acts, but insisted "you can defend a legal right; you cannot defend a moral wrong."
VARNEY: Next one, Brent, is leaked e-mails from al-Jazeera and they reveal their disdain for the global support for Charlie Hebdo. Here’s a quote from one of the executives, and I’m quoting directly now. “Defending freedom of expression in the face of oppression is one thing. Insisting on the right to be obnoxious and offensive just because you can use is infantile.” Now this goes on. “Baiting extremists isn't bravely defiant when your manner of doing so is more significant in offending moderate people as well.” What do you say about all of this, Brent? A lot of people are outraged at al-Jazeera's position here. How about you?
BOZELL: I read it carefully and I’m not. Let me explain why. Let's get beyond all the things the need to be said about denouncing the slaughter of the terrorists that took place. That is not the issue. The issue here is that magazine. What is the magazine and what does it represent?
What is being projected – because no one is focusing on it – is that it was some kind of a National Lampoon magazine that was having a little bit of fun. That is not true. This is a magazine that deliberately has gone out of its way to insult – to offend people of faith – not just Muslims. For you Christians out there – I'm a Catholic – out there, consider a cartoon that has – about the Holy Trinity – that has God the Father performing anal sex on Jesus Christ, while the Holy Spirit comes out his rectum. That's the kind of cartoon you see in there. So, the editors – or these reporters at al Jazeera – are saying, 'I'm not Charlie.' Stuart, I'm not Charlie either.
VARNEY: Okay. So you will defend the right of a magazine to do that, but you don't think they are being responsible in doing that. Is that accurate?
BOZELL Well, you can defend a legal right; you cannot defend a moral wrong. Just because you have a legal right doesn't make it right. It's a moral wrong. What they're doing in insulting Islam, as these people were saying in al Jazeera – they were saying, they were goading – the terrorists. And some people are suggesting – well, that makes them apologists. No! They were goading the terrorists. Let's be make – let's be very clear about that. They were goading the terrorists.
VARNEY: But you can't go a step further and say – well, they got what they deserved? You can't say that.
BOZELL: Oh no! I’m not suggesting that at all!
