Like describing a spiral staircase without using your hands, "Today" pulled off the impressive feat this morning of getting through an entire segment about the UK terror plot uncovered yesterday without once mentioning that the suspects are Muslim. Oh, the word "Muslim" did pop up - but only or purposes of describing the intended victim of the plot and concerned area residents.
NBC's Keith Miller reported from London, mentioned that "the alleged target of the kidnaping [was] a British Muslim soldier on leave from Afghanistan."
View edited video clip here.
But when it came to the suspects, Miller said only that "nine people were arrested for what the police say was a plan to murder the Muslim soldier and post his beheading on the internet."Miller than conducted a Muslim-man-in-the-street interview with a local resident. Introducing the clip, Miller observed, "like many Muslim residents in the area where the arrests were made, Abdul Ganat cannot believe it."
Mr. Ganat: "It's very shocking. I've got two young kids and I'd be devastated if they saw this kind of a thing."
Reports such as this one from the AP are readily available, indicating that the suspects are "believed to be British men of Pakistani descent," alluding to them as "Islamic extremists,"
What would account for "Today's" reticence in mentioning the Muslim identity of the suspects while highlighting the Muslim identity of the victim and that of shocked area residents? You don't suppose this could this be political correctness at work, do you?
Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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Mr. Ganat: "It's very shockin
February 1, 2007 - 08:57 ET by Jack BauerMr. Ganat: "It's very shocking. I've got two young kids and I'd be devastated if they saw this kind of a thing."
That's odd. Because Mr. Ganat could hardly be unware that "beheading" DVDs are the new porn for Muslims.
There are hundreds of shops and markets in Birmingham, England where this new porn is readily available. They're very popular. So I doubt if Mr Ganat is really THAT shocked.
Muslims
February 1, 2007 - 09:07 ET by BBallleaperIn the same manner that Great Britain has been looking the other way while muslims have been politically and culturally infiltrating their country, we ignore the terrorist-advocacy of CAIR and the political propaganda of the NYT and drive-by media as they ignore the threat muslims pose to our safety and our future.
Get a clue NBC
February 1, 2007 - 11:47 ET by acumenI was more impressed with Mr. Ganat not demonstrating the least concern over what could have happened to his fellow British muslim soldier on leave from Afghanistan. I guess his daughters supposed obliviousness to how their fellow muslims treat other muslims is more important to Mr. Ganat and NBC than the fact that many of his fellow muslims are homicidal maniacs.
Well, as long as Mr. Ganat's daughters don't have to see the soldier's beheading on film or admit that some of their fellow muslims are responsible for this outrage- that's what's important to NBC.
Jack or Mark - is this Mr.
February 1, 2007 - 11:50 ET by Dee BunkJack or Mark - is this Mr. Ganat guy the same one everyone is using? I saw a report last night - I think it was ABC where their man on the street didn't believe the plot or the police. He was shocked - not at the plot but the accusations and treatment of Muslims.
Free roast beef
February 1, 2007 - 09:56 ET by James AnthonyDo you think they will ever realize that religion is not a race, but a choice, so it's okay to call a spade a shovel? Until they do, they are doomed, good thing they disarmed everyone first.... any one remember that? Keep that thought close when dismantleing the constiution is attempted in the name of security with the next administration. Pretty soon anyone who doesn't fall in line will be a "security risk" don't think so? Just watch what absolute power will do, it's about to put an icepick in our spine down in south America. For those of you too young to remember, Bill Casey was right.
And what's equally as scary i
February 1, 2007 - 11:02 ET by winston smithAnd what's equally as scary is we have an MSM that's just fine with that.
Mark, I cannot tell which s
February 1, 2007 - 10:20 ET by ucMark, I cannot tell which side of this coverage you are actually on??? Maybe I will send you a copy of something I wrote in 1990 that was about getting the MSM to stop talking about "local" stories (not global necessarily) simply in terms of "black and white" simplicity. This was many months before Governor Clinton announced his first campaign for Presidency though after Al Gore said Bush 41 deserved a second term and that he would not run against him. I do hope you are in favor of "innocent until proven guilty" and that more details may come out with less racial description.???
uc - I think all of us are
February 1, 2007 - 12:01 ET by Dee Bunkuc - I think all of us are in favor of innocent until proven guilty and not having race or religion be a factor. At least most Conservatives, I don't know about liberals they seem to want to focus on it all the time.
If this had been Christians in the name of Christianity then that would be front and center in the story even if it were some small cult and not a large movement like radical Islam. Religion shouldn't matter in the story unless it is part of the reason for the plot, murder or what ever. Radical Muslims are murdering us in the name of religion and it is relevant to the story.
Racial or religious. We
February 1, 2007 - 17:12 ET by ucRacial or religious. We may better and more fairly discover "plot" without pre-judgements/initial claims boldly presented in such early coverage. "Beware of trojan horses." How certain can we be at such early coverage that a Saddam like or another like Osama might have secular and economic reasons somehow motivating those such in this story? I comment, and ask Mark, more to raise question of how much is truely confirmed at time of printing and is would such pronouncements be accurate enough?
"He/she that doesn't learn from Clinton History may be doomed to repeat it."
Mark, Katie did the same thin
February 1, 2007 - 10:28 ET by bassndudeMark, Katie did the same thing on CBS last night. CBS named the target as a muslim british soldier, mentioned the suspects came from a muslim neighborhood, but never named the suspects as muslim. Seems like they go out of their way to avoid naming terrorists as muslims. Simply calling them terrorists instead of muslim terrorists.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
At least the Brits are taking
February 1, 2007 - 12:11 ET by deus_ex_machinaAt least the Brits are taking concrete steps. Five years and billions of dollars in Homeland Security funds later, and we have a panic over some misplaced Lite Brite boards.
At least the Brits are taking
February 1, 2007 - 12:16 ET by Jack BauerAt least the Brits are taking concrete steps.
What are you talking about?
You mean, if US authorities discovered an Islamo-fascist plot to kidnap a Marine and behead him they wouldn't arrest the Muslim terrorists responsible?
This is nothing new for today
February 1, 2007 - 12:48 ET by nicksmith112This is nothing new for todays liberal MSM!
In the northeast specifically NYC they refuse to identify the race/religion of those that commit crime.
Most absurd are the stories in the print media about suspects still not apprehended.
......so be on the lookout for a male 18-35... 5'5'to'-5'-10" medium build with dark pants and a hooded sweatshirt. He is wanted for kidnap/rape/murder....lol.
Mark,For me, it really doesn
February 1, 2007 - 13:49 ET by Dave RMark,
For me, it really doesn’t matter if they refer to them as Islamic or not, as I have managed to re-train the way I hear and read things. For instance, when I hear the word terrorist, I think murderous Islamic barbarian. There are more-
Islamic extremist = murderous Islamic barbarian
Islamic radical = murderous Islamic barbarian
Democrat = communist (I no-longer bother thinking Marxist/Leninist anymore)
Liberal = communist
Progressive = communist
Moderate = spineless
Activist = kook
Environmentalist = whacko
Conservative = normal person
Conservative extremist = extremely normal person
Feminist = unattractive
Undocumented worker = illegal alien
Undocumented resident = illegal alien
Negotiate = give in
Redeploy = cut-and-run
Tolerant = anti-white
Free speech = liberal psychobabble
They make neat compound phrases, too:
Liberal activist = communist kook
Feminist activist = unattractive kook
It makes listening to and reading news stories much more interesting.
Conservative extremist = ex
February 1, 2007 - 13:53 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsConservative extremist = extremely normal person
That I like!
DSG
Want your elected reps to know what you think? Go to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/, it's real easy.
Absolutely incredible that th
February 1, 2007 - 16:04 ET by HumanEventsAbsolutely incredible that the MSM would only mention "muslim" in connection with the intended victim. So they not only try to shield muslims from looking bad but are also trying to foster sympathy for them.
Reminds me of when the MSM went ballistic over the brutal murder of a homosexual (and pushed for "hate" crime legislation) but totally ignored an incident around the same time where two homosexuals were the brutal murderers.