RESTON, VA — Media Research Center (MRC) President Brent Bozell and ACT for America Chairman Brigitte Gabriel issued the following statement slamming the networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) for ignoring the first federal case of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the United States filed under the U.S. legal code.
Last Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against Dr. Jumana Nagarwala for performing FGM on girls between the ages of 6 and 8. The horrific practice is common in other parts of the world but this is the first case brought in the U.S. under 18 U.S.C. 116, which criminalizes FGM.
Since last Thursday, The New York Times, FoxNews.com, and CNN.com have all posted pieces online about the case and Fox News’ Tucker Carlson ran a segment about it on his show Friday. So far, the morning and evening news shows at the big three networks have been silent, and as of this morning so has CNN.
MRC President Brent Bozell and ACT for America Chairman Brigitte Gabriel:
“The media’s moral compass is hopelessly broken. We have the first case of the brutal practice of FGM in the United States, and the networks are AWOL. You would think an extremely brutal practice of violence against women would make TV headlines here at home, but you would be wrong.
“Where is the outrage? The hypocrisy is staggering. The networks, which have for years championed the causes of left-wing feminists and women's rights, are conspicuously silent on this case and their silence is deafening. This is real exploitation of young girls and the usual suspects who ought to care have little to say about this form of torture making its way to America. This practice is illegal and immoral. The networks have an ethical responsibility to report that it’s happening here at home. If they don't, they are guilty of aiding and abetting violence against women out of a politically correct fueled fear of offending Muslims.”
