NPR: We love 'mainstream Islamists'

[LayZie G.]

First, I'm no fan of 'political correctness', especially if it concerns itself with Islamists.

 

Secondly,truth me told, the National Public Radio, commonly known as NPR crossed the line when they decided to part ways with one of their prominent television personalities/political commentator, namely one Mr Juan Williams who is employed by fox news as well as NPR.(as recently as yesterday being thursday)

 

 

On the subject of NPR, a media company should not get into the business of either purging free speech nor should they give lessons on morality to their employees. Instead, NPR should keep its executives occupied in the boardrooms. Here, atleast they can do some good by drawing a plan to extract more funds from the public, either through government subsidy or prostitute themselves to both public and private donors.

 

 

Marka kale, who here has not taken a flight recently, either domestic or international? The answer is that flying is more common and unusually peculiar. For frequent flyers, airline travel can be more annoying than enjoyable. Moreover, the stakes are higher with flying, risk taking with take offs and landings and not to mention how upsetting turbulence can be are all too dangerous for most people.

 

Besides, most times you are stuck in long lines. More importantly, as you wait in the line to board a flight or go through a security check, you can not help yourself as you look over your shoulder, even scan the big crowd for unusual behaviour. In essence, you are your own security at the airport, not to mention the alarm going off in your head that says "travel at your own risk".

 

Getting back to scanning the crowd, here, as you move the big crowd, briefly getting the glimpse of the crying baby to the businessman in the suit waiting patiently for his turn at the security check, wondering whether he packed his good tie for the meeting tomorrow. From the businessman and the crying baby, you scan closely the people around you and here is where you lock your eyes with a mullah omar looking dude, the 'gardheere' type, looking nervous as he anxiously waits his turn at the security check, or in my case, waiting to board the same flight as me. So much so that he makes you and the others around you nervous. Here, everyone has the same expression on their face, atleast the ones who are paying attention to this nervous creature.

 

This is where it gets dicey and you start to contemplate on your next steps: Should I stay still and not do anything? Should I exit the line to search for other flights? or should I just exit the line and get help? Maybe alert airline security ?

 

What would come of me? Am I ready to testify if this nervous creature is really dangerous and he was in fact blaming to blow up the airport or maybe blow himself up in mid air? What would he think? What if this story makes to the news? Can my worries turn to holding bigoted views or am I just a concerned traveller looking out for number#1?

 

Can I really afford to alienate an entire group by racially profiling them? It all comes down to whether you should go with your gut or maybe purge your own anxiety? I dont know the answer and neither do you reader.

 

 

Sure, some would read this and say, no, LayzieG, you have every right to feel the way you do. Matter of fact your thoughts are hardly malicious and any rational person could see that.

 

Unfortunately, Juan Williams was not so lucky. Juan Williams's contract with NPR was terminated because he expressed his 'anxieties' on national television(where as I am expressing them on SOL), which is why he stated: "People in Muslim garb make me nervous...." while explaining that not all Muslims are terrorist to Mr. Bill O'Reilly

 

 

First, it was the ladies of the view who were outraged by Bill O'Reilly commentary on islamists when he stated: "muslims attacked america on 9/11", Joy and Whoopta whoopi walked out of their own show as most of you come to know or watched it on youtube or something.

 

Why the outrage? Have we really come as far as viewing 'Islamists' as mainstream that we are ready to throw good people under the bus in the name of "appeasing the "mainstream islamists"?

 

The reality is that the men who drove the aircrafts into the twin towers professed the Islamic faith, they called themselves muslims, not Bill O'reilly, not Juan Williams. Matter of fact, Juan Williams refuses to be one of the victims of the "10-10 " (as in october 2010), neither do I want to be a 10-10 victim, which is why Williams should be praised for his courageous commentary not be ostracized for it. They dont make them like Juan williams of today or the Bill O'Reilly's like they use to, speaking about "his own anxieties" on national television, not to mention, similar 'anxieties' are shared across the board.

 

Yes, even muslims have 'anxieties' about travels in general but more specifically they have 'anxieties' about "Islamists" and the danger they present on air travel, however mainstream they may appear to NPR and the ladies of the view. I hate to admit it but "Islamists" are so mainstream that they now have the backing of established media, namely NPR and the ladies of the view. (I will call it the 'GLENN GREENWALD movement')

 

 

Lastly, I will leave you with this final note:

 

Know that Muslims are more likely to stereotype fellow muslims but it does not mean that all muslims are one thing or another and my friend SHEIKH NUR OF SOL will concede to this very point.

 

Likewise, know that there is no universally held conspiracy against Muslims or Islam. No one is out to get anyone, unless ofcourse you identify yourself as 'mainstream Islamist', in which case there is an opening at NPR at this very moment. They need to fill Williams old position. HURRY!

 

 

...filed by LayZieG

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

[Prometheus]

Another timely and timeless analysis by Lazyie.

[Jacaylbaro]

Tattle: For Juan Williams, one opinion too many for NPR

 

IT'S ALWAYS troublesome when someone who gets paid for speaking his mind gets fired for speaking his mind, so it's especially troublesome that NPR chose to fire longtime commentator Juan Williams.

 

Yes, Williams' comment that he gets nervous every time he sees a Muslim on a plane was bigoted - and the fact that millions of Americans may agree with him doesn't make it less so - but NPR has chosen to employ him for 10 years because it seemingly valued his opinions. That it doesn't like one of his opinions shouldn't negate all the others. By firing Williams for a burst of being too honest, NPR plays into the hands of the right-wing anti-NPR forces who would correctly claim that as long as Williams espoused NPR's opinion, he was cool, but once he deviated from the all-inclusive "Kumbaya" line, he was out.

 

On the other hand, those who claim that NPR is being closed-minded and showing its liberal bias are missing part of the point of NPR.

 

Between one million and seven million taxpaying Muslims are living in America (depending on which survey numbers you choose to believe), none of whom have blown up any planes and are merely trying to get through the economic slowdown just like American Hindus, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, Wiccans, Jews and Christians, and National Public Radio is also supposed to represent them. It's national and public.

 

If a host on Racist Whitey 109.5 FM ("The Klan") claimed he got nervous every time he saw a black dude on the street, chances are nothing would happen to him (unless his advertisers went ballistic). But if someone on a publicly funded radio station said the same thing, he'd probably be escorted off the premises before the first phone call.

 

Instead of firing Williams - who knew NPR's knee could jerk so quickly - wouldn't it have been better (and far more illuminating) for NPR to address his very real issue with legitimate reporting and discussion? As we near an election in which so many votes are going to be cast on the basis of anger and fear (on both sides and on essentially every issue), NPR should have used Williams to confront the nation's fear of Muslims and analyzed whether it's a rational fear (yes, Mr. O'Reilly, Muslims did blow up planes on 9/11) or an irrational one (estimating that there are about 30 million commercial flights per year worldwide, your odds of being blown up by a Muslim in flight are pretty darn slim).

[Rain]

Didn't now there were such things as Somali Tea party members.

[Che -Guevara]

Another one bites the dust-having said that I think Rick Sanchez before him was unfairly fired

[STOIC]

What you wrote there sister is what I'll call the philosophy of futility.I'm a loyal listener of NPR news for many years.I have enjoyed the analysis of the likes of Juan Williams and the late Daniel Schorr.There is no way I can take the brother as a fair and balanced if issues of Islam are being discussed in NPR anymore.His viewpoint in NPR suppose to be non stereotypical. His words on FOX was way below any journalistic standard.It was matter fact irrational fear.Every profession is guided by professional ethical codes.Maybe NPR could have handled it better by giving him a warning.The brother may have written many books on civil rights (as he claimed) but I'm afraid he is blind to the rights of some Americans that share the same faith with me.His words were insensitive and he belongs in Fox hole..maybe now that he got the two million dollar deal he can go ahead and spew all the ignorance!

[Rain]

^ well said mate!

[Jacpher]