San Francisco Chronicle picks up on CAIR’s silence. How sad is it that FOX NEWS is more fair than CAIR? Fox News Phoenix running a story about a Muslim org that condemns this killing. CAIR? Nada… Letting Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser get the upper hand on your org, Ibrahim Hooper, is a profoundly stupid move.
No justice for Noor Almaleki
Debra J. SandersThursday, November 5, 2009
The Council on American-Islamic Relations sent out its usual roundup Tuesday of news stories alleging the mistreatment of Muslims in America. There was a story critical of the FBI harassment of Muslims in Queens, N.Y., in the wake of the arrest of a suspected terrorist. Another story concerned calls for an investigation into an FBI shooting that left Detroit Imam Luqman Ameen Abdullah dead. There were also notices of CAIR banquets.
There was no story about Noor Faleh Almaleki.
pi.info 1:46 pm on November 5, 2009 Permalink |
Debra Sanders is not ‘the San Francisco Chronicle’; rather, she is the token conservative on an otherwise almost entirely liberal editorial page.
pi.info 2:00 pm on November 5, 2009 Permalink |
And the business about Muslim organizations having to sprint to the microphone to get at the head of the line for denunciations of honor killings is bosh, a bit piece of what is becoming a modern-day blood libel against Muslims about ‘honor killings.’ The targeting of CAIR – as opposed to any other American Muslim organization that hasn’t yet denounced or commented on the Noor Almaleki case, is arbitrary and selective.
What’s more, if one Muslim organization does denounce, then the Islamophobes go around to all the other orgs to bully them with it and hype the negativity.
Buzz 2:09 pm on November 5, 2009 Permalink |
Yeah, John. Why should CAIR bother to put out a statement on a headline national news story. Is that their job as “America’s” largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy group?”
What else do they have to do? Ridiculous really.
johnpi 2:13 pm on November 5, 2009 Permalink |
Fair point. CAIR is a civil rights organization, so they do differ from other US Muslim orgs. And a Muslim’s civil right were violated here.
johnpi 2:17 pm on November 5, 2009 Permalink
I suspect it has something to do with not wanting to inadvertently lead the media into giving the case a higher profile, since honor killings do tend to adversely affect how the larger public responds to and interacts with the much smaller Muslim community and individual Muslims.
Buzz 2:22 pm on November 5, 2009 Permalink
Too late. The Islamophobes run with that message on every thread they can find. Can you blame Joe 6-pack, anytown USA if he begins to believe what he reads? And no one responds to these negative messages..
Here is a typical comment reacting to the SF OpEd:
Buzz 2:17 pm on November 5, 2009 Permalink |
Ah. Agreement. So this is what it feels like it.
johnpi 2:21 pm on November 5, 2009 Permalink
lol.
Yes, I do agree that the best path would be for CAIR to step forward asap on honor killings and pursue their mandate to protect Muslims’ civil rights, but I can see how and why there would be other strategies in contention with that one.
Buzz 2:04 pm on November 5, 2009 Permalink |
Regardless, the interesting story is whether CAIRs strategy to side-step “cultural issues which have nothing to do with Islam” by silence or whether it is more important to make that message and make it clear.
On headscarfs, CAIR is loud and proud. On honor killing: silent.
I understand the strategy and I would leave it alone if Dr. Zuhdi didn’t pick it up and coop it with Fox News.That puts on the pressure. And obviously Zuhdi’s message is not the most advantageous to muslims at large if Fox is running it.
Buzz 2:05 pm on November 5, 2009 Permalink |
It really makes you wonder who pays CAIR’s bills. It makes me wonder.