Tag Archives: muslim

Growing problem of abandoned babies in Malaysia

Posted on August 22, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Malaysian authorities are grappling with the mounting problem of abandoned babies. Sixty-five infants have been found so far this year, and many were dead by the time they were discovered. The issue has touched a raw nerve in the Muslim-majority country. The government fears that number will surpass previous totals – an average of 100 babies are found each year. They were left in rubbish bins, on doorsteps and on the streets, prompting the government to consider treating cases as murder or attempted murder. The latest abandoned baby, a newborn infant, was found dumped by a riverside, covered in a towel and a piece of cloth and stuffed into a bag. The gruesome finds have encouraged some observers to point the finger at familiar targets: internet pornography, bad parenting, and an over-exposure to sexually liberal western culture. But the phenomenon has also revived a debate over sex education in schools in a country where young people are taught abstinence, and where having a child out of wedlock is seen as deeply shameful. Social workers say this attitude simply drives many desperate women to abandon their babies. The government is trying to tackle the problem by increasing the penalty for the offense, asking police to treat such cases as murder or attempted murder. But there have been other approaches. One charity recently opened the country's first “baby hatch” – a place where mothers can safely and anonymously leave their unwanted child. The southern state of Malacca believes the way to curb the problem is to allow Muslim girls under the age of 16 to marry; it has also proposed opening a school for pregnant teenagers. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11050427 added by: ampersand

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NYT’s Charles Blow: Obama Is Not Good For Jews

Posted on August 21, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

“Is President Obama good for the Jews?” asked New York Times columnist Charles Blow Saturday. His answer was quite surprising: “For more and more Jewish-Americans, the answer is no.”  In his piece marvelously titled “Oy Vey, Obama,” Blow referred to Thursday’s Pew Research Center report finding “33% of Jewish voters identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, up from 20% in 2008.” From there, Blow went where a liberal columnist for the New York Times typically dares not: This is no doubt a reaction, at least in part, to the Obama administration having taken a hard rhetorical stance with Israel, while taking “special time and care on our relationship with the Muslim world,” as Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, put it in June. If that sounds like courtship, it is. Some of the president’s most ardent critics and some of Israel’s staunchest American defenders – two groups that are by no means mutually exclusive – have seized on what they see as the administration’s unfair and unbalanced treatment of Israel and have taken their denunciations to the extremes. After addressing some recent events – the Administration’s denunciation of Israeli settlements last September, the White House urging Israel to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in April, and May’s Gaza flotilla incident – Blow shared with his readers some more data on this issue: Fair or not, these criticisms are crystallizing into a shared belief among many: Obama is burning bridges with the Jewish community in order to build bridges to the Muslim world. There is very little independent polling, aside from Pew’s party identification polling, to help us understand how American Jews see the president, his stance toward Israel and the political implications. So in that vacuum, pollsters with partisan leanings have been spinning their findings like dreidels. In April, the Republican polling firm McLaughlin & Associates released a survey that they said showed that only 42 percent of American Jews would vote to re-elect President Obama. He captured 78 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008. Recently, the democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg and the Israel Project, a nonprofit in Washington, conducted a poll that they said found American support of Israel was dropping like a rock. Wherever the truth lies, it is fair to say that it doesn’t bode well for Obama. Indeed it doesn’t, although it’s quite shocking to read such a conclusion in a column by one of the Times’ most liberal contributors.

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NYT’s Charles Blow: Obama Is Not Good For Jews

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N.Y. Times Recirculates Supermarket Tabloid Story in Sympathetic Story on Obama ‘Misperceptions’

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The New York Times prizes itself as the newspaper of record, as the very definition of prestige media. So it’s a little shocking to see them spreading the latest headlines from the Globe supermarket tabloid. Sheryl Gay Stolberg’s mournful story about Obama’s “otherness” and how “Misperceptions Stick” about the president began: Americans need only stand in line at the grocery checkout counter to glimpse the conspiracy theories percolating about President Obama. “Birthplace Cover-Up,” screams the current issue of the racy tabloid Globe. “Obama’s Secret Life Exposed!” The article claims, without proof, that Mr. Obama uses a phony Social Security number as “part of an elaborate scheme to conceal that he is not a natural-born U.S. citizen.” Despite evidence to the contrary from Obama aides — they posted his birth certificate, from Hawaii, on the Internet during his presidential campaign — polls show that as many as one quarter of Americans still believe Mr. Obama was born outside the United States. This must be more publicity for a Globe tabloid concoction than you’d see out of Fox News or the Rush Limbaugh program. But it’s used to illustrate how the president is bedeviled by lies. Stolberg didn’t seem to consider that the Globe and other supermarket tabloids also published stories about Laura Bush divorcing President Bush, of Bush is “back on the bottle,” and so on. But that didn’t seem to outrage the New York Times. Stolberg’s melodramatic woe-is-Barry intro was meant to set up the latest Pew Research Center poll, in which “18 percent now believe he is Muslim,” and even “Among Democrats, for example, just 46 percent said Obama was Christian, down from 55 percent in March 2009.” She also went back to the birthers: As to the issue of his birthplace, a CNN poll released this month when the president turned 49 found that 27 percent of Americans doubted he was born in the United States. A New York Times/ CBS News poll in April put the figure at 20 percent.” The Times illustrated the story with a birther sign from “members of the Tea Party movement in San Francisco” in May. The humorous segment of the story came soon after: “Dan Pfeiffer,the White House communications director, said aides did work hard to push back against misinformation in a news media environment in which ‘the tweets of discredited rabble-rousers have as much credence to many as the pronouncements of the paper of record.'” Pfeiffer did not acknowledge the “paper of record,” the Times has employed a few “discredited rabble-rousers” all its own. Then, Stolberg’s stenography from the White House really began, starting with a professor most appropriately named Gushee: “This is a president who gave really compelling speeches about faith and values, memorable stuff,” said the Rev. Dr. David P. Gushee, a professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University who has advised Mr. Obama on religious matters . “And you’re not hearing that voice right now.” The White House says the public — and the press — are not listening. Since taking office, Mr. Obama has given six speeches either from a church pulpit or addressing religion in public life — including an Easter prayer breakfast where he “offered a very personal and candid reflection of what the Resurrection means to him,” said Joshua DuBois, who runs the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. But the Easter address attracted scant attention in the news media. That would also be true of a prayer breakfast address to pastors by President Bush. Here’s the one sentence the New York Times provided on April 7, 2010, in a story on the West Virginia coal mine collapse: “In Washington on Tuesday during an Easter prayer breakfast, President Obama offered his condolences to the families of the victims and said the federal government was ready to help in whatever way needed.” Then Stolberg really sidestepped hard facts and misled the reader: “And the fact that the Obama family has not joined a church in Washington — the president has said his presence would be too disruptive — has not helped, because the public rarely sees images of them attending services.” She doesn’t mention that the president’s attendance at religious services can be counted on one hand, and he skipped the pews at Christmas. She doesn’t even hint at the fact that President Obama is much more likely to go golfing on a Sunday than go to church. At least Stolberg didn’t repeat the line that Obama effectively replaces church services with ten-second glances at inspirational verses on his BlackBerry, another spin that Joshua DuBois and the White House have employed. Stolberg then provided another White House-orchestrated source, in addition to Gushee and DuBois: The White House says Mr. Obama prays daily, sometimes in person or over the telephone with a small circle of Christian pastors. One of them, the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, who was also a spiritual adviser to former President George W. Bush, telephoned a reporter on Wednesday, at the White House’s behest . He said he was surprised that the number of Americans who say Mr. Obama is Muslim is growing. “I must say,” Mr. Caldwell said, “ never in the history of modern-day presidential politics has a president confessed his faith in the Lord, and folks basically call him a liar .” That’s a rather astonishing ending for the Times. It’s one thing to suggest the American people are suffering from misperceptions. It’s another to suggest a large fraction of the American people are ignobly calling Obama a liar. On Thursday, Rush Limbaugh responded on the air by suggesting the press seems to be catering to the White House and its journalistic colleagues, and the ignorant, unsophisticated (supermarket-tabloid-gobbling) public has become the enemy. “The New York Times didn’t write this to inform you,” he said in singling out the Stolberg article.

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N.Y. Times Recirculates Supermarket Tabloid Story in Sympathetic Story on Obama ‘Misperceptions’

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NBC’s Todd Frets Obama’s Effort to ‘Tackle’ Nation’s Problems Allowed Enemies to Defame Him as Muslim

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams cited a “stunning number” from “a reputable pollster” (Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press) – which discovered “just under 20 percent of the American people believe the President is a Muslim” when “he is not” – to justify a full explanation from Chuck Todd on the mischaracterization of Barack Obama. “Look, let’s be clear,” NBC’s chief White House correspondent declared, “President Barack Obama was born in the United States and he is a Christian.” Without pointing out how confusion and ignorance about Obama’s religious affiliation extends beyond just Republicans and conservatives (41 percent of Democrats and 31 percent of liberals “don’t know” Obama’s religion), Todd fretted: “Ever since Mr. Obama became a national political figure, some of his political enemies have fanned the flames of religious prejudice by trying to make people believe the President is a Muslim.” Todd despaired that Obama’s focus on his job had left him vulnerable to abuse: During the campaign, Team Obama repeatedly refuted these charges with a special Web site they created called FightTheSmears. Well, when he took office, the anti-Obama campaign continued, but the White House tackled a slew of other issues, and efforts to refute those other attacks took a backseat. Completing his delivery of White House talking points, Todd asserted: “Ironically, Brian, during the campaign, some of the President’s political enemies attacked him for the way he practiced Christianity in Chicago where his minister – the Reverend Jeremiah Wright – was a controversial figure.” Over on FNC, however, Major Garrett noted that “while Mr. Obama’s political opponents are more likely to believe he’s a Muslim, uncertainty has seeped in the President’s political base.” In his piece for Special Report with Bret Baier, Garrett featured a soundbite from Alan Cooperman, the Associate Director of the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, who also appeared in Todd’s story. In the clip run on FNC, Cooperman observed: Less than half of Democrats say the President is a Christian [46%]. Less than half of African-Americans say the President is a Christian [43%]. Less than half of people who give Obama positive job approval ratings say he’s a Christian. Indeed, Pew’s report, “Growing Number of Americans Say Obama is a Muslim” ( Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life version; Pew Research Center for the People & the Press version) found: A new national survey by the Pew Research Center finds that nearly one-in-five Americans (18%) now say Obama is a Muslim, up from 11% in March 2009. Only about one-third of adults (34%) say Obama is a Christian, down sharply from 48% in 2009. Fully 43% say they do not know what Obama’s religion is…. Among Democrats, for instance, 46% say Obama is a Christian, down from 55% in March 2009. The belief that Obama is a Muslim has increased most sharply among Republicans (up 14 points since 2009), especially conservative Republicans (up 16 points). But the number of independents who say Obama is a Muslim has also increased significantly (up eight points). There has been little change in the number of Democrats who say Obama is a Muslim, but fewer Democrats today say he is a Christian (down nine points since 2009)…. But even among Democrats, fewer than half (46%) now identify his religion as Christian, down from 55% last year. On Thursday night, ABC’s World News skipped the poll numbers, but the CBS Evening News squeezed in a short item from Harry Smith in a newscast devoted almost entirely to Katie Couric in Afghanistan: The White House said today President Obama is a Christian and prays every day. A spokesman felt is necessary to make that clear after a poll came out showing a significant number of Americans believe the President is Muslim. 18 percent think so. That’s up from 11 percent last year. From the Thursday, August 19 NBC Nightly News: BRIAN WILLIAMS: A new opinion poll from a reputable pollster in this country just out today is getting a lot of attention tonight because it contains a stunning number. Just under 20 percent of the American people believe the President is a Muslim – he is not – on top of a growing number of people who believe he’s foreign-born – and he is not. We go behind these numbers tonight with our chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd who’s in our Washington newsroom. Chuck, good evening. CHUCK TODD: Good evening, Brian. Look, let’s be clear. President Barack Obama was born in the United States and he is a Christian. But ever since Mr. Obama became a national political figure, some of his political enemies have fanned the flames of religious prejudice by trying to make people believe the President is a Muslim. In fact, with some of these same political enemies who helped ignite another phony claim that the President wasn’t born in the United States. Well, during the campaign, Team Obama repeatedly refuted these charges with a special Web site they created called FightTheSmears. Well, when he took office, the anti-Obama campaign continued, but the White House tackled a slew of other issues, and efforts to refute those other attacks took a backseat. In March 2009, according to Pew Research, about half the country – 48 percent – correctly identified the President as a Christian, 11 percent believed he was a Muslim, and about a third – 34 percent – had no idea of his faith. Now these results are even more striking. Only 34 percent correctly told Pew pollsters that Mr. Obama is a Christian, while a whopping 18 percent – or nearly one in five Americans – say he is a Muslim, and 43 percent have no idea of his faith at all. Well, earlier today, I asked Alan Cooperman at Pew Research to explain why, in the face of clear evidence that the President is not a Muslim, that a growing number of Americans believe he is. ALAN COOPERMAN, PEW FORUM ON RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE: In the absence of information from the White House and from the President himself about his faith, about his faith life, about him going to church, messages from others – innuendo and rumor included – are able to maybe gain currency. TODD: Ironically, Brian, during the campaign, some of the President’s political enemies attacked him for the way he practiced Christianity in Chicago where his minister – the Reverend Jeremiah Wright – was a controversial figure. Now, today the White House said the President is a, quote,  “committed Christian,” and prays every day. But aides said they were not surprised by the poll findings because, as one put it, quote, “The President doesn’t wear his religion on his sleeve,” Brian.

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Is CNN Perpetuating the ‘Obama is Muslim’ Meme? Chyron: ‘W.H.: Pres. Obama Isn’t Muslim’

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Every time the question about President Barack Obama’s faith is brought up, the wizards of smart in the mainstream media get up in arms about “right-wingers” or “tea partiers” perpetuating those allegations. But is it possible that by devoting so much attention to these issues of Obama’s faith and his citizenship, the media are creating the very feeding frenzy they’re appalled by? On CNN’s Aug. 19 “The Situation Room,” host Wolf Blitzer led his program off with at what first glance is a startling chyron: “W.H.: Pres. Obama Isn’t Muslim”. That graphic was in response to a recent Pew Research Center poll that found 18 percent of respondents thought Obama was Muslim. Later in the program, Blitzer went to his panel – CNN political analyst James Carville and Washington Times columnist and Heritage Foundation fellow Tony Blankley. Initially Carville said he didn’t have a clear explanation. Video with partial transcript and commentary below fold “I don’t other than the fact people are just willing to believe anything or there are a lot of stupid people out there,” Carville said. “I really don’t have an explanation, just like I don’t have an explanation for the fact that you see some of these polls that a quarter of the people believe he was born outside the country. I’m just as flummoxed as the next person.” Blankley cited an instance in 19 th Century England, which people questioned the faith of British Prime Minster Benjamin Disraeli. “I would compare it to what happened to Benjamin Disraeli, the British Prime Minister in the mid-19 th Century,” Blankley said. “He was suspected of being a Jew all through his career. His dad had been Jewish, but he baptized young Benjamin in the Church of England and he remained a practicing Christian with Jewish ancestry. I think it’s a similar situation with Obama.” And according Blankley, although he didn’t condone that belief, he suggested the same sort of circumstances were in play with the 44 th President of the United States. “His father was obviously Muslim and so that suspicious is there,” Blankley continued. “And then I think — what’s interesting is the numbers have gotten worse for him since he’s been President and I think some of his decisions, the outreach to Islam, good as it may be, wise as it may be, encourages some. His getting into a fight with the Israeli prime minister and his lack of attending church conspicuously, although Reagan, the President I worked for, didn’t go to church much because he said it would interrupt the congregation. So, there are good reasons for it, but the public is going to think what it’s going to think and he’s not made it easier.” Carville wasn’t buying it. Instead he just chalked the public up as “stupid” and willing to believe anything. He conflated the argument with questions about the President’s birth certificate. “I guess I would dispute, Tony — I don’t think the public thinks,” Carville said. “How can they think he wasn’t born in the United States, I mean with two birth announcements in both Honolulu papers. Again, I don’t have an explanation, and the quality of information to people today is exponentially higher than it was in 19 th century England. But again you’ve got to assume some people are just willing to believe anything and some people are out and out stupid. I wish I had a better explanation for it.” Despite the explanations (or lack of) from esteemed panelists, it’s possible the media themselves are to blame. By consistently using questions about Obama’s faith and his citizenship as fodder to demean conservatives, specifically the Tea Party movement and thereby creating a general mistrust by saying vile things, have the mainstream media perpetuated the very allegations they are abhorred by?

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Is CNN Perpetuating the ‘Obama is Muslim’ Meme? Chyron: ‘W.H.: Pres. Obama Isn’t Muslim’

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CBS, NBC Skip Pelosi Threat to Investigate Opposition to Ground Zero Mosque

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Only Good Morning America’s Jake Tapper on Thursday mentioned the call by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to investigate those who oppose the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero. CBS’s Early Show and NBC’s Today both skipped any discussion of the subject. So did Wednesday night’s network newscasts. Tapper explained, “And the House top Democrat also called for transparency for who is funding the opposition to the Islamic center.” He then featured a clip of Pelosi advocating, “And I have joined those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded.” However, Tapper also described GOP opposition to the Ground Zero mosque this way: ” Some of the opposition is being ginned up by the group founded by Republicans William Kristol and Liz Cheney, which has started running this web video, featuring family members of 9/11 victims.” “Ginned up” is not a term often used for liberal organizations A transcript of the August 19 segment, which aired at 7:04am EDT, follows: ASHLEIGH BANFIELD: Some developments in the controversy over the Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero. Two New York leaders, Governor David Paterson, and the leader of the Catholic Church in the city, have suggested that the center be moved to another site. The issue is following the President, too, as he begins his vacation today on Martha’s Vineyard, where we catch up with Jake Tapper this morning. Jake? JAKE TAPPER: Good morning, Ashleigh. Well, that’s right, President Obama arrives here later today, hoping to get a break from the depressing economic news, the grueling reports from the front lines in Afghanistan and, of course, that contentious debate of that proposed Islamic center two blocks from Ground Zero. The President went to Ohio to campaign for Democrats and to talk about jobs. BARACK OBAMA: We are moving in the right direction. TAPPER: But, inevitably, he was asked whether he had any regrets about joining the controversy over the proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero, so overwhelmingly opposed by the public. OBAMA: The answer is no regrets. TAPPER: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi echoed the President’s support for freedom of religion. She also called for transparency for who will pay for the project, which some estimates price at $100 million. And the House top Democrat also called for transparency for who is funding the opposition to the Islamic center. NANCY PELOSI: And I have joined those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded. TAPPER: Some of the opposition is being ginned up by the group founded by Republicans William Kristol and Liz Cheney , which has started running this web video, featuring family members of 9/11 victims. UNIDENTIFIED MAN: This mosque, it’s wrong. It’s so wrong. TAPPER: Not every Republican agrees. Ted Olson, the Solicitor General for President George W. Bush, whose wife was killed on 9/11, said President Obama is right. TED OLSON: We don’t want to turn an act of hate against us, by extremists, into an act of intolerance for people of religious faith. TAPPER: And, Ashleigh, on the heels of this debate, a new Pew poll indicates that a growing number of Americans believe, wrongly, that president Obama is a Muslim. It’s 18 percent believe he’s a Muslim. That’s up from 11 percent last year. They were wrong last year. And the 18 percent are wrong this year. Ashleigh? BANFIELD: Wow. So much for vacation, huh? All right, Jake. Thanks very much.

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CBS, NBC Skip Pelosi Threat to Investigate Opposition to Ground Zero Mosque

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AP Orders Staff: ‘Stop Using the Phrase “Ground Zero Mosque”’

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

In an unusual move, the Associated Press has publicly released an advisory memo to its reporters on how to cover of the Ground Zero mosque story – and the first rule is that journalists must immediately stop calling it the “Ground Zero mosque” story. “We should continue to avoid the phrase ‘Ground zero mosque’ or ‘mosque at ground zero’ on all platforms,” reads the advisory, which was issued by the AP’s Standards Center. Instead of the “Ground Zero mosque,” AP recommends that reporters use the terms “mosque 2 blocks from WTC site,” “Muslim (or Islamic) center near WTC site,” “mosque near ground zero,” or “mosque near WTC site.” The AP suggests that it might “useful in some stories to note that Muslim prayer services have been held since 2009 in the building that the new project will replace.” In addition, the news service offers a “succinct summary of President Obama’s position” on the mosque, but doesn’t include the positions of any other politicians. Also included in the advisory is a “Fact Check” to provide “additional background” for reporters. “A New York imam and his proposed mosque near ground zero are being demonized by political candidates – mostly Republicans – despite the fact that Islam is already very much a part of the World Trade Center neighborhood,” reads the first paragraph of the Fact Check. “And that Muslims pray inside the Pentagon, too, less than 80 feet from where terrorists attacked. And that the imam who’s being branded an extremist has been valued by both Republican and Democratic administrations as a moderate face of the faith.” One of the “facts” that the AP feels the need to “clarify” is that Ground Zero mosque organizer Feisal Abdul Rauf is a moderate Muslim. “Rauf counts former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright from the Clinton administration as a friend and appeared at events overseas or meetings in Washington with former President George W. Bush’s secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and Bush adviser Karen Hughes,” says the article, though it does also mention briefly Rauf’s comments about America being an “accessory” to the Sept. 11 attacks. The advisory also “fact checks” pure opinion statements made by conservatives, like former House Speaker Newt Gringrich’s assertion that “America is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization.” “Such opinions are shared by some Americans, while others are more reluctant to paint the religion with a broad brush and more welcoming of the faith in this country,” reads the Fact Check. “Bush, himself, while criticized at the time for stirring suspicions about American Muslims, traveled to a Washington mosque less than a week after the attacks to declare that terrorism is ‘not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace.'” AP is arguable the most influential news organization in the country, and many media outlets adhere to its guidelines in their reporting.

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Time Editor Richard Stengel Frets About America’s ‘Islamophobia,’ ‘Ignorance’

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Time magazine editor Richard Stengel on Thursday appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe to bemoan the United States’ “ignorance” towards Muslims and to wonder, ” Is America Islamophobic? ” That particular question is also on the front cover of the current issue of Time. Leaving only two options, Stengel lectured host Joe Scarborough, “I mean, the extent of the ignorance- where you parse Islamophobia versus ignorance of Islam, I’m not exactly sure. But there is tremendous ignorance of Islam as a religion.” Declaring that Christianity Judaism and Islam have great similarities, he derided, ” And I think, you know, the American misconception about Islam is amazing.” Scarborough, at times, seemed to go along with the contention that America is Islamophobic. He complained, “As a country, this sort of hatred was visited upon the Irish…the Germans, Jews.” He did, however, offer one contrarian perspective during the segment, pointing out, “I’ve just got to say, though, too, also, because everybody likes jumping opinion on up and down on this. About 33 percent of Americans believe that George W. Bush was behind the 9/11 attack.” A transcript of the August 18 segment, which aired at 7:45am EDT, follows: JOE SCARBOROUGH: So, anyway, what’s on the cover of Time magazine this week? RICHARD STENGEL: Well, what is on the cover of Time magazine this week is the subject we’re all talking about, but that we broadened out into a larger topic. And, basically, it’s a very provocative question: Is America Islamophobic? Is the crisis and the furor of what’s going on down at 9/11 [sic] with building the mosque, how does that represent and play across the rest of the country? SCARBOROUGH: Are we? STENGEL: Because there are new mosques being built than ever across the country. There has been increasing examples of intolerance and hatred towards Muslims around America. SCARBOROUGH: So, are we? STENGEL: Well, you be the judge, okay? We did a poll, you know, 28 percent of Americans think that Muslims should not be allowed to serve on the Supreme Court. About a similar number believe Muslims should not be allowed to be president. The- A majority of people who are against the building of the mosque downtown. At the same time, 55 percent of Americans say they would like to have mosques built in their own community. The poll is kind of beautiful reflection of American diversity. Because people like Muslims in particular but think Muslims- They have lots of misperception about the religion. And, in fact, we have an extraordinary quote from Franklin Thomas [sic]- I’m sorry. From Franklin Graham basically saying that Islam is a religion of hatred and you shouldn’t build mosques anywhere and they believe in the violent domination of other religions. This is Frank Graham, the son of Billy Graham. I mean- SCARBOROUGH: Is that a recent quote? Quote for you guys? STENGEL: That was a quote in today’s Time magazine from yesterday. SCARBOROUGH: Franklin Graham saying that mosques shouldn’t be allowed to be built in America? STENGEL: No. He didn’t say that. But, he said- he said it’s a religion of hatred. He said they seek global domination and the violent domination of other religions. I mean, the extent of the ignorance- where you parse Islamophobia versus ignorance of Islam, I’m not exactly sure. But there is tremendous ignorance of Islam as a religion. And, again, to talk about, about Frank, you know, you know Islam is one of three great Abrahamic religions based on teaching of Abraham. You know, Judaism, Christianity, Islam. I mean, the similarities far outweigh their differences. And I think, you know, the American misconception about Islam is amazing. Plus we have stats in the story, which was written by Bobby Ghosh, our former Baghdad correspondent- Terrific, terrific story- about the perception of Obama’s religion. I mean, 47, only 47 percent of Americans think he is Christian and more than 40 percent of Republicans think he is Muslim. It’s kind of amazing. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: There it is in the Post, Norah. NORAH O’DONNELL: I mean, it’s the Pew study also says one in five think Obama is Muslim. You’ve got it at 24 percent of Americans think that he is Muslim. SCARBOROUGH: I’ve got to say, too- I’ve just got to say, though, too, also, because everybody likes jumping opinion on up and down on this. About 33 percent of Americans believe that George W. Bush was behind the 9/11 attack. So, we have a healthy one third- BRZEZINSKI: Healthy dose of ignorance. SCARBOROUGH: Healthy dose of ignorance on both sides. STENGEL: By the way, this morning, speaking about George Bush 43 one of the things that we write about in our story. And this is talking about how incredibly stalwart he was about saying that Islam was not a religion of hate, it was a religion of peace. He visited mosques on many occasions. President Obama has yet to go to a mosque as president. I mean, one of the hallmarks of Bush’s presidency in this regard was the fact that he really did draw the line on that. SCARBOROUGH: Isn’t that an irony? Maureen Dowd, we read the column yesterday. Maureen Dowd, Norah, said how fascinating it was that Bush showed mere leadership in this area than a progressive president And she also cited Chris Christie and Michael Bloomberg and said basically get on board. O’DONNELL: George W. Bush was the first president to use the word mosque in an inaugural address. STENGEL: Wow. O’DONNELL: I mean, significance outreach to Muslim Americans and so that’s why there are a number Americans where ed Gillespie or David Winston who is a poll sister saying Republicans watch where you go on this discussion about a mosque, of painting all Muslims as extremists. SCARBOROUGH: As a country, Rick, let’s talk about this. As a country, this sort of hatred was visited upon the Irish- STENGEL: Right. SCARBOROUGH: – the Germans, Jews. STENGEL: Right. SCARBOROUGH: I mean, you can go through it. And don’t we know how this story ends? Don’t we know that Muslims are like- America is this huge- it is a melting pot. STENGEL: Right.

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Free from seizures, pain and prescribed medicine

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Samantha McClellan has epilepsy but has been seizure-free for two-and-a-half years with no thanks to prescription medications. By medicating with cannabis-infused foods, the single mother of four children also is pain-free and feels empowered about the future for the first time she can remember. “Without having to look like I’m on drugs, I can go to my daughter’s plays. I can drive a car,” she said. “I can’t express enough how amazing it is not to have seizures.” http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/free_from_seizures_pain_and_pr/ added by: JackHerer

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Many Americans Believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

18 percent of Americans say that President Barack Obama is a Muslim, up from 11 percent in 2009. added by: jimhager

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