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"They could not bring themselves to declare people like Jasser 'moderate' because that would mean criticizing the fundamentalists whom the Jassers of the world oppose."
"Producer: PBS dropped 'Islam vs. Islamists' on political grounds," by Dennis Wagner in The Arizona Republic, with thanks to all who sent this in:
The producer of a tax-financed documentary on Islamic extremism claims his film has been dropped for political reasons from a television series that airs next week on more than 300 PBS stations nationwide.Key portions of the documentary focus on Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser of Phoenix and his American Islamic Forum for Democracy, a non-profit organization of Muslim Americans who advocate patriotism, constitutional democracy and a separation of church and state.
Martyn Burke says that the Public Broadcasting Service and project managers at station WETA in Washington, D.C., excluded his documentary, Islam vs. Islamists, from the series America at a Crossroads after he refused to fire two co-producers affiliated with a conservative think tank.
"I was ordered to fire my two partners (who brought me into this project) on political grounds," Burke said in a complaint letter to PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supplied funds for the films.
Burke wrote that his documentary depicts the plight of moderate Muslims who are silenced by Islamic extremists, adding, "Now it appears to be PBS and CPB who are silencing them."
"Silencing Muslim moderates: Controversial program meets cutting-room floor," by Doug MacEachern in The Arizona Republic (thanks to all who sent this in):
On April 15, PBS, along with its Washington, D.C., affiliate, WETA, will begin airing an 11-part series of documentaries titled America at a Crossroads. It is described by PBS as "a major public television event . . . that explores the challenges confronting the post-9/11 world," and much of what it explores is the clash of Western values and those of fundamentalist Muslims.Until earlier this year, a part of that exploration was to include a segment on Muslims living in the West - in places like Copenhagen, Paris, Toronto and Phoenix - and their clashes with Muslim fundamentalists who often explicitly align themselves with violence and, sometimes, with terrorists.
The segment was titled, Islam vs. Islamists: Voices from the Muslim Center. By and large, the clashes it depicted involved people like Jasser condemning violence perpetrated in the name of Islam, and fundamentalist imams condemning the Jassers of the world as false Muslims.
In some cases, the documentary showed fundamentalists talking candidly about shutting up the moderates in their midst. And, in one case involving a moderate Muslim politician in Denmark, it caught them talking about shutting him up permanently.
In many respects it is an inspiring story, the sort of story that public television often likes to tell. But it isn't going to tell the story depicted in Islam vs. Islamists. At least not as a part of the heavily promoted Crossroads series, and quite possibly not at all.
The problems that the PBS-WETA producers had with Islam vs. Islamists are complex. On The Arizona Republic's news pages today, reporter Dennis Wagner details many of those issues.
But much of their hostility seems to boil down to this: They could not bring themselves to declare people like Jasser "moderate" because that would mean criticizing the fundamentalists whom the Jassers of the world oppose.
As the PBS producers affirmed time and again in their letters and e-mails, who is an Islamic "extremist" and who is a "moderate" depends entirely on which side of the street you're standing. In large part, it is about "context."
"We felt the program was flawed by incomplete storytelling and problems with fairness," said Jeff Bieber, executive producer of the Crossroads series. "We felt the writing was alarmist and without adequate context.
"We just felt there was incomplete context, (that) could lead viewers to the wrong conclusions."
Posted by Robert at April 10, 2007 1:23 PM
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...the barrel of the gun speaks louder than the stroke of the pen.....
Posted by: exsgtbrown![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 10, 2007 1:35 PM
You bet. Give the people all of the information from all the players in the picture, and by golly, you wouldn't want to give them the wrong impression by letting them make up their own minds about what those voices are saying, now would you?
Posted by: Stand fast in the liberty at April 10, 2007 1:36 PM
If you are a PBS donor, call your local station and let them know you will be witholding future donations until PBS will air this documentary.
It is fundamentally important when we as individuals can affect change by our words or pocketbooks, or our vote, that we all act in concert and do so.
Posted by: Paulsur at April 10, 2007 1:37 PM
Why again is this agenda driven company paid with tax dollars?
Posted by: Elric66 at April 10, 2007 1:42 PM
"We just felt there was incomplete context, (that) could lead viewers to the wrong conclusions."
-from the article
I would love to know what specifically are the "wrong conclusions" that the documentary could possibly lead viewers to.
Posted by: awake at April 10, 2007 1:49 PM
"If you are a PBS donor, call your local station and let them know you will be witholding future donations until PBS will air this documentary."
...tell them you want a refund....
at April 10, 2007 1:54 PM
"The writing was alarmist."
In other words, we need to wait to be alarmed. Wait until the percentage of Muslims in the U.S. population are what they are in Britain, where the security services are fighting fires, or France, where several areas are now sharia statelets. We need to wait... when if alarmed now, we can provide a far better society, including for the Muslims here now, who are far more likely to be molested when the need for alarm is obvious to more people.
Idiots.
Posted by: StillBreathing at April 10, 2007 1:56 PM
Perhaps it will be discussed on "Somt Things Considered". I have a friend who refers to NPR as National Palestinian Radio.
Posted by: MP at April 10, 2007 1:59 PM
It seems that the distinction of what exactly constitutes the mythical "moderate" Muslim was at the center of the firestorm.
As I have previously stated, the Islamists will dispel this myth much faster than anyone in the West ever will.
Posted by: awake at April 10, 2007 2:10 PM
It is possible that the day will come when the non-Islamified Brits (however many of them are left, like maybe 12 ?) will finally realize that THEY THEMSELVES ARE OFFENSIVE to Islam. Their very existence is an outrage to Muslims!
What will they do then? Rush out to drown themselves? Take cyanide capsules? (They had better hurry up about it as they mustn't offend Muslims, now, must they??.....).
Posted by: pythagoras at April 10, 2007 2:10 PM
If you are a PBS donor, call your local station and let them know you will be witholding future donations until PBS will air this documentary. by Paulsur
Here's the problem, the regular donors are the ones who will withold the money if that kind of program is aired. It will be futile to appeal to the regular donors. The ones to contact are congressmen and senators and demand that PBS and NPR be de-funded. We don't need these neo-socialists posing as neutral commentators.
Posted by: Pelayo at April 10, 2007 2:18 PM
Any candidate for President, whether Democratic or Republican, who makes this an issue, who demands that NPR back down from its censorship, can only win support.
If Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama do this, it will give them a great boost among those who are not their unswervable supporters. And Gore or Webb or Edwards could do the same. But will they?
If Fred Thompson, or Tom Tancredo, does it first, that will put them on first. And the same goes for Romney, Giuliani, and the rest.
We are waiting for a sign. We are waiting for someone to signal that they are right on the matter of Jihad and Dhimmitude and Islam.
They are fools not to take this opportunity.
Posted by: Hugh at April 10, 2007 2:19 PM
"Any candidate for President, whether Democratic or Republican, who makes this an issue, who demands that NPR back down from its censorship, can only win support."
....politicians are full of rhetoric and words, but I see none with backbone....
at April 10, 2007 3:05 PM
I remember back during the winter the woman who wrote the book, "The Trouble With Islam" was on the "Glen Beck Show" and she said she was going to do a special on PBS during the middle of April. Was this the same one or another PBS tv special? Anyone who knows about this PBS tv special which has been put together by Irahad Majhed please do get back to me. Thanks.
Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at April 10, 2007 3:06 PM
I remember back during the winter the woman who wrote the book, "The Trouble With Islam" was on the "Glen Beck Show" and she said she was going to do a special on PBS during the middle of April. Was this the same one or another PBS tv special? Anyone who knows about this PBS tv special which has been put together by Irahad Majhed please do get back to me. Thanks.
Posted by: bigcatgirl13106 at April 10, 2007 03:06 PM
Is Glenn Beck still insisting that Islam is a peaceful religion highjacked by "radicals". I love his show when I get the chance to listen but it always pissed me off when he would say that. He undertsand whats coming but is clueless for the reason behind it.
at April 10, 2007 4:26 PM
If you are a PBS donor, call your local station and let them know you will be witholding future donations until PBS will air this documentary. by Paulsur
Here's the problem, the regular donors are the ones who will withold the money if that kind of program is aired. It will be futile to appeal to the regular donors. The ones to contact are congressmen and senators and demand that PBS and NPR be de-funded. We don't need these neo-socialists posing as neutral commentators.
Posted by: Pelayo
I'm writing to PBS and my representatives as well as others in the executive branch in federal agencies.
at April 10, 2007 5:10 PM
Is it possible the documentary will find its way to the public anyway?
Posted by: Cornelius at April 10, 2007 5:29 PM
IS it possible the documentary will find its way to the public anyway?
Posted by Cornelius @April102007 @5:29pm
Maybe, it depends on the deal made by the producers selling the project to pbs.
How arrogant to think that they decide what the right or wrong impression may be! Let's see, how impressionable they are when a family member is part of the wreckage? Will they give both sides of the story then or will they just blame GWB?
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Posted by: Paratisi at April 10, 2007 5:48 PM
As the PBS producers affirmed time and again in their letters and e-mails, who is an Islamic "extremist" and who is a "moderate" depends entirely on which side of the street you're standing. In large part, it is about "context."
snip
"We felt the writing was alarmist and without adequate context.
"We just felt there was incomplete context, (that) could lead viewers to the wrong conclusions."
This damn fool is obviously totally and utterly confused and is himself ultimately GUILTY of intentionally leading others to a very 'wrong conclusion'.
Yoooo Hoooo -
(waving across the web at PBS executives)
H-E-L-L-L-O-O-O-O-O . . . P B S ?!!!
(jumping up and down to get their attention)
OVER HERE - LOOK, I'm on the AMERICAN 'side of the street' !!
LISTEN, . . . As a taxpaying citizen of the US, my taxes fund PBS and pay your salary.
And you'all better understand that my taxes define a very specific 'context' - and that 'context' MUST encompass the AMERICAN perspective.
Are we clear?
CONTEXT REMAINS IN THE AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE AS LONG AS AMERICAN TAXES SUPPORT YOUR STATION AND PAY YOUR SALARY!
Capisce?
Posted by: justamomof4 at April 10, 2007 6:15 PM
..it's all about not wanting to label Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Sadrs Badr brigade, etc. as radical..noooo..they are 'resistors of occupation'
..oops forgot Hezballah..
PBS hasn't gotten a farthing from me in a long while, and now for another long while.
Posted by: Madduck at April 10, 2007 6:36 PM
First the director didnot fired the two racist bigot neocom war criminal hate monger when they ask him to do so. Plus it is than bigot review of those two neocom want by the UN Police for hate crime.
Posted by: DefenderofIslam at April 10, 2007 9:47 PM
Did they extend your weekend pass there,fella?
Posted by: We need G.C. Scott at April 10, 2007 10:46 PM
Producer: PBS dropped 'Islam vs. Islamists' on political grounds..."
Shouldn't the project have been dropped on logical grounds, on grounds based on readily apparent historical facts?
PBS has done some of the best fiction on TV over the past generation. Socialist subsidies squandered to pump out fake histories and absolutely untenable documentaries.
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at April 10, 2007 10:51 PM
...the barrel of the gun speaks louder than the stroke of the pen.....
I'll go ya one better, extgsbrown:
All justice comes from barrel of a gun.
-- Chairman Mao Zedong
Or was that Lenin? Naw, Vladimir was the Give 'em enough rope dude, or at least I think he was.
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at April 10, 2007 10:55 PM
We just felt there was incomplete context, (that) could lead viewers to the wrong conclusions."
The PBS is a mind controlling institution then and not an educational one as they so profess. Thanks for telling me but I notice that everytime I channel surf into your sphere. I would rather wash my brain with porn than the diguised communist manure you hide under your public yogurt. I would rather give my money to a junkie on the street.
Posted by: Briars at April 10, 2007 10:58 PM
They are fools not to take this opportunity.
Posted by: Hugh at April 10, 2007 02:19 PM
None of them will miss this opportunity to remain clueless fools. You wouldn't want them to alienate a potential muslim voter, would you? Power is all they want and the road to power is paved with campaign contributions and voting blocks. Crucial issues like rabid muslims and their diabolical agendas are irrelevant, especially during campaign season. Democrats are oblivious to the islamic threat anyway, at least most of them. They would be the first to oppose widespread public exposure to the islamic threat and the first to deny that it even exists.
at April 10, 2007 11:10 PM
Few of the American stations as well as British, would air General Georges Sada's interviews because he revealed where the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction had been hidden (Syria). One director from a station in London told him she would love to put his interview on her primetime show but could not do that. Why? Because it would prove Blair and Bush had accurate intelligence and ligitimacy in going to war in Iraq. Our own station with the eye as it's logo stopped the interview as soon as Sada told them about the WMDs. They would not air one piece of the whole interview. They have an agenda, these satanic ritualized directors and anchors.
Posted by: lightinshadows at April 11, 2007 1:44 AM
"Documentary.......dropped for fear of offending non-moderate ( Muslims. )"
Really? Did they really drop the documentary because they were afraid of "offending" Muslims?
Or did they drop the documentary because they were
afraid of being MURDERED by Muslims??
at April 11, 2007 1:58 AM
"We just felt there was incomplete context, (that) could lead viewers to the wrong conclusions."
what possible 'wrong conclusion' could he mean? Does he mean that americans might reach the conclusion that moderate, patriotic, secular muslims are preferable to violent fundamentalists? Oh no! We couldn't have that!
It makes me sick that a group like the American Islamic Forum for Democracy is silenced like this when they need to make their voices heard now more than ever. How many times have people said "where are the moderate muslims??" Yet here they are trying to say something and they get gagged. Its like the media is ashamed of democracy or patriotism nowadays
Posted by: kelisw at April 11, 2007 2:02 AM
The members of the "mainstream media" ( in other words, the OBSOLETE media )are all traitors and quislings. ( and good little dhimmis. )
Posted by: One_of_the_last_few_Patriots_left at April 11, 2007 2:08 AM
Send them all a polite but informative e-mail. Cut and paste the Arizona Republic article into the bottom of your e-mail so they know what you are referring to. Dig up some e-mails for newspapers and media sources in your own cities so that they too can give PBS some press about its self-censorship. Some e-mails and contact you can find at http://everyonewhosanyone.com/pv/pv09.html
The Arizona Republic article above says that WETA -- the press -- actually ran segments of the piece by individuals from the Nation of Islam and then asked for their opinion and input about the CONTENT of the piece! Unbelievable. Fee speech??? A free press???
A handful of brave people and journalists in less stable and less safe countries THROUGHOUT THE WORLD put their lives on the line DAILY to express their opinions...and here, in a country where we can (still...well, so far...) express an opinion, PBS and WETA CHOSE SELF-CENSORSHIP. They chose to get prior approval from the Nation of Islam.
Let them all know that a DEMOCRACY has no use or need for their limits on OUR freedom of expression or freedom of speech by means of self-censorship, prior restraint, and political correctness. Here are some useful E-MAIL ADDRESSES. As always, please be polite and professional.
Jeff Bieber, Executive Producer for WETA's Crossroads - Jbieber@weta.com
Mary Stewart, Vice President of External Affairs at WETA - mstewart@weta.com
Paula Kerger, President and CEO, PBS - Pkerger@pbs.org
John Wilson, Senior Vice President, PBS - jwilson@pbs.org
Jacoba Atlas, Senior Vice President, PBS - Jatlas@pbs.org,
Michael Getler, PBS Ombudsman - mgetler@pbs.org
Posted by: ingen_dhimmi at April 11, 2007 2:28 AM
What does one expect from PBS? It is way past time for the government to turn off the federal spigot. Most of what they do concerning anything that would make this country safe borders on hogwash. They slice and dice history to fit what they want people to hear.
Now they are silencing the moderate Muslim voices in this country. Great. Everybody keeps moaning about where they are and when PBS has the chance to let their voice be heard -- bam, slam the door rudely in their faces. Not surprising. Nothing they do, outside of Masterpiece Theater (and that comes from Britain) has any relevance for Americans any longer.
They are truly afraid that the American public will take off their rose-colored glasses and see what is coming down the pike if they don't wake up. Ah, free speech in America -- only if you are far left of center and not a Muslim who wants to remain loyal to this country and its ideals. Makes one want to either weep or go out and buy another gun.
Posted by: TeamNfdL at April 11, 2007 3:31 AM
"the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction had been hidden (Syria)."
.....this is true...by the way, the Russians assisted in transporting the WMDs to the Syrian border....
...The Russians returned to Bagdad, and were, in fact, at the Bagdad airport when the Americans attacked in 2003....The Russians (military personnell and advisors) managed to fly home before the airport was permanently closed due to craters on the runways...Photographs of the Russians at the airport exist...and the Russians do not deny their presence in Iraq...
Posted by: exsgtbrown at April 11, 2007 6:09 AM
and:
"U.S. War Plan Leaked to Iraqis by Russian Ambassador"
Two Iraqi documents from March 2003 — on the eve of the U.S.-led invasion — and addressed to the secretary of Saddam Hussein, describe details of a U.S. plan for war. According to the documents, the plan was disclosed to the Iraqis by the Russian ambassador.
.......this disclosure gave the Iraqis notice that it was time to move their WMDs....and the Iraqis and the Russians immediately moved the WMDS.....to Syria....by rail and truck....
at April 11, 2007 6:13 AM
The leftists and the dhimmicrats cry out "Bush Lied"..."No WMDs existed"....blah blah blah...
....All the nations involved with the UN at the time listened to the same intelligence information and all agreed WMDs were in Saddaams possession...
....The intelligence was accurate. We know this because Saddaam used toxic nerve gasses against the Kurds , killing thousands....and against the Iranians, killing hundreds of thousands....
.....Since he knew the Americans war plans, he conspired with the Russians and the Syrians to relocate his stockpiles of WMDs to a safer location to be used at a later date...
.....US forces have found many artillery shells containing toxic nerve agents and have found small stockpiles toxic nerve agents ready to be loaded into the artillery shells....
....the dhimmicrats whine that the toxic nerve agents found are not WMDs because they are of old manufacture....this is a lie, toxic nerve agents manufactured in WWI are still lethal today....
....I suppose, when these toxic nerve agents are used to kill Americans (and they will be used)...the leftists and dhimmicrats will scream "You knew and did not protect us!)....I can see it coming.... and so should you...
Posted by: exsgtbrown at April 11, 2007 6:22 AM
Bigcatgirl:
According to Irshad's website, Faith Without Fear is slated to be aired in the US and Canada next week -- by PBS on the 19th and the privately owned Global network on the 21st.
http://www.muslim-refusenik.com/
Posted by: waterdragon52 at April 11, 2007 8:01 AM
So I checked out muslim-refusenik.com, curious about the upcoming broadcast. In the description it describes the various cultures "flourished" in Muslim-controlled Spain.
I'm skeptical...
Posted by: Godefroi at April 11, 2007 11:14 AM
Only two things to say here:
“The Americans are giving up a set of testicals [sic] a day it seems.”
“America has lost its mind”
OK, these were actually the words of posters on another thread. I have substituted “America(ns)” for “Britain/Brits”, but if the cap fits…
at April 11, 2007 1:16 PM
moderate = not scary
Posted by: joeblough at April 12, 2007 4:50 AM
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