I haven’t said anything about Bill Handel’s flap with CAIR yet because I have been thinking it over. I don’t like obnoxious talk making fun of people who have been the victims of accidents, in any context, anywhere, at any time. On the other hand, I believe in free speech, and that must include the freedom to be obnoxious. KFI-AM has struck just the right balance by challenging the Council on American Islamic Relations with legitimate questions that the mainstream media ought to be asking the group, as well as clarifying its stance toward Handel’s remarks.
“Los Angeles Radio Station Squares-Off With Muslim Group,” from the Drudge Report, with thanks to MB:
Los Angeles’s top talkradio station is under fire from a Muslim group because of comments made earlier this month by morning man Bill Handel. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has demanded an apology from Handel for making fun of a stampede that killed hundreds of Muslims during an annual pilgrimage.
But Handel is set to fire back, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
Handel will apologize IF the Council on American-Islamic Relations:
1) Decries all acts of terror (described specifically, not generally)
2) Agrees that Israel is a sovereign nation with the right to defensible borders
3) CAIR has no ties of any sort, financially or otherwise, to any terror orgs or individiuals.
MANAGEMENT STATEMENT
KFI-AM does not condone making light of the deaths of people engaged in religious observances. We regret that listeners found the comments of one of our on-air hosts to be insensitive. KFI does not censor its hosts, nor does it tell them what to say or not to say. KFI is a strong and passionate believer in 1st amendment rights and that is at the very core of this radio station.