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Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Questions for a journalist

Oct 30, 2007 10:48 am By Robert Spencer

I just emailed this to Wall Street Journal reporter Elizabeth Holmes, who wrote this morning’s wildly biased story about those horrible Republican Presidential candidates linking Islam with terrorism:

Dear Ms. Holmes,

In light of the considerations I voiced in my Jihad Watch post about your article, I’d like to interview you for an article I’m writing about journalistic bias.

I’d be very grateful if you’d take a moment to answer these questions via email, or call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx.

1. When we spoke, I explained to you that the linkage between Islam and terrorism did not come from Republican presidential candidates, but from the terrorists themselves, who consistently point to Islamic teachings to explain and justify their actions, and told you that if we refuse to explore this, and to speak about it honestly, we are voluntarily declining to make use of the only key that they themselves have given us to understanding their own motives and goals. You did not quote or refer to anything I said; nor did you quote anyone else saying anything similar. Why did you think these observations irrelevant to the question of the Republican candidates’ usage of terms like “Islamic terrorism”?

2. Why did you quote four authorities against the Republicans’ usage and only two in favor, and both of those were “man-on-the-street” quips as opposed to four recognized analysts and spokesmen on the other side?

3. On what grounds do you and/or your editors believe that the religion of a particular analyst might color his understanding of the appropriateness of the usage of the adjective “Islamic” in front of the word “terrorism”?

4. Do you yourself believe that if terror groups take names like “Islamic Jihad” or “the Party of Allah” (Hizballah) or “The Islamic Resistance Movement” (Hamas), that non-Muslim officials and writers have the responsibility to find other names by which to refer to them, so as to obscure the Islamic content of their message and appeal within the Islamic world? If so, why?

5. Do you yourself believe that referring to “Islamic terrorism” tars all Muslims as terrorists? If so, can you please explain why this usage is different in substance from common terms such as “white racism” and “Italian fascism,” which no one has ever understood as referring to the entire group involved?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Cordially
Robert Spencer

I’ll let you know if I get any answer.

UPDATE: Elizabeth Holmes writes:

Robert,

All interview requests must go through our public relations department in the New York office — please contact Robert Christie (cc”d here).

Thanks and best,
Elizabeth Holmes

So I wrote Christie and asked for permission. He responded:

Mr. Spencer,

Respectfully, we need to decline your interview request for Ms. Holmes. Please feel free to quote from her reporting and if you need any information or fact checking about The Wall Street Journal, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Regards,

Bob

I wrote back:

How very interesting, Bob. How very, very interesting. Thank you.

Would you yourself then be willing to answer the questions below?

And he responded:

The story speaks for itself and we have no further comment on the matter.

Regards,

Bob

Indeed it does speak for itself. It speaks volumes.

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