Vandalism at a Muslim cemetery in Fargo North Dakota became yet another occasion to create a news segment about the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations.
In fact, the details about this vandalism and photos of the damage all come from CAIR. As a result, the associated chyron states “CAIR calls for investigation into motive behind cemetery vandalism.”
The story is about CAIR’s reaction to something that happened. And the statement from them at the end is CAIR boilerplate. Compare CAIR’s statement about the cemetery vandalism with its response to some graffiti in South Carolina.
It is understandable why many TV stations seek to put CAIR on the air: CAIR makes life so much easier by supplying reporters with pictures, videos, written text, and statements. Giving TV stations access to security camera footage is one way CAIR gets on TV, and is part of its pattern of exploiting tragedy.
CAIR got on TV several times in the Baltimore area when it supplied security camera footage from a restaurant burglary: here, here, and here.
CAIR’s contribution was to state banal recommendations such as “Don’t leave valuables out in the open” and “Turn security cameras toward the front of the store.” And most importantly, call the police if you know anything about this string of burglaries, because CAIR doesn’t know anything, and can only help with the publicity of your misfortune.
CAIR thoroughly manipulated the media in Washington state with security camera footage of someone throwing a firecracker from a pickup truck driving by an Islamic center in Olympia. CAIR’s message about an “explosive device” and an “attack” completely upstaged the response by the police, who were saying it was a firework, and not an attack.
In Tempe, Arizona, CAIR used pictures of a Quran destroyed by a drug-addled homeless man to get on TV and call for a hate crime charge and religious sensitivity courses.
CAIR exploits other people’s misfortunes in order to promote themselves on TV. This does not even rise to the level of ambulance chasing. At least a lawyer can claim to be providing a service in such a case. But CAIR representatives’ gratuitous appearances on the news in connection to burglaries, shootings, fires, vandalism, traffic accidents, serial murders, rumors, etc. only benefit themselves, and lazy journalists.
Seeking out CAIR for inclusion in a news segment not only allows for a news broadcast to be longer, but also gives the appearance of a more professional, authoritative, and legitimate piece of journalism.
Unfortunately, whatever gravitas stations try to convey in their newscasts featuring the Council on American-Islamic Relations also gives legitimacy on to CAIR, which can then create news for itself by telling us how aggrieved it is over something said on social media.
TV newsrooms around the country have so conditioned themselves to the idea that CAIR is something acceptable, authoritative, desirable, and even popular that they will facilitate CAIR’s attacks on individuals. This happened less than a year ago, when North Dakota’s KVRR helped Jaylani Hussein call for the immediate firing of Dilworth police Chief Ty Sharpe because Sharpe called Ilhan Omar “the queen of incest” on Facebook.
There is no other group on earth that gets on TV for free as often as CAIR does, yet mostly it uses these appearances to promote itself and get people fired. TV stations around the country don’t seem to consider the broader context of their constant inclusion of CAIR in news stories.
It is negligence of this kind that makes it hard to believe that TV news will eventually be anything more than a vehicle for advertising in the Internet age. And TV reporters will be more sales reps than journalists.
But to her everlasting credit, Valley News Live reporter Nachai Taylor stammers through her introduction and inadvertently calls CAIR the “Cancel Council.”
Yes, accidental or not, that was real news about “the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights group.” Because the Cancel Council is exactly what CAIR is.
“CAIR calls for investigation into possible motive behind vandalism at Fargo Muslim cemetery,” Valley News Live, October 23, 2022:
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) -The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling for an investigation into the motive behind the vandalism at a Fargo Muslim cemetery.
The organization says the vandalism happened on Friday…
They added that the cemetery building and materials inside such as cement vaults were vandalized….
Leaders for the organization believe there is a possible “bias motive” behind the acts.
“Given the recent incidents targeting Muslim communities in the region, we urge law enforcement authorities to consider a possible bias motive as they investigate this case. All faith communities should be able to bury their dead and carry out other aspects of their faith without fear of harassment,” said CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Given what muslims do to the gravesites of people of other faiths, I don’t have the remotest sympathy for the victims of the vandalization of muslim graves, be it Fargo or anywhere else
Mark Spahn says
Is CAIR really “the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights group”? How large is CAIR? My repeated emails to their national communications director Ibrahim Hooper have gone unanswered. Has anyone had better luck with CAIR? Why are they so incommunicado? Maybe they took offense when I asked them who the nation’s second-largest Muslim civil rights group is.
James Lincoln says
What the hell happened to Fargo, North Dakota?
GreekEmpress says
Hi, Mr. Lincoln,
I lived in Fargo for several years. Still have family there. It is a progressive city in a very red state. That being said, there were a couple of “hate” crimes against Muslims while I was there that turned out to be hoaxes.
This is probably another one, or maybe just kids vandalism to be exploited by CAIR.
James Lincoln says
Thank you for your reply, GreekEmpress.
Scotsman48 says
There is a muslim graveyard in Fargo ND…Who knew?… Who cares?…