Fox affiliate apologizes to Muslims

Charlotte Observer ^ | Feb. 10, 2005 | Mark Washburn

[Shannon]

Fox Charlotte (WCCB, Channel 18) apologized Wednesday for airing a spoof on the Muslim tradition of visiting Mecca.

Promoting a news story about elitism and snobbery at upscale SouthPark mall, the station used images of pilgrims coming to Mecca, one of the world's holiest religious sites.

"The hajj, a pilgrimage Muslims take to the holy city of Mecca," the promo said. "Members of Charlotte's elite make a similar pilgrimage to the corporate altar of brand-name merchandise -- SouthPark mall, where believers gather to be among their kind," said a voice-over on the spot, which then showed the mall and the word "Mecca."

"The thing that struck me most was the superimposing of the world `Mecca' over a shot of the front of the mall," said Scott Darden, a Charlotte logistics analyst and a Muslim. "It just didn't sit well."

Islam obliges physically and financially able Muslims to come to Mecca at least once during their lives in a pilgrimage called the hajj. This year's hajj was in January, when more than 2 million pilgrims made the journey to the sacred sites in Saudi Arabia.

The trip is considered the culmination of spiritual life for Muslims, who number about 1.2 billion and comprise the world's second-largest religion.

"Those are very emotional images for Muslims because everyone is eager to complete that duty," said Darden, who moved to Charlotte from Atlanta in October.

WCCB logged about 10 complaints Wednesday from viewers, said Jeff Arrowood, the station's program director and promotion manager.

Arrowood said WCCB strives for memorable promos to break through the advertising clutter. "Sometimes we misfire," he said.

[Charlespg]

oh for crying out load.dont these people(muslims) ever shut Up?

[rockabyebaby]

Fox should be ashamed of themselves.

[Bigturbowski]

Fox should be ashamed of themselves.


For what?

[Blzbba]

"For what?"


For making South Park Mall a #1 terrorist target.

[Bigturbowski]

For making South Park Mall a #1 terrorist target.

What in the United States ISN'T a terrorist target? Don't blame Fox for the Islamofacists. And besides, I would say there are other higher priority targets for terrorists other than shopping malls. Like uh, the White House, Pentagon, National landmarks. They will hit anything they feel they have an easy opportunity to.

[mlc9852]

Shouldn't the Muslims be apologizing to us?

[rockabyebaby]

>>>Fox should be ashamed of themselves.


For what?<<<

For apologizing. I don't see that they did anything wrong. I'm sick of people being pressured to apologize because someone or some group doesn't have a sense of humor.

[thulldud]

That used to be a common figure of speech, to refer to some place or other as the "mecca" (no capital M) of this or that particular interest group.

[Bigturbowski]

Oh, well I can't argue with that! LOL

[USF]

"The hajj, a pilgrimage Muslims take to the holy city of Mecca," the promo said. "Members of Charlotte's elite make a similar pilgrimage to the corporate altar of brand-name merchandise -- SouthPark mall, where believers gather to be among their kind," said a voice-over on the spot, which then showed the mall and the word "Mecca."

IMHO, if Fox owed anyone an apology, it should have gone to the Mall, for comparing it to a place where an extreme form of gender and religious apartheid is practiced in the name of a cult like ideology, and where ones gender or religion alone may get one murdered.

[GeekDejure]

Islam Common sense obliges physically and financially able Muslims humans to come to Mecca FreeRepublis.com at least once during their lives in a pilgrimage called the hajj YAAAAHOOOO !!! ;-))

[JennysCool]

Let's see ... Thousands make a long, arduous journey during which some are trampled underfoot to visit a rock which may have come from space.

Nope, no target for satire here.

[Between the Lines]

That used to be a common figure of speech

A Google search for "shopping mecca" returns 35,700 results. Looks like it is still a common figure of speech.

[jan in Colorado]

Political Correctness will be the downfall of this great Country!

[Robert Drobot]

There have always been plenty of satirical skits about Christian ministers and or Catholic bishops and priests in their everyday life, and no television company has ever apologized for those little numbers.

This is the reason I and others are more than a little pissed off at any entity holding their ankles for Muslims, when a satire on their religious activities takes place on.

Any religion that gets its knickers in a bunch over a little satire should wonder about the root cause of their mental constipation.

My favorite maxim: Sacred cows make great hamburger.

[texasbluebell]

It's all part of the plan -- #7 on this list:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=33898

Radical Islam's 'plan' to take over America

7. Yell ''foul, out-of-context, personal interpretation, hate crime, Zionist, un- American, inaccurate interpretation of the Quran'' anytime Islam is criticized or the Quran is analyzed in the public arena.

[texasbluebell]

[USF]

Thanks for posting the link to that article again texasbluebell.

Jan, I think you may like it. ;o)

[lonevoice]

IMHO, if Fox owed anyone an apology, it should have gone to the Mall

I agree. Based on the details in the article, it only takes 10 complaints to compel an apology. If anyone has a bit of free time today...