Posted on 08/22/2005 8:37:20 AM PDT by AliVeritas
WASHINGTON Michael Graham, the Washington, D.C., talk-show host suspended for linking Islam and terrorism, has been fired by ABC Radio following weeks of pressure applied by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a group with its own well-documented connections to terrorism.
Graham was the popular mid-morning host on WMAL in the nation's capital until three weeks ago when CAIR demanded he be punished for his on-air statements about Islam. After initially backing the host, WMAL suspended him without pay July 28.
"CAIR immediately announced that my punishment was insufficient and demanded I be fired," Graham said in a statement to WND. "ABC Radio and 630 WMAL have now complied. I have now been fired for making the specific comments CAIR deemed 'offensive,' and for refusing to retract those statements in a management-mandated, on-air apology. ABC Radio further demanded that I agree to perform what they described as 'additional outreach efforts' to those people or groups who felt offended. I refused. And for that refusal, I have been fired."
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
I wonder if the station was afraid of a backlash or something. Ironic.
CAIR now knows that it can threaten and intimidate any infidel radio station that its wants to shut down. They have essentially ended free speech in America............
Huh? WTF? "Jihad" is not a new punk band!
Except for their own free speech....
Posted by MissouriConservative
On News/Activism 08/21/2005 8:33:55 PM CDT · 170 replies · 3,559+ views
WMAL is now permanently off the air in my home and cars.
Somehow CAIR's headquarters, lawyers for CAIR, or members of CAIR need to start disappering fast.
So much for free speech.
Fear is their weapon. Everyone will be adraid of losing their jobs or worse if CAIR is allowed to get away with this..........
Excerpt:
I take no pleasure in saying it. It pains me to think it. I could very well lose my job in talk radio over admitting it. But it is the plain truth:
Islam is a terror organization.
For years, I've been trying to give the world's Muslim community the benefit of the doubt, along with the benefit of my typical-American's complete disinterest in their faith. Before 9/11, I knew nothing about Islam except the greeting "asalaam alaikum," taught to me by a Pakistani friend in Chicago.
Immediately after 9/11, I nodded in ignorant agreement as President Bush assured me that "Islam is a religion of peace."
But nearly four years later, nobody can defend that statement. And I mean "nobody."
Certainly not the group of "moderate" Muslim clerics and imams who gathered in London last week to issue a statement on terrorism and their faith. When asked the question "Are suicide bombings always a violation of Islam," they could not answer "Yes. Always." Instead, these "moderate British Muslims" had to answer "It depends."
Precisely what it depends on, news reports did not say. Sadly, given our new knowledge of Islam from the past four years, it probably depends on whether or not you're killing Jews.
That is part of the state of modern Islam.
Thank you, Michael for your words of truth. You're bigger than the station, and we look forward to hearing you again soon.
I have no idea who this guy is, but i'm sure he'll be getting a dozen or more job offers in the near future.
We need more Americans like this guy.
IF they are allowed? Is there some doubt?
Yeh...right.
Admit it, you must have access to WBAL1090AM then in order to hear Rush. ;^)
>CAIR now knows that it can threaten and intimidate any
>infidel radio station that its wants to shut down. They
>have essentially ended free speech in America....
Thus joining the ranks of B'nai Brith, Southern Poverty Law Center, and any number of other 'toe our party line or else' power groups.
I don't intend to be yanked around again. I spent lots of time composing thoughtful letters and emailing everyone I thought helpful, when this controversy began. Then Graham suddenly pulled the rug out and said everyone should STOP writing and protesting. Supposedly the message had been gotten and now people over there "can't do their jobs." No explanation of why doing their jobs is so much more important.
Now they've fired him, we're supposed to start protesting again? Gee, what if so many of us do, they can't do their jobs over there again?
Graham says, "This isn't about me." No, and it isn't about people doing their jobs over there either. So why did he tell us to stop writing protests?
Graham is likely to get a better job out of all this, and he's got 15,000 references to help him. I just hope he doesn't use them all in his next job application, it might make it impossible for someone to get any real work done.
I've e-mailed the station notifying them that I was boycotting them and would now receive the other shows I customarily listen to (Rush, Sean) either online or on their Baltimore Outlets.
It's a sad day for free speech and journalistic integrity, but I think the decision was made at higher corporate levels (i.e. Disney), not at the station itself.
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