Radio Hoax Exposes Anti-Muslim Sentiment in U.S.

Reuters on AOL News ^ | December 1, 2006 | Bernd Debusmann

[rightwingintelligentsia]

WASHINGTON (Dec. 1) -- When radio host Jerry Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.

The first caller to the station in Washington said that Klein must be "off his rocker." The second congratulated him and added: "Not only do you tattoo them in the middle of their forehead but you ship them out of this country ... they are here to kill us."

Another said that tattoos, armbands and other identifying markers such as crescent marks on driver's licenses, passports and birth certificates did not go far enough. "What good is identifying them?" he asked. "You have to set up encampments like during World War Two with the Japanese and Germans."

At the end of the one-hour show, rich with arguments on why visual identification of "the threat in our midst" would alleviate the public's fears, Klein revealed that he had staged a hoax. It drew out reactions that are not uncommon in post-9/11 America.

"I can't believe any of you are sick enough to have agreed for one second with anything I said," he told his audience on the AM station 630 WMAL (http://www.wmal.com/), which covers Washington, Northern Virginia and Maryland

[durasell]

The Crystal City, TX camp held many Americans of German ancestry or naturalized American citizens.

[Allegra]

We're (the US)...

I'm an American.

My parents were American.

My grandparents were American.

I am a descendant of an American president.

Just FYI.

[outdriving]

Yeah, I remember reading about those.

I also remember reading about a Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska that was launched as a diversionary attack for the Midway campaign.

Thanks to our breaking of the Japanese naval code, we were not fooled. And thanks to Admiral Nimitz and Admiral Spruance, along with countless brave young men, like GHWB Senior, who was himself shot down, we turned the tide of the war.

Never forget, until that time, an invasion of the West Coast was a legitimate fear. In retrospect, we know now that the Japanese never intended this, but how could we know then?

[alicewonders]

Hi Allegra,

My first response to this "radio hoax" was that it was just another way to inflame islamic radicals & give them the cover they need to go about their terroristic plans. Once anyone that might report any suspicious behaviour they see is labeled a "bigot" - it will have a deterrent effect on future whistleblowing. The last thing Americans want is to be labeled as a bigot!

Since you are right in the middle of the action - I'd be interested in hearing your opinion of what should be done - both in Iraq and over here in America. I believe we started out on the right track and after Abu Graib, we got strangled by political correctness. I'd love to hear your take on things.

Thanks,
alicewonders

[Dallas59]

It needed to be exposed.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Today, German is supposed to be the largest ethnicity in the United States (though all Americans should be ethnically American). However, there is some debate whether this is because the British are split into English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Scots-Irish, etc. And now the percentage of Mexican and other Latino ethnicities is growing (legally, too), along with other nationalities from Africa and Asia.

[olderwiser]

Allegra, you're the one who suggested "ignorant bigots" are a problem. I asked you to provide any instances of Muslims experiencing significant problems as a result of muslim bigotry in America.

Ie, you seem to believe this radio host was unearthing some legitimate problem, as opposed to shilling for the left.

As for "panties", look down. Yours may be wet.

[RaceBannon]

I think there is a difference between hating a religion that teaches hatred, and hating a person who claims to be an adherent to that religion.

Islam is NOT a religion of peace. Yes I have read the Koran and even have one next to me, right behind me on the book shelf, so I do know what it says.

I do NOT think it is bigoted, however, to segregate a group of people who have historically, because of their beliefs or allegiances, have proven dangerous, especially when the ones that live here have NEVER held any parades declaring the actions of 9/11 to be an atrocity and do not represent their views.

In fact, the greatest majority of these people who hold Islam as their religious view constantly tell us they want to kill us.

I had a friend install a power supply in Iraq. He told me that in private, 80% of them would say thank you for being there, but only 20% would say it in public. That was 2 years ago.

I dont know what you see, but where you are, politics is controlling things as much as religion, and a whole new paradigm is taking place in Iraq, so I would expect the personal views to be a little different.

But other than Turkey, and American controlled Iraq, can you tell me honestly where there are peaceful Muslims who arent killing someone based on religion and not just on personal behaviour?

[Joe Boucher]

good job Lurker

[durasell]

Years after World War II German submariners told stories about sitting in NY harbor and listening to WABC radio.

As a side note: When I lived on the Upper East Side years ago the spanish super of the building and I found a trunk stuffed with Nazi crap in the basement -- uniforms, knives, books, newspapers, even a cereal box with Hitler on it. We dragged the thing around to a couple of the auction houses and were practically thrown out of them. He finally sold it for several thousand dollars and used the money to pay for an air conditioning and refrig course.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

And Medina (probably more than Riyahd).

[EDINVA]

Klein is WMAL's hoax on its audience. He's their token liberal and I can't believe those people were stupid enough to listen to him. He's a total jerk.

[Joe Boucher]

I think they felt they had a lot to prove which is why their fanacitism.
I know I wouldn't have wanted to fight them.

[durasell]

Pussyfooting around with some low level jihadis in Iraq isn't going to solve the problem. The source of the poison is in Saudi Arabia. Specifically it's in Riyadh and Mecca.





Uh, not to put too fine an edge on it, but Saudi Arabia is an ally of the U.S.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

How wonderfully warm-hearted and politically freakin correct this radio host is.
He is happy to "prove" that there is bigotry, which plays into the current trend to criminalize all feeling towards the people who fully support the violent overthrow of the democratic system in the USA.

[RaceBannon]

You need to read Michelle Malkin's book, "IN DEFENSE OF INTERNMENT"

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-8012415-9925653?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=in+defense+of+internment

She lays it on the line with many facts of dozens of subversive groups operating in the U.S.

In fact, what many dont realize is that the fences around the camps were there to keep people out, not people in.

[muawiyah]

The Aleutian Islands are one heck of a long way from San Diego.

BTW, the Japanese built several gigantic submarines that could launch bombers carrying nuclear warheads.

They really didn't need to secure a beachhead in the US.

[muawiyah]

Descendants of both Q-Celtic and P-Celtic language speakers are the largest ethnicity in the US. Germans and German-like peoples are probably second but that depends on how you count the English.

[Condor51]

....AFAIK, there were no camps for Germans .. in America...

Oh yes there was. #7 is correct.

Many US Citizens of German ancestry or Legal Resident Aliens were in fact interned for 'the duration'. Not as many as with the Japanese, but camps there were.

[khnyny]

[The 'hosts' analogy to Nazism is wrong.
Jews weren't hijacking Zeppelins and crashing them into German office buildings.

One more small point. 'islamic' isn't a race.]

Exactly. Klein's analogy is way off base. Instead of conducting a cheap trick on his audience and then accusing them of being "racist" when they respond, perhaps Klein could come up with intelligent ideas and reasoned discourse on the problem. But perhaps considering the obvious fact that Klein is probably just a ratings whore, that is asking too much.