Palestinians Called 'Filthy Animals' on MSNBC's 'Imus'; CAIR Calls For Apology

usnewswire ^ | 11/18/04

[finnman69]

To: National Desk

Contact: Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726 or ihooper@cair-net.org, Rabiah Ahmed, 202-488-8787 or 202-439-1441 or rahmed@cair-net.org, both of the Council on American-Islamic Relations

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called for an apology from the MSNBC cable television network over comments on its "Imus in the Morning" program that referred to Palestinians as "filthy animals" and suggested that they all be killed.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also urged that the program's host, Don Imus, be reprimanded for failing to challenge his colleagues' inflammatory remarks. CAIR, which says it received numerous complaints about the comments, quoted a transcript of Imus' November 12th program in which he and his on-air colleagues engaged in the following discussion about live coverage of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's funeral:

DON IMUS: They're (the Palestinians) eating dirt and that fat pig wife of his is living in Paris.

COLLEAGUE: They're all brainwashed, though. That's what it is. And they're stupid, to begin with, but they're brainwashed now. Stinking animals. They ought to drop the bomb right there, kill 'em all right now...

IMUS: Well, the problem is we have (reporter) Andrea (Mitchell) there; we don't want anything to happen to her.

COLLEAGUE: Oh, she's got to get out. Andrea, get out and then drop the bomb and kill everybody...

COLLEAGUE: Look at this. Animals. Animals!

In a letter to MSNBC President Neal Shapiro, CAIR stated: "We are firm defenders of the First Amendment, but these hate-filled and racist remarks can only serve to legitimize anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bigotry in our society and could lead to further discrimination against members of the Islamic and Arab-American communities." (CAIR also filed a complaint with the FCC because "Imus in the Morning" is a nationally-syndicated radio program.)

This is not the first time Imus has been involved in a controversy over anti-Arab and Islamophobic remarks. As early as 1985, he was forced to apologize for referring to Arabs as "goat- humping weasels." (Sunday Mail, 4/21/85) He has also been criticized for using the derogatory term "raghead." (Accuracy in Media) In a reference to the crash of an Iranian airliner earlier this year that killed 43 passengers, Imus said, "When I hear stories like that, I think who cares." He then stated: "Too bad it wasn't full of Saudi Arabians." (National Iranian American Council)

Earlier this year, CAIR announced a campaign called "Hate Hurts America" designed to counter hate speech on talk radio. SEE: http://www.cair-net.org/hatehurtsamerica/

CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties group, is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 29 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

NOTE: CAIR offers an e-mail list designed to be a journalist's window to the American Muslim community. To SUBSCRIBE to ISLAM- INFONET, go to: http://cair.biglist.com/islam-infonet/

[ClintonBeGone]

Was the COLLEAGUE Sid?

[BillyCrockett]

He's just living up to his name of "I'm Ass" in the Morning.

[Toddsterpatriot]

Already posted

[ClintonBeGone]

You don't spout stuff like this on the air, if you want to keep your license.

Imus will just pick up and move to Sirrus/XM radio like Stern.

[KevinDavis]

Well he should apologize to the animals..

[RichInOC]

Truth is an absolute defense against the charge of libel.

[SF Republican]

They should apologize, the statement is totally unfair to animals

[CaptainAwesome2]

good point. calling the palestinians animals is an insult to animals. PETA should get involved.

[ClintonBeGone]

Imus also said once that "it looks like they're burying him in a junkyard".

That follows his determination to prove that Arafat was really Red Foxx of Sanford & Son.

[Dalite]

Sounds like Benard; at his best

[Looking4Truth]

Hey CAIR, STFU! You've got more to worry about than someone exercising thier GOD given First Amendment rights.

This 'infidel' will kill any muslim scum that does some of their cowardly, hiding-behind-women-and-children violence in my town. Count on it.

Get your goat-humping cult out of my country!

[Our man in washington]

I'm thinking of starting an organization to encourage discrimination against the Islamicists. I'm thinking of call it "Islamicist Discrimination is Okay Now. They Cheered After Innocents were Roasted." (I.D.O.N.T.C.A.I.R.)

[small_l_libertarian]

I laughed like crazy at that show, too. Some high points:

1) Stinky Pete

2) (As the coffin is being removed from the helicopter), Imus says, "And what we're all hoping is that the crowd grabs it."

3) The whole "Animals" exchange

4) Imus tells Brian Williams (who is broadcasting from a room where the crowd is visible in the background - Williams was saying that people were climbing across electrical wires to get to the building) that it would be great if while BW was broadcasting, somebody jumped on him and BW had to wrestle him to the ground. It was just so random that it cracked me up.

5) Imus called Suha, "Arafat's fat pig of a wife."

[jslade]

Was the COLLEAGUE Sid?

I saw it. IIRC it was Bernard McGuirk.

[bmwcyle]

Note to self: I always looked like I needed a bath.

[SolutionsOnly]

I really don't care for Imus much, but I hope he doesn't apologize.

CAIR is silent on terrorism and beheadings, but call them a name and they go nuts!

Let them have their hissy-fit.

[pissant]

I'd prefer if Imus fell back into an alcoholic stupor for the next 10 years.

[broadsword]

To the islamic activists: Get the F out of my country!

So right you are, but I would go a step further: DEPORT ALL MUSLIMS FROM AMERICA!

Let's get the Islamic terminology straight, once and for all:

Mosque = Terrorist Barracks

Red Crescent Ambulance = Munitions Supply Truck

Radical Muslim = REAL Muslim who follows the Koran

Moderate Muslim = A Trojan horse who quietly smiles and nods his head at the terrorists

Koran = a call to terror, murder, oppression, slavery, misogyny and backward culture. THE SOURCE OF ALL TERROR!

Infidel = all non Muslims and Muslims who are not on jihad (all doomed to die)

Holy Lands = all lands unfortunate enough to be or ever have been under the heavy yoke of Muslim terror, murder, oppression, slavery, misogyny

Islamic Pride = an insanely jealous hatred for every other culture that has left Islam groveling in its own seventh-century dust.

CAIR = Crying Arabic Islamic Retrogrades

Minaret = Satan's Jukebox - or - Howling Hell Tower

Burkha = Misogynistic Mobile Women's Prison

Muslim Chaplin (U.S. Armed Forces) = Turncoat Brigade Recruiter

Rape = something the guys get to do, especially to those hottie infidel chicks! (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

Modern Technology = "Huh? Oh yes, that stuff the evil infidels make and maintain for us to use for to kill them."

Allah = the Moon God, whose most important representative here on earth is that meteorite worshiped in Mecca

Little Boys = a man's pleasure machines

Paradise = a giant rape orgy for you - if you die while ruthlessly murdering innocent unsuspecting infidel women and children

U.S. Armed Forces = things to run away from or kill with booby-traps, unless you can take a cheap shot at them and then hide behind women and children or hide in a Mosque.

Christian Church = firewood

Synagogue = firewood

Buddhist Temple = firewood

Hindu Temple = firewood

Confucian Church = firewood

Jewish Restaurant = Bomb Demolition Depot

Holy site = anything Muslim, unlike those giant Buddhist statues in Afghanistan that were precious to Buddhists. “We blew those up real good! Heh, heh!”

Truce = a chance to regroup and kill more infidels later

Liberalism = the societal AIDS virus that stops the infidels from fighting Islam off

The American Democratic Party = The Islamonazi’s best hope to destroy America, the great Satan!

[Necrovore]

Would be funny if he actually apoligised. To the animals.