Printer-friendly versionYesterday, Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly appeared on the television show The View. There, he got into a heated discussion about building a mosque in lower Manhattan near Ground Zero with Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar. They eventually walked off the set in disgust.
This morning on Fox & Friends, host Brian Kilmeade decided to weigh in on the matter, predictably calling Goldberg and Behar cowards. He then added, “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims.” Later, on his radio show, Kilmeade said that this was simply a “fact.”
Responding to foolish or narrow-minded comments made on Fox News is a full-time job. Groups like Media Matters can barely keep up. But issuing this kind of blanket statement about Muslims seems beyond the pale, even for Rupert Murdoch’s network.
First off, people living in Northern Ireland, Spain and Oklahoma City might be surprised to hear that all terrorists are Muslims. They've endured terror attacks that had nothing to do with Islam. And arbitrarily lumping all terrorists into one religion is about as unfair as saying “Not all bigots are on Fox & Friends, but all people on Fox & Friends are bigots.”
OK, maybe it’s more unfair than that. But you get the point.
Kilmeade owes a lot of people—roughly 1.2 billion Muslims—a large apology. Whether he gives one or not, his comments are a great way for teachers to address prejudice. Discuss what he said with your classes. See what your students think. Discuss the politicians and journalists who thrive on demonizing others. Discuss the ignorance and fear that gives their message an audience. And discuss the other groups in this country that put up with ugly stereotypes and why.
Teaching Tolerance has materials that can help you get started. Check them out here, here and here.
Price is managing editor at Teaching Tolerance.
Comments
So where is your tolerance.
So where is your tolerance. This issue went further than you expose. Godlbergs major issue was with not using the term Radical Islam when refering to terrorist. Yet she does not use the same discrimination when refering to radical Christian, Jewish or other minority members of a larger sect. The fact in context is that all the terrorist who attacked on Sept 11 2001 were Islamic, a fact that you cannot rationalize away. Fact is that the fundamental Islamic factions are as radical and dangerous as any fundamental group. Where is the apology from the Islamic leaders who would deny the crimes against humanity brought about by the Nazi. Your argument against those who you disagree with is flavored with the same venom as they use. There is nothing in your argument which supports any part of tolerance. Goldber and Behar exposed themselves for what they are, which is ill prepared to hold a civil debate and lacked the ability to support their views and this is why they walked off the stage. It was their EGO which drove them from their perches, not the subject. Just my thoughts on the matter.
As typically is the case,
As typically is the case, revisionists like yourself, Sal, are wrong. You ask wehre the apologies were from Muslims for 911? They were there immediately! Immediately they were denounced and even IRAN, IRAN for God's sake, said "we are all Americans today."
The little problem that followed is that our then sitting president, GW Bush, invaded a country which had nothing to do with the attack which destroyed all the good will from around the world. Sit with that information for a while when you have a desire to paint over the canvas of truth.
Hey Sal, terrorists can also
Hey Sal, terrorists can also be russian, irish, asian and even american. To say not all Muslims are terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims is a foolish statement and on top of that to say that this is indisputable fact is very ignorant, bigot and even plainly idiotic.
What O'Reilly said was beyond
What O'Reilly said was beyond belief. As I refuse to watch O'Reilly's show, I saw it on my computer when I sat down to write for the day. I was soooooo ashamed for us (Americans) that other countries view these things, though I'm certain, beings O'Reilly has such a strong following, that many Americans agree with him. I don't know how many times I've had to ask people not to forward me bigot-like forwards. It is no wonder that our children learn to be prejudiced. We set the example.
To call "all terrorists
To call "all terrorists muslims is to deny the occurance of one of the biggest acts of terrorism on American soil-- The Oklahoma City bombing. McVeigh was not only a Muslim, I suspect he would be unified with Fox in his hatred toward Muslims. Hatred does not have a skin color, religion, or gender. To suggest that it does is either gross ignorance or voluntary blindness. It's much easier to accuse "them" than to admit that the hatred that fuels terrorism could be anywhere, even in our own hearts.
They are trying to justify a
They are trying to justify a war with anybody, whom they call a terrorist!
Never heard of this Killmeade
Never heard of this Killmeade guy, but he sounds like an idiot. Yes, there are many photogenic idiots working in TV. And I would also add that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and until recently, the Tamil situation in Sri Lanka, also have terrorist scenarios that have nothing to do with Islam.