While Fox News promotes right wing Christianity, there is, as we saw with its coverage of the "Ground Zero Mosque," no depth to which Fox will sink in its efforts to use any issue to smear Islam and, in so doing, reinforce its characterization as an "echo chamber" for the well-oiled national machinery of Islamophobia. Fox's "truth detector" Megyn Kelly has consistently aided and abetted Fox's efforts to denigrate Islam. On Monday she used a movie about domestic violence in Islamic society, produced by an anti-Islamic group, to attack CAIR and lie about a writer who agrees with CAIR in their criticism of the film. But just to show that she is fair & balanced, she subsequently hosted a representative from CAIR - and then proceeded to join her other guest, a woman who believes that Huma Abedin is tied to Islamic Jihad, in bashing Islam and CAIR.
Tuesday, Kelly immediately set the propaganda: "A growing backlash against a film that is trying to bring attention tot he so called honor violence inflicted on Muslim women around the world." Eyes flashing she noted that although the film has been shown on countless campuses and at the UN Human Rights Council, several colleges have postponed or cancelled their screenings after - wait for it - groups like CAIR "complained that the films is Islamophobic." She showed video from the film part of which showed testimony from "activist" Raquel Saraswati who, according to Richard Silverstein (the writer attacked by Kelly) is close to Fox's anti-Muslim Muslim, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser. After the scenes of Muslim men brutalizing their women, Kelly asked why "CAIR would want to silence such a film."
She introduced "human rights attorney" Brooke Goldstein who, last year, told Kelly that Pres. Obama is ignoring the "war on Christians" and a CAIR representative Agnieszka Karoluk. While Goldstein smirked and Kelly look quizzical, Karoluk explained that CAIR is against violence towards women. She said that CAIR wants the public to know who is behind the film so that they can decide whether to screen or watch it. Kelly pushed the Fox message that CAIR objects to the film being shown and, in an unfounded statement, claimed that CAIR "is happy that it's getting cancelled." Kelly continued the diversion. When Karoluk denied this, Kelly shouted "you sent out a tweet today with a smiley face saying that it had been cancelled at one of these universities." Karoluk responded that the film's postponement was done by students and faculty when they found out that it was done by the Islamphobic Clarion Project.
Kelly said that she appreciated Karoluk's presence because her side needs to be heard. In in further attempting to smear CAIR she added "we tried that and had some trouble" - a reference to her deceptive portrayal of Tuesday's scheduled guest backed off after her deceptive Monday night hit piece on him. Kelly, in refusing to address the agenda of the filmmakers, asked Karoluk about the content. Karoluk expressed disgust that the Clarion Fund would use the issue of domestic violence "to promote their own hate filled agenda."
Kelly tossed to Goldstein who ranted about how CAIR was a front for the Islamic Brotherhood, Hamas, Islamic terrorism. She accused it of being the "Islamic speech police" which "bullies anyone who is brave enough to publicly speak about the threat of Islam and Islamist terrorism." Goldstein continued to smirk as Karoluk spoke about how this film has sparked discussion of the issues portrayed in the film.
When Karoluk added that CAIR is a Muslim civil rights organization, Goldstein continued to attack it with validation from Kelly: "They're very litigious...CAIR has become part of the problem story for the reasons we discussed last night." Kelly proclaimed that CAIR has demanded a retraction and "guess what, you're not getting it." Kelly continued to avoid the agenda behind the film by berating Karoluk about why CAIR doesn't seem to care about the film's subject. She then allowed Goldstein to defend the Clarion Fund. Kelly closed with the report that while "Honor Diaries" was cancelled at the Univ. of Michigan they are hosting a "controversial" art exhibit on abortion described, OMG, as "a life sustaining act." She yelled "that's fine...celebrate abortion but a film that calls attention to this situation for Muslim women...that's banned, that's the world we live in."
Funny, when the Catholic League's Bill Donohue actually lobbied GOP leaders to get an AIDS exhibit shut down at the Smithsonian, a form of censorship, I don't remember Megyn Kelly having a hissy fit. I don't recall Kelly being concerned about domestic violence in American culture much of it perpetrated by Christian men.
It's not just the Clarion Project that uses an issue to promote a "hate filled agenda."
Memo to Kelly: CAIR has joined with leaders from other faiths in the "Shoulder to Shoulder" project. Think you could mention that? Nah....
Correction: I originally linked to a "fan" website for some background information on Saraswati. She contacted us to claim that the information on the site is a lie. As such, my information from that site has been removed.
Rule number one: Don’t be overly inflammatory. Really? You make the assumption that Fox News has an agenda to denigrate Islam. Not so. They have an agenda to expose the radical Islamic agenda. This is vastly different from the beliefs of most Muslims. You describe the Clarion Project as Islamophobic but they actually give voice to Islamic moderates.
Rule number three: Be civil. No personal attacks. Almost everything you have said about Ms. Kelly has been a personal attack. You called her a liar, “On Monday she used a movie about domestic violence in Islamic society, produced by an anti-Islamic group, to attack CAIR and lie about a writer who agrees with CAIR in their criticism of the film.” There was no proof given. Not very civil, are you?
I really take issue with your kind of journalism, as you have with Ms. Kelly’s style and content. Also, your byline is just “Priscilla” and that leads me to believe you are afraid of something since you won’t give your full name.
I hope I have not broken Rule number two and disrespected anyone’s time. As always, if you don’t have time, you do not have to read my comment.