Discredited Islamophobe Steve Emerson Presented as “Terrorism Analyst” In Order To Smear NYC Muslim Day Parade
Reported by Ellen - August 21, 2007 -
Discredited terrorism "expert" Steve Emerson was back on Hannity & Colmes last night (8/20/07) for the obvious purpose of fomenting animosity against Muslims, this time those participating in New York City's Muslim Day Parade. With video.
Alan Colmes, just back from vacation and apparently well rested, was in good form as he confronted Emerson on his bias. Colmes noted that the parade, dedicated to promoting a better understanding of Islam, is in its 22nd year. "Is there any evidence that in any of those 22 years it has ever been a threat to public safety?" he asked.
Emerson admitted that there has been no threat to public safety but, he alleged, some of the speakers and some of the sponsors are militant Muslims. He graciously allowed as how “the rally should take place because they’re entitled to freedom of expression.” But, Emerson added, people should be aware “the rally” is an expression of intolerance rather than tolerance.
Colmes said, “Wouldn’t it be more tolerant of you not to play a game of guilt by association? And, by the way, why does this parade have the co-sponsorship, the co-operation of the New York Fire Department, the New York City Parks Department, the mayor, the governor, senators, congressmen, done in co-operation with the New York Police Department and the Department of Corrections? They don’t seem concerned.”
Emerson was clearly flummoxed! He stuttered and said, “Alan, it’s nice for you to read press releases and your middle name is ‘guilt by association.’”
“Tell me what I got wrong,” Colmes told him.
Emerson finally came up with some Al Qaeda operative who, Emerson claimed, fooled everyone into thinking he was a moderate. Emerson sounded almost hysterical as he said that the organization hosting the parade had previously hosted a speaker “who has said there’s a war against Islam and who has praised Islamic militants as heroes and freedom fighters.” His voice almost trembling, Emerson then accused some other speaker of wanting Islamic law “IN THE UNITED STATES!”
Bullyboy Sean Hannity, always ready to attack Muslims on television (but never a battlefield) was obviously determined to denigrate Ali and his organization as much as possible in the brief segment. With hammy outrage, Hannity sounded as though he would have liked nothing better than to have Homeland Security round up Ali right then and there as an enemy combatant because the parade had made a militant the grand marshal a few years before.
So since Hannity is so concerned about who people associate with, why don’t we ask him why he hasn’t denounced his old pal, white supremicist Hal Turner? As the 2005 Max Blumenthal article in The Nation called Hannity’s Soul Mate of Hate begins,
This year a man named Hal Turner sat before his computer at his suburban home in North Bergen, New Jersey, posting bomb-making tips on his website, hailing the firebombing of an apartment containing "Savage Negroes" and calling for the murder of immigrants. "When enough illegal aliens get killed they will stop coming to the country!" Turner wrote.Turner was once a prominent activist in New Jersey's Republican Party. To area conservatives, he was best known by his moniker for call-ins to the Sean Hannity Show, "Hal from North Bergen." For years, Hannity offered his top-rated radio show as a regular forum for Turner's occasionally racist, always over-the-top rants. Hannity also chatted with him off-air, allegedly offering encouragement to Turner as he struggled to overcome a cocaine habit and homosexual leanings. Turner has boasted that Hannity once invited Turner and his son on to the set of Fox News's Hannity and Colmes. Today, Turner lurks on the fringes of the far right, spouting hate-laced tirades on his webcast radio show. Hannity, meanwhile, remains mum about his former alliance with the neo-Nazi, homing in instead on the supposed racism of black and Latino Democrats.
You can ask Hannity if guilt by association extends to him, too, by emailing him at [email protected]. You can also contact FOX News at [email protected] and colmes at [email protected].
