In what appears to be Roger Ailes' promotion of a Fox News Christian agenda, Fox hosts are quite open in their profession of the faith which, for the majority of the week-day hosts, is Catholic although others, like Ainsley Earhardt and Bob Beckel are bible based Christians. Never mind journalistic objectivity, what is profoundly offensive about this sleeve wearing religiosity is that these emissaries of a faith which teaches "love thy neighbor," spend most of their time bashing anybody and anything deemed anathema to the not so tolerant conservative right. Such was the case, last week, when the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was attacked across a spectrum of Fox News shows because they object to the Islamophobic agenda of those behind a film about domestic violence in Islamic societies. Included in the hate fest were the nice Christians on "The Five" who, once again, spoke of Islam's intolerance. Got Irony?!  

The basic meme for the Fox coverage of "Honor Diaries" is that because CAIR beleives that there is an anti-Muslim agenda behind the film, "Honor Diaries," it is trying to censor free speech and is ignoring violence towards Islamic women. While concerns, from student and faculties, at two universities, resulted in postponement of the film's screenings, Fox is pushing the false narrative, popular on Islamophobic websites, that CAIR intimidated the schools into doing this. What Fox doesn't mention is that the Clarion Fund is connected to a number of anti-Islamic organizations and was behind other film projects which had an inflammatory anti-Islamic agenda.

Wednesday, Andrea "Islam is the most intolerant religion in the world" Tantaros introduced the topic as an example of "the real war on women." After she played the same film video, played on all the other Fox pieces, Tantaros sneered that "if you think so called moderate Muslim rights groups in America would be supportive of this film,well, you would be wrong." She played video of a CAIR spokesperson who was attacked when she appeared on the Kelly Files and during a subsequent Fox & Friends where she was not present. Dana Perino interjected "hateful, they're calling other people hateful." (OH, THE IRONY!!!!!) Perino explained that some Muslim women understand the problem, "they are the exception."

Tantaros got caught in a lie when she said that CAIR "would be better served if they put out a statement." (CAIR's statement was featured on Kelly's show)To Tantaros question of why more Democratic women and the President aren't speaking out, Bob Beckel responded "they should" and claimed that CAIR got the U. of Michigan to "shut down" the screenings. That's when super Catholic, Eric Bolling, who, during a discussion about Hobby Lobby described himself "as Christian as they come," got into the action. (For those not familiar with Bolling, he frequently brags about how, when he attends daily Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, he lights candles for his Fox friends.)

Bolling, who once agreed with a Fox & Friends guest that Islam is a "radical, savage religion," preached the Fox Christian gospel of hate: "I'm going to pick up on something Greg said. It's really -- it's the intolerance of the Muslim religion. On one end of the tolerant spectrum, you have Christianity, Judaism. On the very opposite end of the spectrum, you have Muslim and maybe even some hateful groups." He then *lied about what Richard Silverstein said about the involvement of Jews in the movie and made what appears to be a bogus claim that CAIR put Silverstein's statement on their website. (They have many local websites as well as a national site which doesn't seem to have Silverstein's comment, although it links to his article) The chyron framed the message nicely: "The Real War on Women, Film Details Muslim Violence Against Muslim Women."

When Tantaros asked if Silverstein, a Jew, was anti-Semitic, theologian Bolling said it just another example of "intolerance" and how "Muslims could be the most intolerant group in America." (Not the religious right who hates gays or the Catholic Church which seeks to criminalize abortion?) Gutfeld blithered about we should be "proud of our exceptional culture." After the group then bashed the President for not addressing this issue during his Cairo speech, Perino wanted to know why the Univ. of Michigan "banned" the video. (Because students and teachers were concerned that it was propaganda, Dana) The chyron pushed more agitprop: "Why are Critics Trying To Silence Film Exposing Real War on Women in the Middle East."

Interestingly, domestic violence has never been a big issue for The Five until the advent of a film that suggests that Islam is the crux of the problem. If The Five are really interested in the health and safety of American women, maybe they could discuss how Catholic hospitals are being sued for their policies which prohibit them from terminating a pregnancy, even if a woman could die. But that might not square with the meme of intolerant Islam being pushed on a show that isn't exactly known for its tolerance. Got hypocrisy!

*Bolling's comment: "Silverstein says a Jew can't be profiled in human rights abuses against Muslim woman."

Silverstein's comment: "One has to ask why a film about the purported abuse of Muslim women was produced by Jews, and ones with a distinct ideological agenda at that."