GOOD FOR AMERICA: Juan Williams is FIRED

by Mike Ghouse on Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 9:08am

Thanks to NPR for firing him. It is a new precedent in placing bigotry in its place following racial slurs, the N word, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism and now Anti-Islam or anti-religion. This can take us further to purge public statements in the interests of building cohesive societies for America; we have to laud this decision.

Juan made me wonder about his mind-set; was he simply expressing his bigotry or was he bashing Islam to get into the “inner circle” of big boys for fame and fortune? Islam bashing is not only fashionable, it brings big money. The right wingers give them a big hug and help them become big. It is an irresistible bait right wingers throw at greedy men like Juan. (Right wingers are those who mess with the social cohesion of our nation and attempt to set one American against the other)

Thank God again for the media to fire Helen Thomas for criticizing Israel as it sets a new precedent. If she does not have the right to criticize a nation, and the media forced her out to retirement, then most certainly NPR has a right to do the right thing.   http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/helen-thomas-you-cannot-criticize-israel-in-the-u-s-and-survive-1.318705  

Rick Sanchez was fired for making a nearly anti-semitic remark - http://mikeghouseforamerica.blogspot.com/2010/10/rick-sanchez-syndrome.html

Juan can remain on Fox, but not on NPR which is usually free from bigotry. Now, it is time for all the media to follow the suit.

Mike GhouseAmericans together For Building a cohesive America

Mike Ghouse is a speaker on Pluralism and Islam offering pluralistic solutions to the media and public on issues of the day. His blogs and sites are listed at www.MikeGhouse.net
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/21/juan-williams-fired-npr_n_770901.html

Juan Williams FIRED: NPR Sacks Analyst Over Fox News Muslim Comments Huffington Post   |  Jack Mirkinson First

NPR announced late on Wednesday night that it has terminated the contract of longtime analyst Juan Williams over his comments on Fox News that, when he is on a plane with Muslims, "I get nervous."

NPR's media reporter David Folkenflik broke the news on Twitter.

Williams' comments came during a discussion with Bill O'Reilly on Monday's "O'Reilly Factor." O'Reilly asked Williams if he had been in the wrong during his now-infamous appearance on "The View" last week. (There, O'Reilly's statement that "Muslims killed us on 9/11" caused Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg to walk off the set in anger.)

Williams replied that he thought O'Reilly had, in fact, been right. He continued:

"I mean, look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous."

Williams did go on to tell O'Reilly that he had to be "careful" to stress that he was not talking about all Muslims when he criticized some and that America was not at war with Islam. He also compared blaming all Muslims for the actions of extremists to blaming all Christians for the actions of Timothy McVeigh. (O'Reilly responded that he was "done" being careful.)

In a statement, NPR said that it had informed Williams of its decision on Wednesday night, and that his remarks were "inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR."

Williams had been a contributor and analyst at NPR for decades, but his dual role on Fox News -- where he has also been a longtime and frequent contributor -- drew so many complaints from NPR's listeners that it asked Fox News to stop identifying Williams as an "NPR News Political Analyst" in 2009.

Rick Sanchez Syndrome

Rick digs into his memory and relates, “When my father and I delivered the furniture to this Rich lady in Boca Raton, I asked her for a glass of water and she told me to go outside and get it from the spigot or the water hose”. It’s amazing what holds people and what motivates them to go and excel. Rick is a decent human being and has the balls to ask tough questions, I hope more Journalists learn from him. No one should nurture anti-Semitic, anti-Islamic or anti-any sentiments to begin with, but if you find yourselves in a unnatural sentiment, fight from within, do you Jihad, the struggle to fight the temptation to slip from righteousness get out of it. Repentance and apology are the best cures and thank God, he did very well in that interview with Stephanopoulos.  http://voices.washingtonpost.com/howard-kurtz/2010/10/rick_sanchez_is_sorry_really.html

In 1982, the Sales manager at the now defunct Centennial homes did not hire me because I had an accent and he did not trust that I would sell the American dream of homeownership to folks walking in that door. It never left my memory and years later not only was I #1 community Sales Manager for Ryland Homes and Drees Homes, but also went on serving as a fellow board member on the Marketing team at the Home Builders Association.

In September, I gave a pre-show talk on the play “Kite runner” by the way no one should miss that show, it is a powerful drama about human aspirations, racism, humility, hope and getting even. In one scene, the bad dude confronts the man he hated when he was a kid and pushes him on the floor and says, “We have old scores to settle” and calls on him to fight like a man. Isn’t it human to bind ourselves with setting scores as well as expressing gratitude.

Way back in 1971, I drafted company letters for Sunder Chemicals in Bangalore, India. The owner Mr. Harbans Lal, praised every time, “you are going to become a writer” and I have now written over 300 articles on Pluralism and over 700 pieces on every aspect of Islam and hope to get two books out soon; one on Pluralism and the other one on Islam. Thank God my articles have been published in a large number of international news papers including Washington Post, Austin Statesman and Huffington Post including and oddly Tehran Times, Arab News, Sudanese News Paper and several Asian News papers. I was happy writing all over, but my happiest moment came when I started writing for Dallas Morning News, my home town paper.

Every time some one says a few good words, Harbans Lal comes on vividly with those words echoing in my ears.

The negative comments of that lady turned Sanchez to be someone, to be something and finally it came out. It negates the negative and brings a balance back. Let’s call it Rick Sanchez Syndrome.

Mike Ghouse is a speaker on Pluralism and Islam offering pluralistic solutions to the media and public on issues of the day. His blogs and sites are listed at www.MikeGhouse.net

Mosque Madness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-0AnWAZuGI&feature=relatedAnWAZuGI&feature=related



There is a Muslim cultural center planned near the site of ground zero, it is a great initiative to build bridges and work on creating a better world. The Neocons are determined to create chaos out of it.