Media Gives Islam Extremists the World Stage-Again

GS Don Morris, Ph.D.*

September 18, 2006

Banner headlines ring out: MUSLIM LEADERS DEMAND APOLOGY FOR POPE'S 'MEDIEVAL' REMARKS-this on the Drudge Report accompanied with a large photo of presumably angry Muslim men shouting to the reporter’s camera. This information was repeated across the Western media and once again supports an anti-Western stance-at no financial cost to the world’s Muslim political movement. They are enabled by our media- no need for a PR firm or a political advocacy group when the Western media does the job- for free.

Why is this a story in the first place? Is it because some “angry” Muslims stage protests over some statement and, thus, it deserves recognition as a news event? It seems to me that what was said is less a news event than is the fact that Muslims were “angry, once again and demanded …” So, the West can look forward to a news story every time some Muslims get angry over something we say or print; so much for freedom of speech! Either the media are intentionally supporting an anti-Western agenda or they are willing to be manipulated by those committed to the fall of western society as we know it. If it is the latter they are selling out their ethics for making a sale for their media outlet-both are reprehensible.

Here’s why this is a non-story. Pope Benedict XVI was on a six-day visit to his former home country of Germany. One of the many stops during this trip was designed for him to deliver a sermon. This is what Roman Catholic leaders, from priests to Popes do-for a living. He was in Freising ready to give his sermon when he set it aside saying, "I brought a long sermon, but I won't give it; you can get it in print later," Pope Benedict XVI instead decided to give an encouraging talk to priests on Thursday in the cathedral where he was ordained -- a spontaneous gesture ending a nostalgic, six-day homecoming to Bavaria. The primary message was one of motivation to his priests. For example he offered these kind words, "God needs people, he needs people who will say, 'I am ready to help with your harvest." He stressed to the priests the value of their difficult vocations.

As reported by Fox News this trip “also showed the warmer side of Benedict, who can sometimes seem stiff and shy in public. The pope visited the house of his birth in Marktlam Inn, prayed at the graves of his parents, and visited the University of Regensburg, where he once taught and served as vice-president. He repeatedly delighted his fellow Bavarians by taking time to shake hands and kiss babies.” This was simply a trip to honor and thank his fellow Germans. Last Tuesday, he delivered yet another lecture at his old university at Regensburg. His central theme was one on which he has touched repeatedly in recent months - the need to reconcile faith and reason.

He quoted from a little-known medieval text recording debates between a Byzantine emperor and an educated Persian. The Pope recalled that the emperor had told his adversary: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

Benedict acknowledged the "startling brusqueness" of the remark, but went on to endorse fully the view that "spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable". Certain Muslims chose the following interpretation of these remarks: “he appeared to say the concept of jihad was "unreasonable" and quoted a medieval ruler who said Muhammad's innovations were "evil and inhuman". The pope did not explicitly agree with nor repudiate the comment.

From this began the barrage of condemnations. From India to Turkey, across the Islamic world we have people clamoring for an apology. The media appears to flourish when Islamists get angry; headlines, video clips, sound bites and photos scream at the news consumer. Today we have countries recalling their ambassadors to the Vatican, photos of “angry” Islamists from all parts of the world. Never mind that this Pope has made clear, time and again, that he stands for a decisive and uncompromising rejection of any use of violence in the name of religion.

However, let us examine this “opportunity for distortion and confusion” presented by our fascist Islamic enemies. Immediately they take center stage and find that the media values their opinions; this provides for them a forum and platform to make inaccurate, misleading charges about the West, Christianity, and specific leaders. By doing this, they inflame and motivate their legions of followers, the greater percentage of whom are illiterate and cannot decipher for themselves what was truthfully said. Nor can they understand the context from which the sentence was lifted. Context is critical to understanding meaning and it indicates the intention of the individual or group under duress. Reports of this kind also incite those in the West who are adamant Islam supporters. Many of these people view any criticism of the religion as being intolerant, racist and anti-Islam ; the results produce motivated constituencies.

This is about control-the “angered” Islamists are in total control of the message, the media, and the Pope. Their intention is to intimidate, to demonstrate who is the moral authority now and to subjugate the position of Christianity. Note the following demand - not a request - it is a demand: “Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said the Vatican statement saying the Pope was sorry did not go far enough. We want a personal apology [from the Pope]. We feel that he has committed a grave error against us and that this mistake will only be removed through a personal apology," Muslim Brotherhood Deputy Leader Mohammed Habib told Reuters. The media is the vehicle and appears to be quite willing; the story is escalating as I write this op-ed.

Additionally, this kind of presentation adds resonance to those individuals advocating and practicing appeasement. It also adds to the fear component that seemingly resides within many Westerners. The resultant action is predictable: best not challenge anything any Islamic person says or does for fear of some type of attack. In addition, anyone daring to protest will be labeled, his/her point of view invalidated, comments discounted, and will be held responsible for provoking the furor that inevitably follows as part of the demand for a public apology. Despite speaking the truth, the protester and his/her position will be isolated - the classic use of terror tactics. This has been going on for centuries; it is time to take this on as well

I do hand it to the fascist Islamists; they know how to use and abuse the media to suit their needs and to promote their cause. Another important point to understand is simple. By challenging the world’s leader of Roman Catholics he is forced to respond in a manner consistent with his teachings, hence, he apologizes. Thus, the enemy has gained control over the religious leader of one of its targeted foes, forcing him to now take a defensive/apologetic stance while the enemy dictates the conversation. On September 16, Pope Benedict chose to retreat from his initial message. All of this is interpreted by the fascist Islamic side as a victory and is evidence that the West is wilting under the ongoing pressure and it motivates them to increase the rhetoric as well as their demands. The West has learned nothing thus far.

I suggest all of the preceding was the result of the media making ‘something out of nothing'. Do people in Massachusetts, Iowa, New Mexico or California even recognize any of the people in the photos? Do they relate to these people displayed in various postures, stomping on flags, or boxes or vehicles”? I suspect not, but do these same media consumers believe that the entire Islamic world is up and arms, that they are dangerous, frightening particularly with what is written? If you believed the media then you would believe all of the preceding. This is the danger of distorted media representation. Only a very small part of the story is being told.

Not surprisingly, the two major UK television stations had 'experts' discuss the Pope’s 'misspeak'. These shows dominated the better part of a Saturday morning over on this side of the Atlantic-more platform time for the stated enemies of the West. To date I have not read, heard or seen a reporter challenging the anti-Pope statements-they are either afraid or unwilling to do so.

The true story of this story is that it is a non-story! The media embraces this event while all but ignoring that a “gunman shot Ali in the back Sept. 7 after he refused to join a crowd chanting Quran verses in honor of the lunar eclipse”. Ali was a Christian convert from Islam; this was his fate and no one was offended by this - or at least the media would have you so believe. In Somalia the law of the land is Sharia. If you are an apostate – one who leaves Islam for another religion –you must be killed. You are operating under the jurisdiction of the Union of Islamic Court-no one is offended in Somalia, no Christian group is offended even though Christians in Somalia are being murdered simply because they do not support Islam. The media knows about these stories and yet is not going to put the stories in a banner headline or run ongoing feature stories on the situation. I am left with the interpretation that the media is complicit with misinforming its consumers and thus misrepresenting major events of the day.

Perhaps some brave, responsible, and courageous reporters could return to a time long ago when the media reported events, circumstances, situations and people in a fair manner and stood up to thuggery that presented itself in what today we call political correctness.

* Special thanks to my editor Ms. Chana Givon

My Blog: http://docstalk.blogspot.com/