Letters to the Editor, March 20, 2004

Please join me in paying homage to all of the victims of violence (Troops as well as innocent civilians) during the invasions & military/industrial occupations of Iraq & Palestine.

Millions have died and are suffering in the lingering aftermath of the invasion & oppressive occupation of Palestine, the first Persian Gulf war & Gulf war Syndrome, the 12 years of deadly economic sanctions against the civilian population of Iraq, the "Shock & Awe" attack on Baghdad and the brutal invasion & occupation of Iraq.

We all know about the corporate government lies and deception, embedded corrupt mainstream media reporting and public relations spin that led to these wars and occupations. We all feel the polarizing affect of a country divided and the growing hatred toward this country from the rest of the world... but what I feel most is grief and remorse for the continued suffering of babies and young children caused by the insidious use of Depleted Uranium nuclear weapons in both attacks on Iraq. Children are 20 times more susceptible to the long term residual radioactive affects of Depleted Uranium that will continue to cause more birth defects, cancer and many other maladies for a long, long, long time.

Please join me in a moment of silence and prayer for all of the victims of this violence... especially the helpless children who suffer and die as "Collateral Damage"!

Peace,

Chuck Beers

NEOCON AND OIL EMPIRE DESTABILIZATION OF IRAQ

TO MR JANSENS ARTICLE, THE NEED TO READ THE HISTORY OF IRAQ. REGARDING MR JANSENS STATEMENT

Living in the fortified Green Zone, in the heart of the Iraqi capital, Bremer and his staff — who know very little about Iraq or about ruling other peoples — meet only carefully vetted Iraqis and have nothing to do with the ordinary folk they rule. By disbanding the former bureaucracy and army, Bremer transformed Iraq from a viable state into a failed state. Distance and isolation, combined with ignorance, breeds dislike and contempt

I WOULD NOTE/SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING. IT WOULD SEEM VERY CLEAR THAT THE REMOVAL FROM RESPONSIBILITY OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO RAN THE IRAQI MILITARY, GOVERNMENT, AND INDUSTRY, AND WHO COMPRISED ABOUT 40 % OF THE IRAQI POPULATION, THE BA'ATHISTS, IS A CERTAIN PRESCRIPTION FOR THE DESTABILIZATION OF IRAQ. . AND AS ABYSMALLY STUPID AND DECEITFUL AS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN, WITH PEARLE EVEN DECLARING "THE PRESIDENT DOESNT KNOW VERY MUCH " I CANT BELIEVE THEY ARE THAT STUPID. THE ORIGINAL US AUTHORITY IN IRAQ PLANNED TO LET THE BA'ATHISTS REMAIN IN AUTHORITY, FOR THE OBVIOUS REASON OF STABILITY. THEN THE HE WAS CALLED BACK, PRESUMABLY BY THE ZIONISTS IN THE DEFENSE DEPT, WOLFOWITZ AND OTHERS, WHO WANTED TO DESTABILIZE IRAQ, AND PRECIPITATE THE IRAQI CHAOS WHICH NOW EXISTS, TO PROVIDE A FURTHER EXCUSE FOR A PROLONGED US PRESENCE IN IRAQ, WHICH WOULD SUIT THE US INTEREST IN IRAQI OIL, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME KEEPING IRAQ IN A STATE OF INSTABILITY WHICH ISRAEL HAS WANTED. I DON'T BELIEVE THE CURRENT INSTABILITY IN IRAQ IS BY ACCIDENT. IT IS BY THE INTENT OF DECEITFUL AND MACHIAVELLIAN MANIPULATORS IN THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT. THEY VALUE IRAQI OIL AND THE PROTECTION OF ISRAELI EXPANSIONISM MORE THAN THEY DO THE LIVES OF OUR YOUNG MEN IN THE UNSTABLE IRAQ THEY HAVE CREATED. SPECIAL INTERESTS ARE CONTROLLING OUR GOVERNMENT.

AMERICANS MUST WAKE UP.

Craig Ferris

Editor: Lower case (small) letters are better read by readers. Please write future letters with lower case, not capital (BLOCK) letters.

Are Muslims now in the same precarious position as WW2 German Jews?

Hi,

I've been thinking about the treatment that Muslims have received from George Bush and them in the last three years. Muslims seem to be going through the same things that German Jews went through prior to and during World War II. The parallels are all too obvious.

I'm just writing you today to make note of the similarities and also to note where that type of behavior leads to: Nobody benefits. (It goes without saying that kindness wins more hearts and minds than anything. Love is Mankind's true secret weapon.)

Best regards,

Jane Stillwater

Dear Mr. Ashlock, KFI Regional Director,

I am a self-respecting and highly educated Arab American professional and there are millions of us living in the US who are significantly contributing to the American society's progress.

I have heard quite a number of offensive ignorant statements in my life about the Muslim faith, but never anything as deranged, bigoted, and repulsive as the one you regrettably allowed to air on your radio station.

I see we do not share the same code of ethics. Your official statement did not even include any formal condemnation of the detestable and intolerant statement made on your station, thereby implicitly condoning this type of behavior. It is ignorance and bigotry.

How regrettable that with the powerful communication tool you are privileged to possess, you would not use it for informational/educational purposes or true debates!

Now let us see if you will do the right thing, (that is do what any self-respecting radio station would undoubtedly do) which is to fire your immoral and biased talk show host Bill Handell.

Sincerely,

Selma Hermez
Connecticut

News Releases
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
California radio station apologizes for Islamophobic skit

A Los Angeles, Calif., radio station today issued an on-air apology for an Islamophobic skit that claimed Muslims have sex with animals, avoid bathing and are obsessed with killing Jews.

The apology by KFI AM 640 came one day after the Southern California office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) announced that it had filed complaints about the skit with both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Clear Channel Communications, the station's parent company.

In the March 10 Bill Handel show on KFI, a pretend "Muslim" allegedly reading from the new Iraqi constitution refers to "hairy Iraqi women," "lovely Japanese schoolgirls," the "infidel custom of bathing on a regular basis," and "civil unions" between Iraqis and "loving camels and goats." Throughout the skit, the mock-Muslim repeatedly stated "Allah be praised," "death to the Jews" and "kill all Jews." Listeners also heard recordings of Islamic prayers in Arabic.

Today's on-air apology by KFI Program Director Robin Bertolucci stated: "Last Wednesday, we aired a satirical skit that was offensive to some members of the Muslim community, for that we are sorry. KFI is committed to all of its Southern California listeners, including those in the Muslim community."

An initial CAIR-LA request for an apology was denied, but the station apparently relented after receiving hundreds of calls, faxes and e-mails from concerned Muslims and people of other faiths who responded to a CAIR action alert.

"We thank all those who contacted KFI to express their concerns about the skit's outrageous and inflammatory content," said CAIR-LA Communications Director Sabiha Khan. "This incident proves once again that positive actions on the part of individuals and organizations can bring positive results."

Khan said CAIR-LA will continue to monitor KFI programming for anti-Muslim material and will inform the station's sponsors about any future Islamophobic incidents.

CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 26 regional offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada.

Action Alerts

FCC complaint filed over Islamophobic radio skit
Pretend 'Muslim' said Iraqi constitution permits sex with animals

Contact KFI and Clear Channel and demand that they apologize to the American Muslim community for such bigoted and hurtful remarks.

Greg Ashlock
KFI Regional Director
610 S. Ardmore Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90005
Tel: 213-427-7912
Fax: 213-380-8364

John Hogan
Chief Executive Officer
Clear Channel Radio
200 Basse Road
San Antonio, TX 78209
Tel: 210-822-2828
Fax: 210-822-2299

CAIR's Southern California office (CAIR-LA) today announced that it has filed complaints with both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Clear Channel Communications over an Islamophobic skit on a Los Angeles radio station that claimed Muslims have sex with animals, avoid bathing and are obsessed with killing Jews.

In the March 10 Bill Handel show on KFI AM 640, a pretend "Muslim" allegedly reading from the new Iraqi constitution refers to "hairy Iraqi women," "lovely Japanese schoolgirls," the "infidel custom of bathing on a regular basis," and "civil unions" between Iraqis and "loving camels and goats."

Throughout the skit, called "The New Iraq Constitution - Handelized," the mock-Muslim repeatedly stated "Allah be praised," "death to the Jews" and "kill all Jews." Listeners also heard recordings of Islamic prayers in Arabic. CAIR-LA asked the station to apologize for the offensive skit, but that request was denied.

"While we understand and appreciate the concept of comic satire, this skit obviously crossed the line from comedy to outright bigotry and racism that could negatively impact the lives of ordinary American Muslims," said CAIR-LA Communications Director Sabiha Khan. Khan said the KFI program contained some of the most hate-filled and Islamophobic statements reported to CAIR in recent years.

In her letter to the FCC, Khan wrote: "Increased ratings should not be obtained at the expense of any culture or religion. We fully respect and value freedom of speech, including for Mr. Handel, however, these Islamophobic comments are outrageous and hurtful, and only serve to increase animosity and hatred against the American Muslim community. No doubt, such bigotry would not, and should not, be tolerated if it were directed toward any other ethnic or religious group."

A similar letter was sent to KFI's parent company, Clear Channel Communications. The FCC recently voted to fine Clear Channel $250,000 for nine alleged indecency violations. That fine came just over a month after the nation's largest radio chain was hit with a record $755,000 penalty. Last week, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would boost indecency fines to $500,000 per incident.

(FCC rules prohibit radio and TV stations from airing offensive material that refers to sexual functions between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The offensive skit aired after 8 a.m.)

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah's.

editor@aljazeerah.info