Reported by Priscilla - August 18, 2010
NewsHounds.us
Up until today, neither Fox hosts nor Fox guests, on shows that I've reviewed, mentioned that the “controversial” Imam of the Manhattan Islamic cultural center has ties to the Bush administration and the FBI. Sean Hannity claimed that this member of the Muslim clergy wants to “shred our Constitution” and “is anything but moderate.” Hannity even asked if Rauf should be in the country. A number of anti-mosque Fox guests have repeated the meme that Rauf dislikes the US. Unofficial 9-11 “spokesperson,” Debra Burlingame said that Rauf is a liar and is funded by terrorists to which Fox “news” anchor, Shannon Bream, didn’t bat an eyelash. But funny, the real information is out there with only a quick check of “Lexis” or even just plain “Google.” Sam Stein, at the Huffington Post, has put it all together. It was mentioned this morning on Fox & Friends; but during the segment, Gretchen Carlson continued to advance the same old, same old Fox/right wing anti mosque propaganda.
Stein reported that Rauf was “brought to a forum hosted by the FBI shortly after 9/11 to help ease the social tensions between Muslim Americans and federal agents.” He also reported that this “radical” Imam has participated in interfaith forums at the Aspen Institute where he rubbed elbows with political figures from both parties. But here’s the shocking part about this terrorist in Imam’s clothing. He assisted the Bush administration with outreach to Muslims. He even accompanied Bush advisor Karen Hughes to the Middle East. In 2007, the Bush State Department sent him on a tour of Muslim countries in order to promote tolerance and religious diversity. Finally, this morning, Clayton Morris mentioned this information on Fox & Friends; although unabashedly right wing Gretchen Carlson alluded to Rauch’s comment about US policies being responsible for 9-11 – a view held by 9-11 Commissioners and Glenn Beck! She also referenced Rauf’s “so called State Department trip” as a way to “maybe raise some money.” Gretch made baseless suggestion that the “so called trip” is really a fundraiser for the mosque - a comment that she made at another point during the show. She claimed that Rauf has “not really gone on record to call Hamas a terrorist organization – words taken straight out of Murdoch’s NY Post and echoed by Islamophobe Pam Geller on her blog. As Clayton Morris retorted that the Bush administration didn’t have a problem with his comments, the agitprop chyron, trying to have it both ways, read: “A Man of Peace? Rauf Assisted FBI in Counterterrorism Efforts.”
Comment: Wonder if the rest of the Fox entourage will bring up these new “inconvenient truths?” Oh, and does Fox "News" know that there's a mosque in the Pentagon which was also damaged on 9-11?!
