NPR Fires Juan Williams For Anti-Muslim Comments
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NPR has terminated its contract with Juan Williams, one of its senior news analysts, after he made comments about Muslims on the Fox News Channel.
The move came after Mr. Williams, who is also a Fox News political analyst, appeared on the ‘The O’Reilly Factor’ on Monday. On the show, the host, Bill O’Reilly, asked him to respond to the notion that the United States was facing a ‘Muslim dilemma.’ Mr. O’Reilly said, ‘The cold truth is that in the world today jihad, aided and abetted by some Muslim nations, is the biggest threat on the planet.’
Mr. Williams said he concurred with Mr. O’Reilly.
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.’
Like many of the “liberals” on the Fox News roster, Juan Williams was there to give a pass to conservative b.s. and throw in his own two cents about how he just didn’t like that uppity Michelle Obama.
49 Responses to “NPR Fires Juan Williams For Anti-Muslim Comments”
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The views on this site are mine and mine alone, and do not reflect the views of my employer, Media Matters for America
© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
He’s the new head server at O’Reilly’s I hear.
Another Caddell U grad
Poor Juan! Whatever shall he do, other than be a typical pseudo leftist punching bag for Fox and Fools?
Stand by for fake outrage from conservatives about mistreatment of a black journalist at the hands of fascist liberals.
I’m pissed Juan Williams sat with Hannity on “The Great American Round Table” for months as an employee of NPR. After a few times seeing Williams just sitting there and smile at the end like he was happy to be on the Hannity show, I was just disgusted with Williams.
If he had any backbone he would have gotten furious with Hannity and stood up for what would be considered fair and balanced.
Good riddance Juan Williams.
That stuff about fear of people in Muslim garb is egregious. I do think concern for women who wear heavy, obviously disagreeable garb, especially in hot weather, is legitimate, but that’s not fear-based.
Not entirely OT: A minute ago I was reading an item about the voter intimidation efforts that apparently have started already in Texas. And I remembered just a couple of nights ago reading some phony outrage about Michelle Obama supposedly illegally talking politics in a voting place, with some debate about actual law and practice in such matters — and some utter idiot, that is to say party-line conservative, citing a piece of election code with yellow highlighting of the fact that intimidating voters is a felony!! Which, of course, no one said, at the worst, was what the FL had been doing.
So, I’m thinking, they no longer just respond to being found doing evil by accusing the other side of it; they’re doing it preemptively now. Start some nonsense about inimidation just before you start the serious intimidation effort.
Or maybe not; maybe the reports from Texas are exaggerated. We’ll see.
Meanwhile, right here, the fear of people identifying first and foremost as Muslims is just a wonderful example of — shall we call it projection? It is notable, and established by repeated surveys, that American Muslims identify themselves as Americans. That first, and then as Muslims. This is in marked contrast to Europe, where Muslims in decent and civilized countries — forget the rest of them! — in countries like Britain and France, generally identify themselves as Muslims first, and citizens of the countries well below that.
Here we have America working right. Every citizen can be proud that we’re doing things right, if a little sad that others are having a hard time with it. Except Fox Conservatives, of course. They can’t stand even to face the fact.
But some of their best people are working on the problem.
Good. Too bad he won’t be fired for the F(R)NC for these comments.
“Like many of the “liberals” on the Fox News roster, Juan Williams was there to give a pass to conservative b.s.”
Better that FOX copies MSNBC’s model and not have any of the opposition on, it’d do wonders for FOX’s poor ratings.
What the hell is “Muslim garb”?
He’s a bigot, but he’s an even big dummy.
Good riddance, useful idiot.
“MSNBC’s model”
The one where they give forer Republican politician Joe Scarborough three hours every morning?
Fuckwit.
Counting down to Pammy Atlas declaring her infinite admiration for Mr. Williams…
He’s useless to Fox if he’s not also on NPR, isn’t he? I wonder what his new title will be.
The wonder is NPR didn’t fire this Uncle Tom when he made his pack of insulting comments about Michelle Obama.
I’m a black man who has long found Williams’ biases despicable.
There’s a disconnect in this guy I fear is growing as he ages. Honestly, he seems to be missing a screw somewhere.
Terrorists in Muslim garb on a plane?
In his effort to kiss O’Rielly’s butt this brown-noser didn’t just jump through hoops, he doused them with gasoline and lit them first.
Thanks, NPR
gary lloyd
blackbloggersguild.com
MrGreyGhost is obviously referring to the Rachel Maddow Show, which has had in this week two Republicans, Ms Megan McCain, daughter of Sen. McCain, and Nicole Wallace, who served in the latter’s 2008 campaign for the Presidency.
I hear the Koch brothers need a new lawn jockey. Williams would be perfect.
Yippie-ki-yay, Uncle Tom.
Do you guys even realize how biggoted you sound bashing someone who isn’t as left as you are.
Juan Williams has pissed me off several times, but I found him to be somewhat fair and more realistic than partisan.
Bigoted against…bigots? Where do I sign up?
“I’m a black man who has long found Williams’ biases despicable.”
How about this one:
“There is nothing more painful for me at this stage in my life, than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery—and then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.” Jesse Jackson
He may also find himself unwelcome at Fox because “formerly of NPR” just doesn’t have the same psuedo-liberal ring to it for the sole purpose of the pretense of balance.
I think all this indignation over Williams’ comments overlooks something that is a bit more unsettling – one comment can now get a journalist fired. Williams says something dumb about Muslims on a plane – he’s gone. An ABC journalist tweets one comment that is considered complimentary about a dead Hezbollah leader – she’s gone. Helen Thomas says that Jews in Israel need to go back to Poland – she’s gone. I never liked Thomas, but firing her for that seemed dumb.
I am not saying that these statements are no big deal. But, if you can lose your job over one statement, against the backdrop of a long career, it discourages free thinking. You don’t have to say Williams was right – he wasn’t. But do you want to start limiting the scope of “reasonable” debate about issues?
Mr Williams expressed an irrational, and yet understandable fear. I think we’re better off admitting these kind if fears rather than pretending they don’t exist. The Jackson quote William brought up is a good example. Jackson added that it was a “humiliating” feeling. Context is important though: Jackson made his comment at an Operation PUSH convention, not on national TV. Jackson was not advocating this feeling: he was trying to address what was causing this feeling and move past it.
Williams, on the other hand seems to be arguing that his irrational fear is good rather than humiliating. But, I only know what’s quoted above. If we define “Muslim dilemma” as “americans are overreacting and experiencing paranoid fears about Muslims” I wouldn’t completely disagree with what is being said.
I can’t remember which of the 9/11 hijackers wore “muslim garb.” Oh, they wanted to look inconspicuous? Williams should have been fired for teh stupid, not bigotry. Granted one is merely a subcategory of the other…
Lesson learned for Foxnews token liberals: leave “controversy is its own coinage” to the experts.
Juan, on government funded program. Juan on 1st Amendment. Juan fired from government funded program. NPR policies do not include discussion of 1st Amendment, only Juan’s contract. Breach of contract by NPR. Williams sues and wins. NPR loses and taxpayers fund an exorbinate breach suit. This is the circle of stupidity of a government funded program.
Just another unemployed black man in Barack Obama’s America…
Um, anyone notice how SF has to bring race into the equation, and doesn’t address the statement that brought about Mr. Williams’ firing?
Yes, SF, he was fired because of the Obama recession and the dwindling funding of NPR, that’s the ticket……….
Hey if Mr. Williams promises to toe the line and never, ever venture from the agenda of the loon wing, maybe OW can get him a job at Media Matters.
Hey if Mr.GreyGhost promises to make a lick of sense maybe we’ll take him seriously some day.
I think maybe NPR was pining for a 1mm dollar check from George Soros, MrGreyGhost, and they thought this move would help them out when they went to call on him next time for a donation.
Wow you guys are so cute. Are the Koch’s at least paying you to post all this drivel?
~
He IgKnut; the 911 hijackers, the underwear bomber were not in Muslim garb.
… National Public Radio terminated the contract of commentator Juan Williams after he said on Fox’s “The O’Reilly Factor” that people wearing Muslim garb on airplanes made him “worried” and “nervous.” …
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-juan-williams-20101021,0,2593969.story?track=rss
Starting a statement with, “I mean, look, I’m not a bigot … BUT” is probably not the best way to convince folks that you’re not a bigot.
And Gus, I don’t think Williams in that context was admitting to an irrational fear. I think he was justifying that fear as rational, and that is where the bigotry comes in. I
Transcripts of Juan Williams’ remarks about his firing:
OMG, the guy works for Joy Behar.
Orwell wasn’t that far off regarding the Thought Police.
Have you looked into the Ethics Code for journalists at NPR?:
Sounds like you can’t work for NPR, Dennis, unless you give up your blog first, at any rate………….
Reading the usual idiot troll defense of NPR is beyond hysterical. You wingnuts really don’t have a developed sense of what irony is, do you?
Orwell, 1st Amendment, blah blah blah. You work for someone, and you abide by their rules, got it yet, tards? You break the rules, you lose your job.
Reading the usual idiot troll defense of NPR…–Burn
We weren’t defending NPR, Burn.
Idiot.
Ewww, what’s that smell? Oh, the dog crapped on the carpet again. One of these days, the owner might learn to close the door, so that poor old attention starved mutt doesn’t come in anymore.
Burn, you never seem to realize that you’ve made far more offensive and bigoted statements here than just about anybody. If he wants to ban me then he can easily do that, but what of you? How does he ban anyone and not include you right along with it? It’s you that’s created that conundrum for him. I suspect you really don’t want any banning of anyone, you just want to continue acting like an asshole and you want to whine about anyone being here that you don’t want here; two things liberals on liberal blog comments sections are well known for and quite fond of.
Awwww, now the poor old doggie is trying to hump the homeowner’s leg.
Isn’t that cute and pathetic at the same time? Look, he wants more attention now! Must not be getting any attention anywhere else. So sad, all those poor lost doggies, wandering around with no one to pay them any mind.
Bad dog! Bad dog! No biscuit for you, bad dog! I guess this poor old pooch gets shuffled from one shithole to another. Such is the case with these old dogs. Hard to keep a home when you cannot control your bladder in your advanced age.
Ha. Dude, you were the one protrating yourself and begging like a year old pup at dinner time to ban me. Some gall you have to accuse someone else of leg-humping.
A comparison to Shirley Sherrod:
http://www.slate.com/id/2271931/
I’ve never seen so many Real Americans® rush to the the defense of a black man who gets a gubnit’-subsidized check.
@SQ – I agree that calling the fear rational would require bigotry. Whether Williams accepts that it is irrational isn’t really clear in his remarks. He does go on to say we’re not at war with Islam, which could suggest he does. But who knows?
Dennis is not a dog, he’s our trained stalker-laughter monkey.
Let’s get things straight.
Hey, Williams defenders: The 9/11 hijackers were NOT wearing “Muslim garb.” They were wearing wearing everyday street attire.
“And you can’t ignore the fact of what has recently been said in court with regard to this as a first drop of blood in a Muslim war in America.”
What the heck is Williams talking about here?