PBS shelves the documentary installment: "Islam vs. Islamists"

"Islam vs. Islamists" was supposed to be part of a series on post 9/11 America titled: "America at a Crossroads". The film was paid for $675,000.00 and is now shelved.

Here is an article on the move by PBS: Article

Well it sounds like a good number of other films were also shelved-- "11 hours of airtime with 21 approved projects". To me it sounds like a politicized tantrum, using cheap appeals like "tax-payer money" etc etc, but who knows? It is certainly possible that political views played a role in the decision.

And the topic is one, of course, which I personally think is very important for the American public to know more about. I would have to see the film to say whether I agree with the viewpoint, but the general idea I get from reading about it seems thoughtful and truthful.

An ugly episode, and it only reinforces the image of PBS as a politically correct moonscape. Some more details:

Among Burke's examples of tampering:

• A WETA manager pressed to eliminate a key perspective of the film: The claim that Muslim radicals are pushing to establish "parallel societies" in America and Europe governed by Shariah law rather than sectarian courts.
  
• After grants were issued, Crossroads managers commissioned a new film that overlapped with Islam vs. Islamists and competed for the same interview subjects.
  
• WETA appointed an advisory board that includes Aminah Beverly McCloud, director of World Islamic Studies at DePaul University. In an "unparalleled breach of ethics," Burke says, McCloud took rough-cut segments of the film and showed them to Nation of Islam officials, who are a subject of the documentary. They threatened to sue. "This utterly undermines any journalistic independence," Burke wrote in an e-mail to WETA officials.

In an interview, McCloud said she showed a single video frame to a Muslim journalist who was not a Nation of Islam representative. However, in a January e-mail, McCloud told Crossroads producers that she had spoken with Nation of Islam representatives and "invited them over to view this section." She also wrote that they were outraged "and will promptly pursue litigation." Stewart, the WETA executive, said McCloud was admonished for "inappropriate" conduct.

Maybe, if PBS stick its head just a bit deeper in the sand, we can make all our problems go away!

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The claim that Muslim radicals are pushing to establish "parallel societies" in America and Europe governed by Shariah law rather than sectarian courts.

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Gah, lousy leftist censors.

CR

I guess they have to stick to bashing Jews and Christians. Atleast they don't lop off heads and burn down cities I guess.

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Originally Posted by Devastatin Dave

I guess they have to stick to bashing Jews and Christians. Atleast they don't lop off heads and burn down cities I guess.

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Wow dave, I might just cut my lunch short to come back and see all the wonderful replies you'll get with this little diddy :laugh4:

In all seriousness, it is a rather sad commentary that attempts to have a diolque on Islam in the U.S. is being stifled on multiple levels with several well versed justifications (the 21 films for 11 hours thing was a jewel).

I much rather have everything out on the table, even the biased slanted :daisy:, I'm a big boy I can pull through the meyer to get to reasonable content. I suspect that there are a growing majority of people in the U.S. who want more sources of information on Islam as a whole other then the quips on the nightly news or some recant of of crusader history.

Where would these 'parallel Muslim societies' in America be? I know where they are in Europe. Exactly what sort of information is PBS suppressing?

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Originally Posted by Adrian II

Where would these 'parallel Muslim societies' in America be? I know where they are in Europe. Exactly what sort of information is PBS suppressing?

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Area 51. And wherever the Easter Bunny comes from.

Azi

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Originally Posted by Lemur

An ugly episode, and it only reinforces the image of PBS as a politically correct moonscape. Some more details:

Among Burke's examples of tampering:

• A WETA manager pressed to eliminate a key perspective of the film: The claim that Muslim radicals are pushing to establish "parallel societies" in America and Europe governed by Shariah law rather than sectarian courts.

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I believe the word they wanted there was "secular," not "sectarian."

Goofball, I love your sig.

Azi

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Originally Posted by Devastatin Dave

I guess they have to stick to bashing Jews and Christians. At least they don't lop off heads and burn down cities I guess.

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Sad but true. Topics that no one can make jokes about is only defined by areas that have groups that will scream blue murder. We've got the Vicar of Dibley. Are we due a show about other groups, or is it on;y Christians that can be mocked?

~:smoking:

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Sad but true. Topics that no one can make jokes about is only defined by areas that have groups that will scream blue murder. We've got the Vicar of Dibley. Are we due a show about other groups, or is it on;y Christians that can be mocked?

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:dizzy2:
Thats wierd , I thought this was about a documentary , is the vicar of dibley a documentary ? I thought it was a entertainment show starring a comedian , I thought that broadcaster makes lots of entertinment shows mocking many different groups . Oh well , maybe I got it wrong .

So I suppose that Louis Theroux that Rabbit started a topic about is another example of a documentary that only mocks christians , the Phelps nuts do after all call themselves Christian don't they , it would be further proved by his program on televangelists , yep Christians again , KKK yep christians again , Nazis (well a lot of those featured called themselves christian) , there you go absolute proof that documentaries only focus on christians who wouldn't scream blue murder if they were depicted in an unfavourable light .

When oh when is he going to do one for balance on something like gansta culture , nation of islam , black nationalism ??????:juggle2:

BTW Rory , do you remember the recent topic about a 6 part tv documentary from your country , I cannot remember if it was the liberal BBC that made it or liberal Channel 4 .
It was about extremist Islamist nutjobs preaching hate and supporting terrorism in Britain , it really mocked their views so it did .

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Originally Posted by rory_20_uk

Sad but true. Topics that no one can make jokes about is only defined by areas that have groups that will scream blue murder. We've got the Vicar of Dibley. Are we due a show about other groups, or is it on;y Christians that can be mocked?

~:smoking:

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The Church of England deserves, even needs, to be mocked.