Drawing Upon Free Speech

Thursday night my station did a story on the controversial Muhammed cartoons which have raised many a riot around the globe. The piece contained three of the cartoons just as they appeared, including the "bomb turban" one. We did not fuzz anything, like CNN.

Here is what we told viewers before the story aired:

Media outlets across the country are debating whether to print the cartoons or broadcast them. Our media partner, the Tucson Citizen is conducting an online poll. And so far, 65 percent of respondents are saying they should run either in the paper or online.

Tonight we talk with an Israeli political cartoonist visiting Tucson and with a spokesman for Tucson's Islamic community. After much debate in our newsroom, we decided to show the cartoons, but only in the context in which they are discussed here. If you think you may be offended, please turn off your television. This is not to incite, but to give Tucsonans and southern Arizonans some insight into what this controversy is all about.

You can read Teresa Jun's excellent story at this link, which also has a video link to the story (and the disclaimer before it) as it aired.

Some honesty: I pitched this story. I believe in free speech. I couldn't honestly call myself a patriot if I didn't. At the same time, I believe rights come with responsibilities -- the old "yelling fire in a crowded theater" exception is one we can all recognize. I also believe it means being respectful of other religions. This story, again, was right on the mark.

But know this also: In Teresa's story, Muhammad As'ad urges the rioting Muslims overseas to "just cool it." I wish Al-Jazerra would broadcast that comment once for every time they've run an Al-Qaida tape. Islam is not a religion of violence. But unfortunately, the moderate, peaceful Muslims have allowed their religion to be co-opted by the radicals. Teresa's story might not have been necessary if more people understood the true nature of Islam.

You wouldn't think of Catholics as abortion-clinic bombers. You wouldn't see Jews as hook-nosed. But mention "Muslim," and I imagine a lot of you are going to have some vision of a person an explosive device. Your better judgment knows it's false, but that's not what you see when you turn on the news.

If we are going to fight a War On Terror against radical Muslims, the moderates cannot sit on the sidelines. It is high time that they started taking their religion back, changing the perception, and getting the truth out there. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is trying, but they have also taken heat for extremists in the ranks. One group is not going to get it done. It's going to take a lot of time, a lot of unity, and likely a lot of TV Public Service Announcements before the message gets out.