Glenn Beck’s recent show “Exposed: The Extremist Agenda” was disappointing. Obviously — and he prefaced the show admitting this — he has a bias. His bias is that he is a “conservative” and a Christian and he mistrusts and/or is scared of Muslims. Even the pulsing rock and exotic Arabic flute theme music is scary!
He presented the show under the guise of showing Americans what they’re “not seeing”, while his real aim was to get “as many Americans as possible” to come to see things his way, that is, that Muslims are scary and they all want our (and Israel’s) destruction … oh, and vote Republican. He basically visited MEMRI.org and made a show of the clips.
The show could have been so much more than it was… if all of his guests, with the exception of the very last one, were not already in complete agreement with him.
His first segment, showing the hateful and conspiratory clips from the Middle East against the US and Jews, is one-sided. While the clips about the relation between popular sodas and Israel are troubling, Beck’s implicit claim (in this program and others) that most or all Muslims think a certain way is even more so.
Not only this, but I’m sure if someone combed through the US media, we could compile a similar disturbing picture of the West’s opinion about Arabs. In fact, someone has done such a study and even wrote a book, Reel Bad Arabs. I’m sure the subjects of that book are “realistic depictions” to Beck.
His first consultant, Walid Shoebat, ex-Muslim, mentions the frustration of Muslims (Arabs) about being failures while the West seems to be so successful so they blame Israel and the US. I agree with this.
But then Beck mentions that the hate is for our values, freedoms and our liberties. Does that make sense? On one hand, Muslims want to be successful and prominent like the US and on the other, they hate the very things that made us that way? Hmm…
Second consultant: US Ambassador to Israel. Very balanced…
As for the West “not seeing” the hatred from the Middle East - I have no idea where he gets this. Beck brings up Ahmadinejad and his “two faces”. He seems to overlook the very reason that Ahmadinejad was interviewed by CNN and CBS. Maybe Beck missed all the haranguing in his Wallace interview, where he, in fact, DID go on and on about Zionists, Israel and America. He even clearly states: “I will tell you that I fully oppose the behavior of the British and the Americans.” What are we missing?
“If some believe they can keep talking to the Iranian people in the language of threats and aggressiveness, they should know that they are making a bitter mistake.” M. Ahmadinejad
“Our nation is somewhat sad, but we’re angry. There’s a certain level of blood lust, but we won’t let it drive our reaction. We’re steady, clear-eyed and patient, but pretty soon we’ll have to start displaying scalps.” G.W. Bush
Tell me if you know of someone who hasn’t heard or seen a Muslim chanting “Death to America, Death to Israel”… Again, I don’t think anyone missed that.
Next consultant: Benjamin Netanyahu… Former PM of Israel…
Round-up of first segment: Ahmadinejad = Hitler and he wants to bring about another Holocaust, eliminate the Jews and take over the world with an Islamic state. So support Bush and the (upcoming!) war on Iran!
Next up, Suicide Bombers! Beck shows some clips about suicide bombers and families, which he says are designed to incite supporters and instill fear in the rest of us. Every military or militia engages in this kind of propaganda. Look at our own army videos and commercials… Army men on a hill, they haven’t eaten for days but they’re still strong! They’re going to destroy you from their hidden position! The enemy scrambles like ants! Bombed! … The supporters are incited and the others are afraid. Same thing? No?
This is yet another instance of his one-sidedness. He admits (like we all should) that suicide bombings and terror against innocents is wrong, yet he is actually aiming to incite others to support or even carry out, by way of joining the military, a war which undoubtedly will cause the deaths of innocents.
He sees the US (or Israeli) cause and the US (or Israeli) life as much more important and valuable than a Muslim life. One of the videos he shows is of a man who “avenged the blood of Al-Mulawi Nur Muhammad” — unacceptable? I wonder what Beck would say about the June 2006 Israeli attack on Palestine — an attempt to free a kidnapped soldier…
Next consultant: Nonie Darwish, ex-Muslim.
The goal of the videos of suicide bombers is to “excite the media… leapfrog over the military… and appeal directly to the home audience.” says Ralph Peters. Does Peters know that he is currently appearing in one such video?
Ah, the children… Not that I especially care for them, but teaching children to hate anyone is wrong. As for the implicit claim that Arabs or Muslims somehow teach their children to hate more than others, I disagree with that.
Next consultant, Brigitte Gabriel, non-Muslim and apparently anti-Muslim. She “fearlessly” defends America, Israel and Western civilization against Muslims. She makes it okay for a white man like Beck to hate Muslims and Arabs because she’s an Arab. Sort of like having a black friend means you’re not a racist and you can say the n-word.
Here in this show, she gives the basis for my claim of “implicit” hatred and mistrust of ALL Muslims. If you quote from the Qur’an, you are then talking about ALL Muslims. If you quote from the Qur’an saying that Jews and Christians were cursed and turned into apes and pigs, then you cannot say that there are “some good Muslims” unless there are some Muslims who do not believe in Qur’an…
(As for the claim of all Jews or Christians being turned into animals, I don’t agree with this interpretation. The very next verse, 5:61, says: “For, when they [above mentioned] come unto you, they say, ‘We do believe’: whereas, in fact, they come with the resolve to deny the truth, and depart in the same state. But God is fully aware of all that they would conceal.” So pigs and apes are talking? No… A few verses later, 5:66: “if they would but truly observe the Torah and the Gospel and all that has been bestowed from on high upon them by their Sustainer, they would indeed partake of all the blessings of heaven and earth.” That’s funny!)
Beck asks Gabriel why this show took so long to get on the air and she answers: “Because political correctness is killing us.” Way to go, sliding that old PC argument in there. Did I already mention that this show was propaganda for Beck’s ultra-conservatism?
Thank GOD for Aslam Abdullah being invited on the show. This was the kind of thing I was hoping for.
Beck’s interview with Abdullah clearly shows his self-admitted (at least he admits it!) ignorance and bias. He’s surprised that a Muslim would write against terrorism. Abdullah states that everyone he’s talked to has supported him and his article. Beck says that we don’t see Muslims speaking out: he must have overlooked those messages in his very narrow search of the internet. Beck didn’t know about the fatwas against bin Laden and terrorism. Good research, Glenn.
Overall, as I said, the show was disappointing. It was a shallow and severely biased incitement to the US public to help develop fear and hatred of Muslims.
Beck’s last words, showing hopeful clips of scholars and others “speaking out”, is superficial. He spent the better part of an hour making sure we understood that ISLAM is the problem and we need to “grow a backbone” and take care of it. Now at the very, very end of the program, he attempts a little damage control. It didn’t work… Perhaps CNN forced him to do it because his parting words, which dash away all the hopefulness given by the list guest and the short clips, are:
Unfortunately, hearing those sentiments in the United States is as refreshing as it is rare.
But Glenn, I thought you said we weren’t seeing that other side?
