Juan Williams Fired by NPR Over Muslim Comments

NPR news analyst Juan Williams is shown in this undated photo.

/ AP Photo/SeniorNet, File

WASHINGTON (CBS/AP) Juan Williams has been fired by National Public Radio because of comments he made about Muslims on the Fox News Channel.

NPR reported the dismissal of its longtime news analyst on its website. It said Williams appeared on the on Monday and told host Bill O'Reilly that he gets worried and nervous when he sees people dressed in Muslim-style clothes on airplanes.

"I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the Civil Rights movement in this country," Williams said on the show. "But when I get on a 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."

O'Reilly had brought guests onto the program to discuss his appearance last week on ABC's "The View" during which Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg walked off the set in protest of O'Reilly's views on Muslims.

NPR, which is partially government funded, said it had notified Williams that his contract was being severed. The statement says Williams' remarks "were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR."

Williams has been a political contributor for Fox News since 1997. He has also written extensively on race and civil rights in the U.S.

A phone message left for Williams at his home seeking comment was not immediately returned Thursday morning.

[kathleenoc]

I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous." That is so ridiculous it defies reason.No wonder he got fired. So what kind of garb is he talking about? My son who's father is Catholic and Nigerian wears a garb that looks "Muslim". Why, because it is a cultural and Catholics and Muslims dress that way where he comes from. When Americans go to other countries do they give up their normal clothing and dress like the natives? You think they can't handle you all in a suit or jeans? They wear those too when they feel like it.What is wrong with people? A woman in a hijab scares you? Is that why a woman just beat up a woman getting gas a a gas station;because she wore a hijab? After 911 2 men of the Sikh religion were murdered because their murderers thought they were Muslim. Some Hispanic people got beat up because they looked Arab and this idiot who is supposed to be a reporter fans the flame and tells everbody on islamophobic Bill O'Reilly's show..it's ok to be a bigot..I'm famous and "they" scare me too.Well "they" don't scare me and I'm 67,5'3".But people like O'Reilly and Beck and Williams do.People are acting out the hate these people preach. Muslims didn't attack America. Heretics attacked America. When the towers fell 300 Muslims died with the other innocent people.First responders included Muslims. And what did avowed Christian George Bush do? He said he was on a "crusade". He dropped bombs on innocent men women and children in Iraq to show how Christian America is? He developed "Shock and Awe" and carried it out on a country that never attacked us.He lied to get the American public to cheer the deaths of over one million people who never did a thing to America.Beck,O'Reilly et all want you to hate.Any real Christians out there? Love thy neighbor...our neighbor may not dress like you or look like you but apparently there are eonough people who look alike you can't tell who is Muslim or a Christian by their clothes or their skin color. But if a person is acting like a Muslim or a Christian;real followers of those faiths "They" are like the "good Samaritan" in the bible. Decent human beings who don't need to be defined by their garb but what they are doing when you smile and say "hello".

[jaek1]

CBS is showing its bias. It did not show Juan's entire comments about Muslims. He went on to say that you cannot judge all Muslims by the radical Muslims--or something similar to that. NPR was just looking for a way to fire Juan because he appears on Fox News. NPR has lost my donations in the future. It disappoints me that you can have freedom of speech until it disagrees with the "extreme" liberal point of view.

[carlit0zway]

I think we are blurring the line between race and religion commenting on someones religion is not the same as criticizing race. You choose religion you cant choose race. People are always crying "freedom of Religion". What about "Freedom from Religion".

[triishnmiller]

NPR better duck. Is it possible that they do not know what they have done? Is their funding so secure that they can do whatever they like. I feel a firestorm coming..how stupid, how unnecessary.

[twinmh]

Shame on NPR. There was nothing hateful in what he said. Punishing people when they speak honestly about reasonable concerns, or walking off the set rather than engaging in dialog, is what stirs up anger and hatred. Perhaps it's true that honest communication "is inconsistent with [NPR's] editorial standards and practices."

[TRUE American]

NPR should be ashamed .Juan Williams is a great journilist. He has a right speak what he feels . This IS STILL a FREE COUNTRY ,,but the leftist is trying to change that .They want this country to go socialist ,where everything will be monitered and sensorced and we will no longer have freedom of speech nor freedom of anything. PEOPLE YOU BETTER WAKE UP BEFORE IT IS TO LATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you want the muslums to take over and the women have to wear garb and keep faces covered up in public,,then go ahead and join them in there country ,,NOT OURS. I do not want them telling me to keep my face covered up in public,but ALL these muslum simpathizers wants either to go socialist or become muslems ,then I say GO LIVE WITH THEM!!!!!!!!!!! BUT I will die first before I will turn muslum or socialist ,they will have to kill me first.

[jjgravelle]

Juan Williams' edginess probably isn't only limited to Muslims. He likely fears Caucasians in certain situations as well (as do I):
http://gravelle.us/content/juans-bitten-twice-shy
though I doubt he'd lose his job for saying so.

The fact of the matter is that, in certain situations, certain ethnicities DO fit profiles that justify, at the very LEAST, nervousness:
http://www.dailyscoff.com/?p=2891

Liberals, as everyone knows, can NOT be racists. But I understand (as does anybody who's ever HEARD public radio) that NPR can't have commentators go around speaking their OWN mind, either...


-jjg

[carolinmd]

Juan Williams' comment displays an honest reflection of a visual message given by those who appear dramatically different than than mainstream everyday American people.
The media denial of this deliberate exposure of differences with the display of their ethnic dress, rather than acceptance of the culture they now live, as being provocative, is ignorant and uses a form of reverse discrimination against the American public, and in this case, Juan Williams.
The people are supposed to bury their heads in the sand and pretend that terrorists are not by and large, Islamic Muslims. Americans are being brain washed by the media with the political correct pablum we are supposed to use when referring to this category of people. We are to deny there is any connection to Muslims and terrorists. We are to deny that Islam is the religion of all Muslims. We are to deny that Sharia law is the law of the Muslims. We are supposed to say that all Muslims are nice people, and their religion is one of peace...blah,blah,blah!
People are not supposed to step outside of this media imposed box, regardless of the legality of the freedom of speech we are all supposed to enjoy, and recite lies so as not to offend Muslims. That the Muslim agenda and Sharia law is totally incompatible with our Constitution and our way of life is to be disregarded in the name of political correctness which is composed of outright lies.
Juan Williams is an American citizen who is in no way bigoted, and believes in the rights of all people, as he has said and demonstrated so many times over the years. It is an insult to the many people who listen to him, and an injustice to Juan, to be dismissed by the NPR, who have exposed themselves as the true bigots in this travesty of justice.

[Skruffy1]

Say goodbye, Juan. I never cared for you anyway. You were NOT NPR caliber in the first place, when you did "Talk of the Nation", and when you popped up on Fox, I figured you had settled to your appropriate level.

[TRUE American]

Well maybe a lot of people don't care for you either....How does that feel ??? Your level is as LOW AS IT GETS . People like you is what is bringing this country down. If it was a socialist country you wouldn;t have the right to speak your mind ,but RIGHT NOW it is still A FREE COUNTRY.With people like you ,it won't be long till it will be socialist ,,which is the next thing to communisum,,would you like that ,not having freedom ???????

[reiner52]

Good riddance - let him continue to spout his bigotry at Faux News where hate speech & fear mongering is welcome.

[TRUE American]

Well if you feel that way ,,WHY DON"T YOU GO LIVE WITH THE MUSLIMS and wear their garb and LOOSE your FREEDOM . DO you want to loose your FREEDOM ,because that is what will happen with people like you thinking the way you do. GO LIVE IN A SOCIALIST COUNTRY AND SEE WHAT IT IS LIKE BEFORE YOU PUT DOWN PEOPLE FOR SPEAKING WHAT THEY FEEL. FREEDOM is what gives you the right to come on here and give your opinion,,but NOT when it goes Socialist ,,I guarentee you won't have that FREEDOM .

[TRUE American]

The comment I said to skruffy,goes for YOU TOO.