CAIR Says Not To Link Dix Six To Islam

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: 4th Estate Debate

(AP Photo/Andrea Shepard)

I missed this yesterday, but Greg Pollowitz flags a statement from The Council on American-Islamic Relations that contains a noteworthy request: that "media outlets and public officials refrain from linking [the Fort Dix] case to the faith of Islam."

The men alleged to have plotted the attack are Muslim, and, according to court papers, "several of them said they were ready to kill and die 'in the name of Allah.'"

On one level I understand why CAIR would not want the case linked to the faith of Islam, as these men are clearly not representative of the majority of Muslims. But media outlets should not be in the business of selectively suppressing information.

The fact that these men are Muslim may make some people more antagonistic towards all Muslims, and that's unfortunate. But it is not the role of journalists to make judgments about which facts to report and which to suppress, unless there are mitigating circumstances such as national security issues. The faith of these men is part of the story, and, whenever possible, the story should be told in full.

In the age of the Internet, of course, it would be extremely difficult for reporters to keep the facts secret even if they wanted to. But if they could, and did, it would only lead frustrated news consumers to traffic in rumors that could do far more damage than the facts. Can you imagine what people might have assumed about the Virginia Tech shooter if the press corps had not identified him and discussed his motivations and background?

The Asian American Journalist Association called on media outlets to move in that direction, requesting that they "avoid using racial identifiers unless there is a compelling or germane reason" in identifying the shooter. But in situations like Virginia Tech and Fort Dix, there is always a compelling and germane reason to fully identify those involved: The obligation of a free press to put all the facts out there and let us come to our own conclusions, even if they're flawed. To do otherwise would be to engage in something approaching social control, and that's what our press corps is for.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by brucesmall May 11, 2007 12:57 AM EDT: There is a big difference between the two cases.

Cho happened to be Korean, but he didn't attack the students because he was Korean, so his place of national origin was not relevant.

The Fort Dix wannabe terrorists allegedly wanted to attack American soldiers and their religion was central to their hatred, so it is relevant.; Reply to this comment


by thy1138 May 10, 2007 10:56 PM EDT: (3rd attampt at posts lost) There is a Bronx Muslim Center in the former union hall of the Communication Workers of America here in the Bronx, NYC right around the corner from where TV personality Regis Philbin grew up, and as far as I know, no one has attacked it or the surrounding neighborhood which has some small shops and stores of that ethnicity, fairly recently started, though in the Mt. Carmel section they've been there a bit longer.; Reply to this comment


by thy1138 May 10, 2007 10:37 PM EDT: That's an interesting problem. We are very willing to state self-immolation of priests in Vietnam by fire with Buddhism but all others there had no religion reported. We seem to have the separation of the "church and the state" in our reporting in mind, when, unless someone is of a "clergy" or the story reflects some aspect of the person's belief directly, it's neglected. I live in the Bronx, a borough of New York City which has had Muslims come somewhat recently to more traditionally Catholic sections, side by side, in Mt. Carmel or near Morris Park neighborhoods for example, the latter, where TV personality Regis Philbin is formerly from. I am happy to report there has not been any noteworthy problems, the Muslim Center, in the former union hall of the Communications Workers of America, often part of television broadcasting, has not been attacked to my knowledge.; Reply to this comment


by presidentusa May 10, 2007 3:38 PM EDT: From presidential candidate republican stephen d macmillan 2008 i think the problem in this is that we don't take note of there religion or beliefs i got to the brazilian church with all the brazilian people in massachusetts and at first when they asked me to kneel i found it kind of diffrent but then going week after week i learned that americans dont relly understand the true understanding of other nations religion and would be the best candidate to understand the true nature of religion in third world country's and its because most politician's have lived a good life and im more of a tuff presidential candidate thats worked the inner routes of third nations and have knew ideas to solutions in religion crises and third world nations seem to adapt to me russia and brazil because i show inner quilty and relate but don't seem so distant as others seem that brings friendship its critical in economics as well when i helped one of the first people there in the engineering dept at microcom in norwood massachusetts the first company to build a module the linked computer to telephone what we call the internet today that out of the six people we had there working with blue prints and chips and ic and resisters i saw things in a diffrent perspective than others and was pulled a side and giving a higher postion as the others looked on in jealouse affects and i use that to undertsand third world country's that maybe with a combo and religion; Reply to this comment


by presidentusa May 10, 2007 3:35 PM EDT: From presidential candidate republican stephen d macmillan 2008 i think the problem in this is that we don't take note of there religion or beliefs i got to the brazilian church with all the brazilian people in massachusetts and at first when they asked me to kneel i found it kind of diffrent but then going week after week i learned that americans dont relly understand the true understanding of other nations religion and would be the best candidate to understand the true nature of religion in third world country's and its because most politician's have lived a good life and im more of a tuff presidential candidate thats worked the inner routes of third nations and have knew ideas to solutions in religion crises and third world nations seem to adapt to me russia and brazil because i show inner quilty and relate but don't seem so distant as others seem that brings friendship its critical in economics as well when i helped one of the first people there in the engineering dept at microcom in norwood massachusetts the first company to build a module the linked computer to telephone what we call the internet today that out of the six people we had there working with blue prints and chips and ic and resisters i saw things in a diffrent perspective than others and was pulled a side and giving a higher postion as the others looked on in jealouse affects and i use that to undertsand third world country's that maybe with a combo and religion; Reply to this comment


by one_american May 10, 2007 3:15 PM EDT: Not all Muslims are terrorists, but most terrorists are Muslims...is anyone surprised by this fact?

As soon as the press wakes up and realizes that CAIR is the great enabler, the modern-day Trojan horse to Islamic Supremacy and terrorism in America, the sooner America will have a fighting chance at stopping this scourge.; Reply to this comment


by one_american May 10, 2007 3:09 PM EDT: Not all Muslims are terrorists, but most terrorists are Muslims...is anyone surprised by this fact?

As soon as the press wakes up and realizes that CAIR is the great enabler, the modern-day Trojan horse to Islamic Supremacy and terrorism in America, the sooner America will have a fighting chance at stopping this scourge.; Reply to this comment