free speech

Paying the Price for Speaking about Islam?

By Erick Stakelbeck
Washington Terror Analyst

CBN.com – WASHINGTON - In the world of talk radio, provocative opinions usually translate into high ratings. So, in July, when phone lines for his daily talkfest began lighting up, Michael Graham took it as a positive sign.

What was the source of all the buzz? Controversial comments that Graham made about Islam during a live broadcast on Washington D.C's WMAL radio.

"Islam has, sadly, become a terrorist organization," Graham told listeners. "It pains me to say it. But the good news is, it doesn't have to stay this way, if the vast majority of Muslims who don't support terror will step forward and reclaim their religion."

The first part of that statement--Islam has become a terrorist organization--drew complaints from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also known as CAIR. When WMAL refused to discipline Graham, CAIR began a campaign against the station and its advertisers.

Graham says that is when WMAL caved. “For four days in a row, I had the same conversation, making the exact same comments about Islam and terrorism,” Graham recalled. “Not only did management not object, but on the fourth day, they told me to spend my whole show on that topic--same subject, same verbiage. But when CAIR got involved, mysteriously, suddenly, in 24 hours, comments that were completely acceptable became a firing offense.”

Facing pressure from CAIR, WMAL suspended Graham and demanded he apologize for his statements. Graham refused, and it cost him his job.

“I didn't want to get fired, I fought hard to try to keep my job,” Graham said. “But also, at the same time, to keep my principles. And when it came down to abandoning my principles or losing a job, I felt like I just didn't have a choice.”

Some say that Graham's firing just does not add up. WMAL is an ABC affiliate. And for years, ABC has allowed criticism of religion over its airwaves. Or at least, one religion.

Brent Bozell of the Center for Media Research remarked, “Hugh Downs, the longtime anchor at ABC News, has said all manner of things against the religious right and against Christians, including equating the religious right to the Ku Klux Klan and Adolf Hitler. This man never got fired for it, he never was suspended, he was never reprimanded. For all I know, he got a raise.”

And what about Graham's comments about Islam? That it has become a terrorist organization? Robert Spencer is an expert on Islam and author of The New York Times bestseller, “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam and the Crusades.” Spencer disagrees with Graham's statement. But he says Graham is right to say that Islamic terrorism is inspired by Islamic teachings.

Spencer who is the director of jihadwatch.org, commented, “Americans are seeing that these things don't match up, that the violence being perpetrated in the name of Islam does not match the vision of Islam that we are being forced--by intimidation, being forced by the constant repetition of the mainstream media, both liberal and conservative, to accept.

Spencer believes that CAIR's protests played a major role in Graham's firing, and that CAIR seeks to silence legitimate criticism of Islam.

“CAIR did the same thing they did to Graham with National Review,” Spencer declared,
“when they complained that National Review's book service was carrying a book that they found offensive. And what did the book say? The book said that Mohammed was a prophet of war who fought battles, and who ordered the assassinations of his enemies, and so on. These things are all easily established from Islamic sources.”

WMAL declined to speak to CBN News for this story. But it did provide a written statement denying it was pressured by CAIR into firing Graham.

According to WMAL General Manager Chris Berry, “Some of Graham’s statements about Islam went over the line…[WMAL] had asked [Graham] for an on-air acknowledgement that some of his remarks were overly broad and inexplicably - he refused…[Graham] has also tried to position this that we were pressured into taking disciplinary action against him. For the record, we make our decisions independent of external pressures or third parties...”

Graham did not stay unemployed for long. His new program, “Michael Graham Unleashed,” can be heard every day from noon to 1p.m. on the Internet radio station rightalk.com. But he remains concerned that his firing will shut down any honest dialogue about Islam and terrorism.

“ABC's decision to cave into CAIR and give CAIR what they wanted,” said Graham, “has had an impact on radio, and the industry on free speech--that's indisputable.”

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