CAIR 2, TALK RADIO 0? -- Bill Handel, KFI Issue Apology, What's Next?

The Radio Equalizer- Brian Maloney ^ | February 9th, 2006 | Brian Maloney

[chuckpez]

Why does the Radio Equalizer have an uneasy feeling we've yet to hear the last of this ugly situation?

Very quietly yesterday, the ongoing flap between the Council on American Islamic Relations and KFI/Los Angeles radio talk host Bill Handel was apparently "resolved", via personal and official station apologies to CAIR.

As we previously wrote:

Almost appearing to relish the idea of a full-blown battle with CAIR, Handel kicked off the latest controversy with cracks about the stampede-related deaths of hundreds during the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

And, from our previous interview with Handel:

RE: Are you confident they'll remain firm on this?

Handel: Yes, but my boss did come to work today with a prayer rug, so I'm hoping she's still standing by me.

....................snip.......................

[humint]

They (the Bill Handel Show) apologize every day now. They make a list of everybody that gets insulted during the show and read it as they go out at 9AM. It's a hoot. Reading as fast as they can, it still takes a good minute to get through all the offended groups.

lol... CYA tactics, diluting any specific apology.

[CharlesWayneCT]

I normally want people to stand up to CAIR, but it seems reasonable to apologize for making fun of people getting killed in a stampede.

You just might be able to justify making fun of people who accidentally kill themselves trying to strap on bombs for suicide missions, but making fun of people who are tragically killed while practicing their religion? I think it's fine to apologize for that.

[humint]

I normally want people to stand up to CAIR, but it seems reasonable to apologize for making fun of people getting killed in a stampede.

It's inappropriate, I'd even say stupid, but so long as these jokes have an audience there should be no call for an apology. The right of Americans to be idiots is constitutionally guaranteed. I reserve my right to laugh at idiots, be they American, Muslim or both and learn from their humiliation. This is what freedom of the press is about. Compelling apologies isn’t about freedom and it certainly isn’t funny.

[sheik yerbouty]

They should be told to take a hike, walk a mile, and mount a camel..

[OldSmaj]

...it seems reasonable to apologize for making fun of people getting killed in a stampede.

I'll assume it's "reasonable" when they all apologize for 3000 people getting killed for no other reason than being in the wrong towers at the wrong time.

To hell with the muslims.

The pieces of excrement bomb, kill, kidnap, rape, pillage and commit mayhem at the slightest provocation and we're supposed to give a rat's ass when some of the nut-jobs get killed in a maniacal riot of their own making?

Not lately; not ever, at least not from me.

[humint]

22: Tell CAIR and the camel they rode in on to shove it.

This is a perfect example of a controversial comment. 22's comment sounds racist to me. Is it? I don't know and honestly I don't care. Apparently 22 lives in a world where these sorts of seemingly racist comments are acceptable. In history racists have been both rewarded and murdered for their views. These days, inappropriate behavior such as racism isn't rewarded nor is a person likely to be murdered for being racist, at least not in the United States. Whatever 22's point, no one should compel an apology for it. If ever 22 feels remorse, then 22 will apologize. But to whom? CAIR? Arabs? Camels? That’s 22’s business, and like I said, I honestly don’t care.

[chuckpez]

Nobody here is racist.

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

Google - Blogs - Search Term: "CAIR"

DANIEL PIPES.org - Weblog: "CAIR's LEGAL TRIBULATIONS"

DISCOVER THE NETWORKS - Group Profile: "CAIR"

JIHAD WATCH.org (THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN via LGF): "CAIR BOARD MEMBER: RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH IS NOT ABSOLUTE" (February 22, 2006)

CNS NEWS.com: 'PRINTING CARTOONS LIKE SHOUTING 'FIRE,' SAYS RELIGIOUS LEADER" by Monisha Bansal (February 17, 2006)

CNS NEWS.com: "RADIO HOST APOLOGIZES FOR 'OUT OF LINE' REMARKS ON MUSLIMS" by Susan Jones (February 8, 2006)

FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "DEATH OF A TERROR LOBBY" by Joe Kaufman (February 3, 2006)

CNS NEWS.com: "US-BASED ISLAMIC GROUP WADES INTO MUSLIM-DANISH ROW" by Susan Jones (February 1, 2006)

CNS NEWS.com: "'DON'T OFFEND MUSLIMS, MR. PRESIDENT'" by Susan Jones (January 31, 2006)

LittleGreenFootballs.com - Weblog: "HANDEL FIRES BACK AT CAIR" (January 30, 2006)

KFI640.com: "HandelCAIRresponse"  (mp3) (January 30, 2006)

WorldNetDaily.com: "SCHOOL ALLOWS MUSLIMS TO PRAY  Reverses policy after confrontation with CAIR" (January 26, 2006)

JIHAD WATCH.org (AP): "CAIR, ACLU SUE TO STOP DOMESTIC SPYING PROGRAM" (ARTICLE SNIPPET:  "The Detroit suit, which also names the NSA, was filed by the ACLU, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Greenpeace and several individuals.") (January 17, 2006)

WorldNetDaily.com: "CAIR ISSUES U.S. 'TRAVEL ADVISORY'" (December 21, 2005)

JIHAD WATCH.org (AMERICANS AGAINST HATE.com): "CAIR-FL SPOKESMAN SAYS 'NOTHING IMMORAL' ABOUT ISLAMIC JIHAD" (December 13, 2005)

"www.internet-haganah.us/jihadi/pij.html"

JIHAD WATCH.org: "KAUFMAN AND EPSTEIN: CAIR HOTEL HELL" (December 2, 2005)

JIHAD WATCH.org: "D.C. WATSON: DOUBLE-CROSS" (November 14, 2005)

CNS NEWS.com: "CAIR CALLS FOR CALM IN FRANCE" by Melanie Hunter (November 8, 2005)

JIHAD WATCH.org: "THE LIES ESCALATE" (November 13, 2005)

JIHAD WATCH.org: "CAIR DEFAMES ME AGAIN" (November 9, 2005)

JIHAD WATCH.org: "CAIR GOES AFTER ME" (November 8, 2005)

DISCOVER THE NETWORKS: "PROFILE: CAIR by Investor's Business Daily" (August 8, 2005)

DANIEL PIPES.org - Weblog: "CAIR ACCEPTED AS 'MAINSTREAM'" (January 21, 2004) (UPDATED: October 25, 2005)

CNS NEWS.com: "CONGRESS URGED TO RECOGNIZE THE BEGINNING OF RAMADAN" (September 26, 2005)

FrontPageMagazine.com: "WHOSE SIDE IS CAIR ON?" by Andrew Whitehead (September 21, 2005)

JIHAD WATCH.org - DHIMMI WATCH: "DC Watson: CAIR: TRIVIALIZING 9/11 FOR THE SAKE OF ISLAM?" (September 18, 2005)

DanielPipes.org (FrontPageMagazine.com): "WHY CORPORATIONS FUND RADICAL ISLAM" by Daniel Pipes (September 2, 2005)

JIHAD WATCH.org: "MPAC, CAIR, ISNA FEEL EXCLUDED FROM THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM" (August 30, 2005)

MichNews.com: "ACLU ALLIANCE WITH CAIR?" -Column by Sher Zieve (August 26, 2005)

CNS NEWS.com: "CAIR HAILS FIRING OF MICHAEL GRAHAM" by Randy Hall (August 22, 2005)

TOWNHALL.com: "CAIR 1, FREE SPEECH 0" -Column by Joel Mowbray (August 22, 2005)

TOWNHALL.com: "WELL, THEY GOT ME..." -Column by Michael Graham (August 22, 2005)

JIHAD WATCH.org (IndyStar): "CAIR, CACLU SUE GOV'T OVER BORDER SCRUTINY" (April 24, 2005)

DanielPipes.org - Weblog: "CAIR NAMED AS A DEFENDANT IN 9/11 TERROR LAWSUIT" (December 30, 2004) (NOTE: SEE AUGUST 15, 2005 UPDATE)

FrontPageMagazine.com: "CAIR FOUNDED BY 'ISLAMIST TERRORISTS'?" by Daniel Pipes and Sharon Chadha (July 28, 2005)

TheCounterterrorism Blog: "WALID PHARES: CAIR MUST CONDEMN AL QAIDA AND JIHADISM.." (July 28, 2005)

AMERICAN DAILY.com: "CAIR DISLIKES FREE SPEECH ON RADIO" by Pete Fisher (July 26, 2005)

WorldNetDaily.com: "CAIR TO GOP: REPUDIATE TANCREDO Upset by radio discussion about bombing Mecca" (July 22, 2005)

TOWNHALL.com: "THE MUSLIM HATE CRIME THAT WASN'T" -Column by Michelle Malkin (July 6, 2005)

FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "CAIRing for Sami Al-Arian" by Joe Kaufman (June 22, 2005)

CNS NEWS.com: "ISLAMIC GROUP CALLS FOR USE OF KORAN TO TAKE OATH" by Melanie Hunter (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "An Islamic civil rights and advocacy group is calling on North Carolina judges to allow people to use the Koran when taking an oath, saying the use of the Bible exclusively represents "an inappropriate state endorsement of religion." The request by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) comes after Guilford County judges said they would not allow use of Korans in their courtrooms.") (June 21, 2005)

DANIELPIPES.org - Weblog: "SIR IBRAHIM HOOPER AND LORD SALAM AL-MARAYATI?" (June 12, 2005)

JIHAD WATCH.org - Dhimmi Watch (AMERICANS AGAINST HATE): "JEB BUSH SENDS LETTER OF SUPPORT TO CAIR" (June 5, 2005)

ArabNews.com: Washinton: "CAIR OFFERING FREE QUR'AN COPIES TO AMERICANS" by Barbara Ferguson, Arab News (June 4, 2005)

"/littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=16089_NYT_Legitimizes_CAIR_(Again)&only" (June 4, 2005)

WorldNetDaily.com: "CAIR DISTRIBUTES QURAN BANNED AS ANTI-SEMITIC Version Offered for Free as Goodwill Response to Newsweek Fiasco" by Art Moore (June 2, 2005)

DanielPipes.org - Weblog: "MSM CRTICIZES CAIR, CAIR BRAZENS IT OUT" (May 23, 2005)

DANIEL PIPES.org (FrontPageMagazine.com): "CAIR's HATE CRIMES NONSENSE" by Daniel Pipes and Sharon Chadha (May 18, 2005)

CNS NEWS.com: "FREE KORANS FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE" by Susan Jones (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Over the weekend, CAIR held a conference in the Washington area on the causes and remedies of "Islamophobia and anti-Americanism."") (May 17, 2005)

FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "CAIR: HOW CLOSE TO TERRORISM?" by Andrew Whitehead and Lee Kaplan (May 11, 2005)

WorldNetDaily.com: "ACLU, CAIR DECRY ANTI-TERROR EFFORTS" April 20, 2005)

WorldNetDaily.com: "CAIR AND TERRORISM" -Commentary by Joseph Farah (April 18, 2005)

FrontPageMag.com: "CAIR's RADICAL NEXUS" by Josh Lefkowitz and Erick Stakelbeck (March 10, 2005)

INTERNET-HAGANAH.US: "WTF, OVER. [WHY IS THE DoD LIST SERVER BEING USED BY CAIR?]" (March 9, 2005)

DanielPipes.org - Weblog: "CAIR NAMED AS A DEFENDANT IN 9/11 TERROR LAWSUIT" (December 30, 2004)

WorldNetDaily.com: "SCHOOLS TO OBSERVE RAMADAN HOLIDAY?" (December 16, 2004)