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CBS TV affiliate WTSP gave CAIR unopposed interview during prime time on 9-11 denying terrorist ties, glamorizing CAIR and applauding access to Tampa public school students.
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WTSP's biased report essentially endorsed CAIR's unfettered access to public school students
CAIR-Tampa Executive Director Hassan Shibly shown here teaches hundreds of Steinbrenner High School students about Islam and Sharia law on November 29, 2011. |
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WTSP Channel 10 in Tampa Bay aired a primetime, unopposed interview with the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Tampa executive director Hassan Shibly on of all days 9-11-2012.
CAIR officials, including Hassan Shibly, have been at the center of debate in Tampa because the Hillsborough County School Board allowed them to make unfettered presentations to hundreds of students regarding Sharia and Islamic advocacy.
WTSP’s biased report denied CAIR’s ties to terrorists, ignored CAIR’s apologetics for jihadists, glamorized CAIR and essentially endorsed CAIR’s unfettered access to public school students in Tampa. WTSP’s report contained no counter or opposing comments.
Hassan Shibly, CAIR Tampa Executive Director, went unopposed as he dished out his propaganda for several minutes. The reporter’s first question led to Hassan Shibly to say that CAIR has “no connections with terrorism.”
However, the facts indicate that CAIR, formerly known as “The Islamic Association of Palestine”, was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the biggest terrorist financing case of all time and numerous CAIR officials have acted as apologists for and defended terrorists.
News9.com reports, “Former CIA Director James Woolsey told a group in Oklahoma City that CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) is an extremist Muslim group with ties to terrorists. Woolsey said CAIR, once called “The Islamic Association of Palestine”, is named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal case U.S. vs. the Holy Land Foundation which “is the biggest terrorist financing case of all time.”
Current and past executive directors of CAIR Tampa have defended jihadists and terrorists.
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Current CAIR Tampa Executive Director Hassan Shibly granted legitimacy to Hizballah following the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War by characterizing it as a "resistance movement" that provides valued social services to the Lebanese people. "They're absolutely not a terrorist organization," Shibly said, and "any war against them is illegitimate."
On his Facebook page, Shibly defended a radical imam killed by the FBI after he opened fire on agents moving in to arrest him. In that October 2009 post, Shibly questioned the use of force against Imam Luqman Abdullah even though the criminal complaint against him made it clear
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Abdullah advocated violent jihad and urged followers never to surrender peacefully to authorities.
Shibly's online profile also features American-born Islamic cleric Khalid Yasin as an "Interest." Yasin is known for his controversial views, including a 2005 interview in which he says that Muslims cannot be friends with non-Muslims; that suicide bombings are understandable; and that the U.S. orchestrated 9/11 to wage a war against Islam. "There's no such thing as a Muslim having a non-Muslim friend," he said. "If you prefer the clothing of the kafirs [disbelievers] over the clothing of the Muslims, most of those names that's on most of those clothings is (sic) faggots, homosexuals and lesbians." Yasin goes further, encouraging children to take up the "honor" of throwing stones and confronting Israeli soldiers when there are no more men left to do it.
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Former CAIR Tampa Executive Director Ahmed Bedier defended renowned convicted terrorist fundraiser Sami Al-Arian when he told The Tampa Tribune “Al-Arian did not agree to admit to any charges associated with terrorism” and "There is no conspiracy to support terrorism." Click here to read Bedier’s comments in The Tampa Tribune.
Additionally, Ahmed Bedier defended Ahmed Mohamed who was arrested on August 4, 2007 in South Carolina for allegedly possessing pipe bombs. Mohamed was sentenced to 15 years for his offense. Bedier said "We have faith in the American judicial system.” |
So far we've only heard and read about vague language describing an explosive device, but no actual evidence. Until that's displayed it's going to be unclear what's going on." Click here to read Bedier’s comments in The Tampa Tribune.
What did WTSP do with the side of the story that CAIR doesn’t want people to hear? They censored it.
WTSP made one thing absolutely clear by giving Hassan Shibly several minutes to present his unfettered, unopposed propaganda. That is, they consider only his point as important in this public debate.
WTSP glamorized CAIR with the following television screen graphics.
Truly, Islamists' best friends are found in America's mainstream media.
Eighteen (18) out of twenty seven (27) companies targeted in this campaign did not advertise again during the last monitoring period. Based upon prior experience with contacting advertisers, Florida Family Association strongly believes that fifteen (15) of these eighteen (18) advertisers most likely pulled their advertising as a result of receiving emails from thousands of supporters. The names of the companies that stopped advertising because of issues like this one will not be reported in a prominent public manner because intense scrutiny by opponents could cause advertisers to reverse their decision.
The following companies advertised on the WTSP web site during the past couple of days: AT&T, Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Budget Truck), BB&T, Builders Digital Experience (New Home source), Duke Energy Corporation, Connectv, First Coast Oncology, Florida Blood Services, Ford (Escape), General Motors (Malibu), HCA Holdings, Inc., Humana, Intuit Inc. (Quickbooks), MetroPCS, Pennymac Loan Services LLC, Regions Financial Corp., Sierra Construction, St. Vincent's Health System, TECO Energy, Toyota (Bay Area Dealers including Sun Toyota, Stadium Toyota, Stadium Toyota, Clearwater Toyota, Toyota Tampa Bay, Village Toyota, Wesley Chapel Toyota, Courtesy Toyota and Lakeland Toyota), TransUnion Corp. and Universal Orlando.
Florida Family Association has prepared an email for you to send urging these companies to stop supporting WTSP’s blatantly biased reporting with their advertising dollars.
The action email for this issue has been deactivated.
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