Shoddy Reporting on the Religion of Islam by ABC News, Part 6

I came across an excellent critique of the ABC News 20/20 program, “Islam: Questions and Answers.” That program originally was broadcast a year or so ago. A recent YouTube exposé points out 20 errors in the hour long supposed ‘news’ program. This is a sixth of a series of posts that will delve into the various errors made by Diane Sawyer, her fellow staff, and guests on this program. I am not quite sure whether this was just  a case of very bad or sloppy reporting, or merely a succumbing to political correctness, or outright lies about the so-called ‘religion’ of peace.
 

Here is the video, “Whitewashing Islam – 20 Errors on 20/20 (ABC News).” Following the video is a transcript of the next error found in the ‘news’ production.

Error #7

[Transcription below for above video beginning at 07:35 on the video] 

ABC’s Diane Sawyer chatters on about some nonsense regarding early ecumenicalism,   

“And after he (Mohammad) died, history saw the first real interfaith era.”

Islamic Imam Yahya Hendi, President of Clergy Beyond Borders, supports Sawyer’s ridiculous, grievous untruth:

“For hundreds of years the Jews, Christians, Muslims, and atheists lived together, debated God, debated religion.”

David Wood is incredulous, “Welcome to Fantasy Land. Population: Anyone who watches ABC News (and unquestioningly believes what they present).

“According to Muslim sources, after Mohammad died, Abu Bakr went on a killing spree against all the people who tried to leave Islam because they only became Muslims in the first place to avoid getting slaughtered by Mohammad. 
“Umar took over after Abu Bakr and he forced Christians to sign an agreement, Pact of Umar, saying they wouldn’t build churches, repair damaged churches, sing loudly in their churches, or wear crosses. They had to give up their seats for Muslims. They had to feed Muslims. And they had to let Muslims sleep in their churches. And if Christians ever violated any of those rules, the penalty was death.

“Over the next 14 centuries over 270 million people were slaughtered in the name of Islamic jihad – Christians, Jews, Hindus, Zoroastrians, everyone who refused to become Muslims.

“And Diane Sawyer and ABC News whitewash all of it describing, life under Islamic rule as an interfaith paradise. It’s kind of offensive, isn’t it?”

I am reminded of Jesus calling the religious people of his day, “whitewashed sepulchers” or tombs. Isn’t that an apt description of the nicely groomed, professional, polished news persons or so-called journalists and their self-serving chosen guests appearing on the 20/20 program on Islam? They look good on the outside, they sound good, but they knowingly are purveyors of the worst distortions, falsehoods and outright lies about the evils inherent in the Islamic system through the ages.

As an example, one source on the Internet reveals the violent nature of Islam in regard to the men who carried the torch after Mohammad expired:

632-634 A.D.  Under the Caliphate of Abu Bakr, the Muslim Crusaders re-conquer and sometimes conquer for the first time the polytheists of Arabia. These Arab polytheists had to convert to Islam or die. They did not have the choice of remaining in their faith and paying a tax.

This shows the true nature of Islam, then and now.

to be continued