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

Shoddy Reporting on the Religion of Islam by ABC News, Part 5

I came across a 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 fifth 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 #6

[Transcription below for above video beginning at 06:25 on the video] 

ABC’s Diane Sawyer asserts some gobbledygook about Islamic tolerance,   

“And Mohammad said that we should all be tolerant of each other’s’ religion.”

David Wood questions, “No source, Diane? No chapter and verse?

“I hereby invite ANYONE from any planet to show me where Mohammad said ‘we should all be tolerant of each other’s religions.’  It never happened. (However,) Mohammed did say:

Qur’an 9:29 – Fight those who believe not in allah.

Qur’an 9:123 – O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and them find in you hardess.

Qur’an 38:29 – “Mohammad is the messenger of allah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves.

Sahih Muslim 33 – “I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god by allah.”

Qur’an 5:51 – O you who believe do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are the friends of each other.

Sahil Muslim 4366 – I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslims.

“I guess that is almost like telling people we should all be tolerant of each other’s religion, as long as you live in opposite world with bizzaro reporter Diane Sawyer.”

Based on the texts Mr. Wood quoted, Islam is anything but tolerant of any religion’ but itself. The very word “Islam” means submission or surrender, for pity sake!

The free dictionary definition found on the Internet further defines Islam as being a “monotheistic religion characterized by the acceptance of the doctrine of submission to God and to Muhammad as the chief and last prophet of God.” That “acceptance” can be either willing or can be coerced. In many parts of the world where Islam dominates, a person could literally lose their head over refusing to make the ‘right’ choice to submit to that ‘religion.’ In America where Islam is weak, they try to portray Islam as something that it truly is not.

There is only one conclusion I can make about this  and other blatant misstatement by Sawyer. She is deliberately lying when she portrays Mohammad as having said that we all should be tolerant of each other’s religion. Again, she may fancifully wishing that it would be the case, but the reality is something very different, just ask, for one example, the Coptic Christians in Egypt.

to be continued

Shoddy Reporting on the Religion of Islam by ABC News, Part 4

I came across a critique of the ABC News 20/20 program, “Islam: Questions and Answers.” That program originally was broadcast a year ago. The recent YouTube exposé points out 20 errors in the hour long supposed ‘news’ program. This is a fourth of a series of posts that will delve into the various errors made by Diane Sawyer and her fellow staff on this program. I am not quite sure whether this was just 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 #4

[Transcription below for above video beginning at 05:18]  

ABC’s Diane Sawyer says of the tenants of Islam,   

“And also in the Qur’an, the heart of Islam, Mohammed’s five pillars.”

David Wood corrects Sawyer, “Sorry, Diane, but the Five Pillars don’t come from the Qur’an. They come from the Hadith. You won’t find the shahada (faith, the first pillar) in the Qur’an. You won’t find ‘pray five times a day’ in the Qur’an. You won’t find a list of the five pillars in the Qur’an.

“I point this out because this is as basic as it gets and you’re not even getting it right!”

Error #5

[Transcription below for above video beginning at 05:43] 

Edina Lekovic (of the Muslim Public Affairs Council or MPAC) is recorded as saying on the ABC program about the mosque,      

“You know the reality is that the vast majority of Muslims in the United States are not mosque-attending Muslims. And that is okay.”

David Wood facetiously asks, “It’s okay for Muslims to do other things when they are supposed to be at the mosque?

“Seriously?

“In Sahih al Bukhari 657, Mohammed was about to burn Muslims alive and burn their houses because they did not show up for prayer. Seems Mohammed took this whole mosque thing seriously.

“But not to worry all you Muslims, who don’t want to go to the mosque. ABC News has a thoroughly Westernized Muslim woman telling you it’s okay to ignore your prophet’s command.”

Edina Lekovic, the Director of Policy and Programming for MPAC, now joins Diane Sawyer in presenting misinformation. Political correctness seems to rule the ABC News airwaves. There seems no regard for the truth.

To be continued