Outrage Follows Robertson's Remarks on Islam

February 24, 2002

Source: Newsday

On February 24, 2002, Newsday featured the editorial "Pat Robertson Is at It Again." It noted that "on Thursday night, Robertson showed a sharply slanted segment on Muslim immigrants in America, portraying many of them as apologists for terrorism." The article quoted the following dialogue: "co-host Lee Webb had a question for Robertson: 'As for the Muslim immigrants, Pat, it makes you wonder, if they have such contempt for our foreign policy why they'd even want to live here?' ... 'Well,' Robertson allowed, 'as missionaries possibly to spread the doctrine of Islam.'" The article quoted the response of Hussein Ibish of the Arab American Anti-Discrimnation Committee: "'This is a slightly rehashed, warmed-over version of anti-Semitism from the late 19th and early 20th century ... This is exactly what was said about Jews 100 years ago. It is the kind of rhetoric that leads directly to hate crimes and encourages hatred. It really should stop."