Demonstrators gathered this morning – homemade signs in tow – to protest the Oregonian ’s decision to distribute a DVD called “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West ” as a paid ad insert in the paper’s Sunday editions.
The group of about 75 protesters congregated in front of the Oregonian ’s offices on Southwest Jefferson Street and Broadway, waving white flags displaying doves and bobbing signs that read “Hate—Not in Our Town” in the direction of cars that drove by, many of whom waved and honked their approval.
Spokespeople from various organizations and faiths took turns behind a podium on the sidewalk and denounced The Oregonian ’s connection to the 60-minute DVD, which they described as trying to incite fear of Muslims by assuming an educational tone and proceeding to all-too-hazily differentiate between Islam and terrorist organizations.
“It is the moral obligation of a newspaper to inform, not to misinform,” said United Methodist minister Rev. Chuck Cooper to applause and shouted agreement. “The Oregonian gets a well deserved ‘F’ for citizenship.” He called for a written apology from the newspaper, and suggested that it donate the advertising revenue it received for “Obsession” to a Muslim educational trust in the community.
Hala Gores , American-Palestinian attorney and president of the Arab American Cultural Center of Oregon, led the crowd in chanting “say no to hatred, Fred,” directed toward O publisher Fred Stickel (who appears to be playing the free speech card. He is quoted in an article about the controversy in Sunday’s Oregonian as saying, "I’ve always felt we have an obligation to keep our advertising columns as open as possible… Our acceptance of anything—our acceptance or rejection—does not depend on whether or not we agree with the content.").
“It is time to tell the media – the Oregonian specifically – to stop the use of sophisticated propaganda,” Gores said.
Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield, co-chair of the Interfaith Council of Greater Portland, struck a note of optimism as he leaned over the podium and made eye contact with members of the surrounding crowd: “My prayer is that this is a positive moment, where we can see what work is to be done,” he said.
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Tags: media, oregonian radical islam
What a buncha BS. SO, going by the logic of whoever is in charge of this pulication, I can pay and put some misinformed lies about how we faked the moon landing or how Asian women are anatomically different from other women (and you know what I mean, wink, wink)in their lil periodical. NOBODY on the staff of the paper watched or heard of this DVD. I am not a religious person, but I am offended and tired of the hiding of hate behind faith.
To pressure a newspaper, pressure its advertisers. If the Oregonian want to promote interreligious hatred, they may of course do so—but the rest of us ought not to do business with their advertisers until the paper repudiates its actions and gives up the money it got from them.
(On a side note, why is "it was just advertising" a defence? I’m not really seeing how being a bigot-for-pay is better than being a freelance bigot.)
I’ve heard from more than one circulation employee that the number irate dvd viewers that had cancelled their subscriptions had exceeded 400 as of October 7. Add that up, and they stand to lose some money on the deal. Funny how the Publisher gets all free speechy when it comes to editorial content, but when it adds to the bottom line (advertising), it’s another story. Free speech indeed.
I`AM A AMERICAN INDIAN AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM AT ALL WITH THE DVD. I`VE WATCH IT 4 TIMES, MUSLUM`S SAY DEATH TO ALL CHRISTIAN`S AND JEW`S !!!!!. THEN HUSSIEN BARRICK OBAMA FOR A PRESIDENT IN THE USA USA USA!!!!!!!!. HATRED NOT!DID YOU PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT 911 WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACK , ALREADY . WHAT ABOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH!! PREACHER!S DO IT ALL THE TIME . ALSO I`VE VIEWED ANOTHER DVD FROM THIS DVD COMPANY AND THE MOVIES WERE FREE. PLUS THEY WERE CLEAN FAMILY MOVIES THAT KEPT THE WHOLE FAMILY GLUED TO IT !!! LOOK BACK AND SEE WHAT WAS TAKEN FROM US AMERICAN`S INDIAN`S WE HAD ALOT OF LAND AND FREEDOM ,LOOK AT WHAT THE OBAMA HUSSIEN BARRICK OFFICE CAN DO FOR THE AMERCIAN PEOPLE!!! WAKE UP AMERICA WE ARE STILL AT WAR !!! $3.40 a Gallon for Gas, WHAT`S NEXT MUSLUM AMERCIA!!! JUNGLEJIM TOLEDO OHIOhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m221/northornothin/osm_logo2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm%3Ffuseaction%3Duser.viewprofile%26friendid%3D170010208&h=300&w=300&sz=108&hl=en&start=1&um=1&usg=__iv-Pj_Ifpji4tyAwNpLbc96k01Q=&tbnid=ZAXnmiKPkKEwsM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dohio%2Bstreet%2Bmusic%2Blayouts%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
At least your paper had the balls to include it in your paper. We here in Nevada were supposed to have it too, but they did’nt include it at the last moment!! NO BALLS NEVADA!!! OBAMA A CROOK!
Are you afriad of the truth? Its there in your face. An Informed public is an aware public……