[Joy Reid\Muslim Advocates\SPLC]
Muslim Advocates: “It is deeply disappointing that Joy Reid failed to even dignify the pain of American Muslims tonight. She spent much of the show discussing racism, however, Reid failed to acknowledge the harm she caused, did not apologize for stereotyping Muslims as violent radicals.”
Photo: YouTube
On Tuesday, MSNBC host Joy Reid was criticized by Muslim Advocates and other Muslim and civil rights leaders for her false, harmful comments equating Muslims with violent radicals.
During Tuesday’s show Reid said this:
“When leaders, let’s say in the Muslim world, talk a lot of violent talk, and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence … in order to win against whoever they decide is the enemy, we in the U.S. media describe that as they are ‘radicalizing’ those people, particularly when they’re radicalizing young people, that’s how we talk about the way that Muslims act. When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalizing people?”
Reid has also failed to address posts on her old blog that shared similar, anti-Muslim sentiments and stated that “current iterations of Islam are largely incompatible with Western notions of free speech and expression.” Even though Muslim Advocates reached out to producers at MSNBC and Joy Reid’s staff, she failed to apologize on her show the ReidOut.
Muslim Advocates is reiterating its call for Reid and MSNBC to apologize and is also launching a petition on MoveOn condemning Reid’s anti-Muslim comments.
The following is a statement from Madihha Ahussain, Muslim Advocates’s special counsel for anti-Muslim bigotry:
“It is deeply disappointing that Joy Reid failed to even dignify the pain of American Muslims tonight. She spent much of the show discussing racism, however Reid failed to acknowledge the harm she caused, did not apologize for stereotyping Muslims as violent radicals and failed to address her history of anti-Muslim comments. Deranged white nationalists who believe the same thing that Reid said to her audience of millions have threatened, bombed and gunned down Muslims. By refusing to apologize and disavow her anti-Muslim comments, Reid is continuing to put Muslims in danger.
“Hate and bigotry should not have a home on MSNBC. Joy Reid and MSNBC must take responsibility for what they have unleashed by apologizing on air and agreeing to meet with Muslim leaders to ensure this does not happen again. We will not be silent and we will not let this fall by the wayside. Lives are at stake. We will continue to reach out to them and now we are also asking the American people to speak out.”
Besides Muslim Advocates, the Southern Policy Law Center (SPLC) also called on Reid to issue an on-air apology for her comments.
The following is a statement from SPLC President and CEO Margaret Huang:
“Words have great power. Joy Reid has an important platform and an essential voice in addressing civil rights, race relations, and other important national issues. Especially this summer, she has forcefully confronted police misconduct, helped her audience understand the street protests, and elevated the need for presidential leadership in confronting racism and white supremacy in this country.
“But, especially because we admire Reid, we call on her to recognize the impact of her comments and make an on-air apology for her words, which repeated painful anti-Muslim stereotypes. SPLC would be pleased to join other civil rights and Muslim leaders in a meeting with Reid and her producers to discuss how the impact of her words perpetuates harmful stereotypes.”
