Veteran journalist and Fox News contributor Juan Williams was fired from his position as senior news analyst on National Public Radio after he made allegedly “bigoted” comments on Bill O’Reilly’s Monday episode of "The O’Reilly Factor" on the Fox News Channel.
Monday’s episode of "The O’Reilly Factor" addressed O’Reilly’s notorious appearance on "The View," which took place Thursday, October 14. On that episode, two co-hosts of "The View" stormed off stage after O’Reilly stated, “Muslims killed us on 9/11,” a statement of fact that was perceived to be bigoted.
Discussing the incident with his guest, O’Reilly asked Williams whether he believed the United States to be facing a “Muslim dilemma.”
O’Reilly explained, “The cold truth is that in the world today, jihad aided and abetted by some Muslim nations, is the biggest threat on the planet.”
Williams concurred with O’Reilly, asserting “political correctness can lead to some kind of paralysis where you don’t address reality.” He added:
I mean, look, Bill, I’m not a bigot. You know the kind of books I’ve written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.
Defending his statement, Williams pointed to the Pakistani who pleaded guilty earlier this month to attempting to detonate a bomb in Times Square.
“He said the war with Muslims, America’s war is just beginning … first drop of blood. I don’t think there’s any way to get away from these facts,” explained Williams.
According to The Blaze, “A well-known national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization Wednesday called on National Public Radio (NPR) to address Williams’ comments.
Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, issued a statement asserting, “NPR should address the fact that one of its news analysts seems to believe that all airline passengers who are perceived to be Muslim can legitimately be viewed as security threats. Such irresponsible and inflammatory comments would not be tolerated if they targeted any other racial, ethnic, or religious minority, and they should not pass without action by NPR.”
NPR gave Williams notice of his termination on Wednesday evening.
NPR notes that the statements made by Williams were “inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR.”
Conservative pundit Michelle Malkin notes the hypocrisy of such a decision, however: “NPR affiliate employee Sarah Spitz at public radio station KCRW wishes death on Rush Limbaugh … not a firing offense.”
She also accuses NPR of caving into “left-wing attack dogs on the Internet.”
Erick Erickson, author of the “Red State” blog, defended Williams as well. “All Juan Williams did is say both exactly how he feels and how many, many other Americans feel on this subject. The man’s body of work makes clear he is no bigot. But we sure can’t offend Muslims, can we?”
CBS News reports, “Conservative bloggers blasted the dismissal as political correctness spiraling out of control.”
Williams has been unwilling to comment on the termination, explaining that he is still reeling from the news. “I better bite my tongue at this point,” he said.
Williams, a former staff writer for the Washington Post, continues to contribute to the newspaper’s Outlook section. In his appearances on Fox News, Williams often presents a fair and balanced perspective, despite his liberal leanings.
In a statement released by NPR, Williams was credited for his contributions to the station. “Juan has been a valuable contributor to NPR and public radio for many years and we did not make this decision lightly or without regret. We regret these circumstances and thank Juan Williams for his many years of service to NPR and public radio.”
Photo: News analyst Juan Williams appears on the "Fox & friends" television program in New York, Oct. 21, 2010: AP Images
