By Mahjabeen Islam, MD via e-mail
I recently received an invitation to participate in ‘Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher’. Ever since I got the invitation I have watched the show faithfully. I realize that the show is about politics but my concerns about where it is headed have mounted as the days have gone on. I realize as well that Islam has been very much in the news, and perhaps due to this every day on Politically Incorrect, Islam or its adherents are discussed, and I must say in a fashion that is beginning to get to me. The following “utterances” by Bill are of particular offense.
“The reason that those men did what they did was because they are sexually repressed in their religion, for before they get the 72 virgins they were getting hookers the night before.”
“The reason they did this is because they were just not getting enough of (profane hand gesture here)”
When Salam Marayati talked about Qur’anic verses being taken out of context as the verses of the Bible and Torah could as well, and that in Islam one could only fight in self-defense, Bill threw up his hands and said, “That is just not true”. I wonder if he knows more about the Qur’an or Islam than Marayati?
Making fun of the Burqa worn by Afghani women, Bill wondered how they had sex with it on.
One of the participants equated Hajis, Muslims on the Hajj pilgrimage, to dogs. I did not understand this and caught it partially.
Before dropping bombs on Afghanistan, the pilots have wanted to write on them and call the Afghans “gay”. One of the participants says, “Here Ahmad, this one’s for you!”. Ahmad is another name for Prophet Muhammad and having it referred to this way is entirely unacceptable to me.
After the birth of Christ, Bill says, “They called Mary Magdalene a whore.”
I am a deeply spiritual person and want to discuss Muslims against Extremism in a forum that is similarly serious. I am interested in explanation and understanding, Bill Maher is interested in the ratings. I do not want to explain Islam to people who are going to jump all over me just so that they can say supposedly funny, denigrating and contemptuous things about Islam and Christianity, Muslims, Afghans or for that matter whoever and whatever their little hearts desire at that moment.
Respect and basic courtesy are very important to me and perhaps antithetical to the premise of the show. Politically Incorrect is not what I can or desire to change. I only have control over me and do not want to be associated with a format and content such as the one that the program promotes. Bill, particularly crosses all bounds of decency, all for the sake of animated discussion. I do not see myself thriving in the company of such crassness or stooping so low. It will not serve the purpose of explaining Muslims against extremism which is my intent. It would be the twenty minutes of fame that I would rather forego. Just watching the show is now upsetting, being a part of it would in a sense be condoning the insults heaped upon Islam. And I may not be able to get a word in edgewise and would never forgive myself.
I remain interested in advancing the message of Muslims against Extremism and would be happy to oblige on another show on ABC with a li’l less fun ‘n games format.