Grilling: Islamist Schoolmaster Cross-Examined Over Hateful Passages In Arabic Textbooks

I mentioned this video a few days ago -- it's the video where a British newshost questions a Saudi-funded school headmistress in Britain is challenged on using textbooks calling Christians "monkeys" and Jews "pigs" -- but couldn't link it at the time as it had been, predictably, removed from YouTube.

It's back up. Click fast, because you know YouTube's policy on "Islamophobia."

What this guy does is something American journalists by and large don't bother with -- he follows up on questions and will not allow shabby evasions to stand. One thing that makes O'Reilly still compelling, for all his flaws, is that he too sinks his teeth in and won't let go. Apparently virtually every other journalist considers this impolite and will allow their interviewees to offer up the silliest dodges and non sequitors and then dutifully move on.

I guess the tough, strong media manages to rouse itself to do this when it's grilling Tony Snow or George Bush (remember the six thousand questions from different reporters demanding to know if Bush had made any mistakes in the Iraq War?), but for all others -- especially Democrats and Islamic spokesman -- they're quite willing to take an evasion as an "answer."

This clip is shorter than the original, and so you don't get a sense of the doggedness of him asking the same question over and over (and the Islamic headmistress offering the same non-answers), but it's still good.

"Look, these are platitudes, with respect."

Via PetiteDov.

posted by Ace at 05:16 PM

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