Juan Williams Defends O’Reilly’s ‘Muslims Killed Us On 9/11' Remark

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Williams Defends O’Reilly’s ‘Muslims Killed Us On 9/11′ Remark: ‘I Get Worried’ With Them On Airplanes

Last week, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly said on ABC’s The View that “Muslims killed us on 9/11,” prompting The View co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar to walk off the set in disgust. “If anybody felt that I meant all Muslims, then I apologize,” he said later in the program.

But now, O’Reilly, with handy assistance from his colleagues at Fox News, is defending his original claim. “There’s no question there is a Muslim problem in the world,” he said last night on his show. “The Muslim threat to the world is not isolated. It’s huge!” he said, adding, “It involves nations and millions of people.” O’Reilly asked Fox News’ “liberal” Juan Williams if he’s wrong. Surprisingly, Williams joined with the other Fox Newsers in circling the wagons around O’Reilly, citing “political correctness” and seemingly because Muslims scare him:

WILLIAMS: Well, actually, I hate to say this to you because I don’t want to get your ego going. But I think you’re right. I think, look, political correctness can lead to some kind of paralysis where you don’t address reality.

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.

Watch it: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/19/williams-oreilly-muslims/

Williams justified his defense, saying that the would-be Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad “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.” But this kind of thinking is exactly what digs the hole that is America’s fight against terrorism deeper by letting the enemy define the terms of the struggle, as the Wonk Room’s Matt Duss has recognized:

[Supersedeas]

1. politically correct? or obedience to one's employer??

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

2. Juan provides the "some of my best friends" defense....

....for the FAUX News cabal of Klansman. Great job, Juan.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

3. Some people have too much air time and too little rational thought.

[BolivarianHero]

4. The right-wing stupids created the so-called threat...

30 years ago the world had the opportunity to bury political Islam once and for all. Instead, we helped the Mujahideen.

[gratuitous]

5. Juan Williams: Pants-wetting scared little boy

"I see people who are in Muslim {sic} garb and . . . I get worried." Yes, as we all know, the 9/11 attackers were all wearing Muslim garb . . . whatever the hell that means. And as we all know, anytime someone is planning a surprise attack, they telegraph their intentions with the broadest possible hints, so that their victims will all know ahead of time that they're about to die or something.

This shit doesn't even make sense on drugs; no way I'm buying it straight. These scared little boys and girls really need to be hustled off the stage now. They're simply an embarrassment to the rest of us, and their pee-stained undergarments stink to high heaven.

[whatchamacallit]

6. Douche-meter pegged

:banghead: