DAR AL HARB - U.S.A. - WASHINGTON D.C.: JOURNALISTS MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE INCOMPATIBLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ISLAMIC & WESTER BELIEFS

Former Muslim Tells Journalists Values of Islam, West Incompatible
by Whitney Stewart

(CNSNews.com) - Journalists must acknowledge incompatible differences between Islamic and Western beliefs to effectively facilitate debate between them, in the view of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, an advocate for women's rights in Islamic cultures.

Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., this week, the Somali-born Hirsi Ali said the 21st century began with a battle of ideas "about the values of the West versus those of Islam."

"Journalists ... face the unpleasant reality of taking sides or getting lost in the incoherence of the so-called middle ground," she said. "The role of journalists serving the West, who understand what this particular battle is about, will be to inform their audiences accordingly."

Hirsi Ali said journalists must acknowledge the discrepancies between tenets of Islam and foundational beliefs of the West before they can accurately report on Islamic-related events.

Although Hirsi Ali praised journalists' work since the Sept. 11th attacks, she said reluctance to defend Western values against Islamic threats surprises her.

"Why are Westerners so insecure about everything that is so wonderful about the West: political freedom, free press, freedom of expression, equal rights for women and men and gays and heterosexuals, critical thinking, and the great strength of scrutinizing ideas - and especially faith?" Hirsi Ali asked.

She said Western journalists appeared hesitant to defend free speech - "the very right from which they earn their bread."

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Pertinent Links:

1) Former Muslim Tells Journalists Values of Islam, West Incompatible