CBS anchor Katie Couric believes a “Muslim version of ‘The Cosby Show'” could open the eyes of Americans and perhaps put an end to all the “seething hatred many people feel towards all Muslims.”
On her CBSNews.com web show, Couric discussed 2010 in review with a panel, and among Couric’s biggest concerns about 2010 was the controversy surrounding the Park51 Islamic Cultural Center project.
“The bigotry expressed against Muslims in this country has been one of the most disturbing stories to surface,” Couris said. “Of course, a lot of noise was made about the Islamic Center, mosque, down near the World Trade Center, but I think there wasn’t enough sort of careful analysis and evaluation of where this bigotry toward 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide, and how this seething hatred many people feel for all Muslims, which I think is so misdirected, and so wrong — and so disappointing.”
Fellow panelist and NPR regular Mo Rocca noted that societal changes need to be made when “really smart,” well educated people like him don’t know much about Islam.
“I’m pretty smart, and I can’t tell you … I mean I went to really fancy schools and I cannot tell you five things about Islam. I know almost nothing about a major world religion that sits at the intersection of so many issues that all are undeniably relevant to all of us,” Rocca said.
“Maybe we need a Muslim version of ‘The Cosby Show,'” Couric replied. “I know that sounds crazy, I know that sounds crazy. But ‘The Cosby Show’ did so much to change attitudes about African Americans in this country, and I think sometimes people are afraid of what they don’t understand, like you, Mo … If they became part of the popular culture.”
In 2010, Faisal Shahzad, an American-born Muslim, was arrested for attempting to bomb Times Square. Later in 2010, Farooque Ahmed, a Muslim Pakistani American, was arrested for planning mass bombings of Washington Metrorail stations.
The video of Couric’s 2010 review can be found at Mediaite.