In an interview to be aired later today, talk show host Hugh Hewitt slammed Catholic League president Bill Donohue Thursday for his statement claiming Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier was partly responsible for his death at the hands of radical jihadists.
“I’m appalled, I’m embarrassed, and I’m urging you to rethink this,” Hewitt told Donohue, “You blamed the victim before his body was cold!” (RELATED: Head Of Catholic League Blames French Magazine Targeted In Mass Terror Shooting)
Donohue denied that he had blamed the victim. “Had he not been so narcissistic, Hugh, he would say, ‘You know, even though Mohammad’s not my prophet, he’s not my deity, maybe I don’t even like Mohammad, but I’m not going to go out intentionally insulting people of another religion.’ Then he would have put a brake on himself.”
Donohue claimed that he had received supportive phone calls from Catholic bishops and cardinals. “I do not believe you,” Hewitt said bluntly, “I think you are lying right now.”
“In other words, you can’t deal with me intellectually, can you?” Donohue shot back. (RELATED: A Dozen Parisians Dead: RADICAL MUSLIMS Hit Hardest, Says New York Times)
“Name me one archbishop or cardinal who has called you up and said they stand with this statement, which is morally offensive, repugnant, and embarrassing,” Hewitt challenged, “It’s a scandal on the church!” Throughout the interview, Hewitt repeated this challenge, but Donohue refused to name any.
“You are standing over the bodies of twelve dead people, including two policemen, one yesterday and one today, who knows who else is going to get killed in France during the course of this thing, and you are saying they were justified because they were insulted,” Hewitt insisted.
“Why don’t you try to inform yourself and educate yourself before you try and debate me?” Donohue sniped.
“You do not understand the First Amendment!” Hewitt shot back. “You have no clue what an embarrassment you are to Catholics with this! You don’t have a clue what you have done this thing! Do you realize this people are killing cops and Catholics and Yizidis? Do you realize what they are doing throughout the Middle East?”
The entire interview went on for more than twenty minutes, and contains too many barbs, ad hominems (mostly from Donohue) and sick burns to be summarized here. But the entire interview can be found on Hewitt’s website.