Columbia professor Ahmed Shihab-Eldin said on CNN’s “New Day” Monday that there was an “element of racism and bigotry” behind critiques of Islam, including the criticisms made by HBO host Bill Maher. (VIDEO: Sarah Palin: Obama ‘Chicken’ For Refusing To Say ‘Radical Islam’)
“It should be said, there’s an element of racism and bigotry when we talk about what Bill Maher says sometimes, or what certain people say when they say this reflects on all Muslims. This happens so much… this is something that has been driven by the fact the media– and not just the news media– for better or worse since 9/11 has kind of adopted this Bush Doctrine painting Muslims as inherently evil. It happens in news, and it happens in entertainment, unfortunately.”