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Hannity fabricates Obama adviser's remarks on Sharia law to paint her as radical

October 16, 2009 8:37 pm ET — 10 Comments

During the October 15 edition of his Fox News program, Sean Hannity distorted remarks by Dalia Mogahed, a member of the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, by claiming that Mogahed shared "thoughts about spreading Sharia law" on a British television channel and falsely suggesting that Mogahed said that "[t]here's a lot of Americans who think Muslim countries should be governed by Sharia law." In fact, Mogahed said that she was "sure there are people out there" who believe that "the United States and Britain and other countries should be open to, the concept of, you know, integrating Sharia into laws in Muslim-majority societies"; during the exchange, she did not discuss what "a lot of Americans ... think" about Sharia law.

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Hannity falsely suggests Mogahed said "[t]here's a lot of Americans who think Muslim countries should be governed by Sharia law"

In the clip Hannity aired, Mogahed did not say what Hannity said she said. Discussing Mogahed's appearance on the Islam Channel's Muslimah Dilemma, Hannity played remarks from Mogahed and claimed she said that "[t]here's a lot of Americans who think Muslim countries should be governed by Sharia law. ... I sure hope she's not passing that along to President Obama." In fact, Mogahed did not say that in the clip.

From the October 15 edition of Fox News' Hannity:

HANNITY: Now, the Obama adviser Dalia Mogahed appeared on the network's program Muslim Dilemma and shared the following thoughts about spreading Sharia law. Take a look at this.

MOGAHED [video clip]: I'm sure there are people out there who -- in fact, and they're not all Muslim -- who believe that this is something that the United States and Britain and other countries should be open to, the concept of, you know, integrating Sharia into laws in Muslim-majority societies. And, of course, most Muslim-majority societies do have Sharia as a part of their laws already.

HANNITY: What? There's a lot of Americans who think Muslim countries should be governed by Sharia law?

Now, I don't know where Miss Mogahed is getting her information, but I sure hope she's not passing that along to President Obama.

Mogahed made clear that she sees her job as conveying Muslim opinion, not engaging in advocacy

Mogahed: "[M]y role is not one of a lobbyist; it's one of a researcher." During Mogahed's appearance on Muslimah Dilemma, a caller to the program asked how Mogahed could "use her role to make people in America accept that not everybody wants to live their way and accept the law in a Muslim land." Mogahed responded: "I think what my role is, is very clear to me: to convey to the advisory council and through the advisory council to the president and to other public officials what it is Muslims want. I'm not here to advocate for one point of view or another, I'm simply a researcher who is able to convey accurately and in a representative way the actual views of Muslims so that they're speaking for themselves rather than having others speak for them." She went on to state, "[M]y role is not one of a lobbyist; it's one of a researcher."

From Mogahed's interview on the Islam Channel's Muslimah Dilemma (the portion Hannity aired is bolded):

IBTIHAL ISMAIL BSIS (host): OK. Insha'Allah. I've got a -- masha'Allah -- a live caller on already who wants to ask you a question. I've got sister Sami on the line. Salaam Alaykum, sister Sami, and thank you for being with us on Muslimah Dilemma.

CALLER: Wa Alaykum Salaam. I have a quick question for Dalia.

ISMAIL BSIS: [speaking Arabic]

CALLER: Obviously, you know, those guests were saying there is a growing desire for Muslims to live under Sharia law. My question is, how can Dalia use her role to make people in America accept that not everybody wants to live their way and accept the law in a Muslim land?

ISMAIL BSIS: OK. Insha'Allah. That's a really good question. Why didn't I think of that? Dalia?

MOGAHED: Well, I think what my role is, is very clear to me: to convey to the advisory council and through the advisory council to the president and to other public officials what it is Muslims want. I'm not here to advocate for one point of view or another, I'm simply a researcher who is able to convey accurately and in a representative way the actual views of Muslims so that they're speaking for themselves rather than having others speak for them.

It will -- it's going to have to be up to other people who are advocates, who do have a specific point of view to, you know, to push a specific policy forward or another. But my role is not one of a lobbyist; it's one of a researcher.

ISMAIL BSIS: Can I ask you, who do you think those specific people that you mentioned should be, that bring over their particular view or try and push particular ideas?

MOGAHED: Well, you know, it would be difficult for me to name exact --

ISMAIL BSIS: OK.

MOGAHED: -- you know, specific groups or specific people. But I'm sure there are people out there, who -- in fact, and they're not all Muslim -- who believe that this is something that the United States and Britain and other countries should be open to, the concept of, you know, integrating Sharia into laws in Muslim-majority societies. And, of course, most Muslim-majority societies do have Sharia as a part of their laws already.

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    • Author by IRONY 101 (October 16, 2009 8:43 pm ET)
      5  
      In other words, if I say that one of the things being considered in the United States by people who are unhappy with President Barack Obama is secession from the Union...then I am advocating secession.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by NoSpinner (October 16, 2009 9:33 pm ET)
        5  
        Hannity turned the meaning of her words 180 degrees.

        Anita Dunn should take this fat pitch right in the middle of the plate and hit out of the ball park.

        A caller wants to know how they should make Americans realize that some Muslims may in fact like to live under Sharia law.

        Mogahed responds that that is not her role and she is not inclined to do that, but others might be.

        To Hannity, "Others might do something" equals "I approve of it".

        Report Abuse
      • Author by roundhouse (October 17, 2009 12:03 pm ET)
        4  
        Really all you have to do is utter one single word that the right wing pc police can latch onto and they'll fill in the details about how you hate America for you. It's really nice, being the lazy liberals we are, we don't even have to do anything but speak in single word sentences and they'll do all the work for us. It's like ideological welfare.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by G. Mick Smith, PhD (October 16, 2009 10:31 pm ET)
        6
      Media misses the point regardless of Hannity. Jefferson argued for a wall of separation between church and state which we have achieved. We now need a wall of separation between mosque and Obama. No orthodox Jew has ever had a mediator with an American president to find out what Jews want in order to accede to their demands domestically or internationally.

      If anything, American political discourse should center on the question of how Muslims will break sharia law in order to conform with the American Constitution.

      "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free . . . " to follow American custom, and to practice religious freedom in conformity with existing American law.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by Easy to refute wingnuts (October 18, 2009 12:48 pm ET)
        1  
        What was your Ph.D. in, muddles writing? Three paragraphs, and not one coherent thought.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by Don Hussein Fabuloso (October 19, 2009 1:16 am ET)
          3  
          Good, I thought I was just losing my ability to hold my liquor.I read G. MIck's post twice, and still couldn't figure out wtf he was trying to say.

          Maybe he got his PhD at the same PO Box where that poster called stark-something got his Masters ..
          Report Abuse
      • Author by DellDolly (October 19, 2009 1:39 pm ET)
        1  
        You do realize that the point of this posting by MMFA was about how Hannity distorted the woman's comments, right?

        We didn't miss Hannity's point. Hannity distorted the woman's comments, on purpose, to make it look like she is a radical Muslim - one we should be scared of!
        Report Abuse
    • Author by ScienceBuff (October 16, 2009 11:16 pm ET)
      8 1
      Wow. Is Hannity an idiot who can't understand basic English or is he a shameless liar with zero integrity?

      The options are yes and no, no and yes, or yes and yes. There is no possible way it could be no and no.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by clams casino (October 17, 2009 12:40 am ET)
      4  
      In Hannity's mind, "people" means Americans, because foreigners aren't really people.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by roundhouse (October 17, 2009 11:56 am ET)
      7  
      Meanwhile, actual conservative radicals in our government vote to protect the right of government contractors to rape their female co-workers.
      Way to preserve rapists rights, Mr. Sessions. Sara Palin must be so proud!

      Report Abuse

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