AL JAZEERA APOLOGISES

The Al-Jazeera network issued an apology today, following its controversial decision to invite a widely discredited Islamophobe on a popular current affairs programme. The apology comes three days after “The Opposite Direction” hosted Wafa Sultan, who spewed the usual anti-Muslim rhetoric as well as basic distortions of Islamic beliefs, alongside an unknown Muslim cleric. Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), an American institution objected to the three appearances of Wafa Sultan on Al-Jazeera on issues of Islam and Muslims. MPAC said that the apology of Al-Jazeera was irrelevant as it missed the point that the idea of debate to introduce different perspective is acceptable provided those who are invited to debate on such an important forum should be qualified and up to mark. Despite three appearances on Al-Jazeera on issues of Islam and Muslims, Sultan is no scholar of Islam, comparative religion or political theory. Instead, she routinely insults and debases Muslims and everything they hold sacred. MPAC calls on Al-Jazeera to provide real answers about its editorial approach rather than politically correct apologies.