http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/03/27/112/Film on “Radical Islam” Tied to Pro-Israel Groups
by Khody Akhavi
WASHINGTON - A controversial documentary on the threat of radical Islam, promoted by the two most-watched U.S. cable news networks, was marketed and supported in part by self-described “pro-Israel” groups, according to an IPS investigation.
Abbreviated versions and segments of “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West” ran on FOX News and CNN, but neither station disclosed the film’s connection to HonestReporting, a watchdog group that monitors the media for allegedly negative portrayals of Israel. 0327 01 1
HonestReporting marketed “Obsession” but denies it produced or funded the project.
“We initially gave some guidance to the ‘Obsession’ staff,” wrote Pesach Bensen, editor of Mediabackspin.com, the organization’s weblog, in an email response to IPS. “We’re thrilled to see it succeed beyond our wildest expectations.”
When “Obsession” was released last year, news pundits and anchors on FOX and CNN praised the independent film for its candid look at Islamic militancy. FOX incorporated footage from the film into a one-hour special, which aired seven times in November 2006. CNN’s right-wing pundit Glen Beck called it “one of the most important films of our time”. Sean Hannity of FOX News described it as “shocking beyond belief”.
While such enthusiasm from right-wing talk show personalities comes as no surprise, mainstream cable news programs also appeared to accept, without question, the premise of the film, which explicitly compares the threat posed by radical Islam to that of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.more...
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