CNN – a “reliable” mainstream news source – published an articlediscussing the racist rumor that Rima Fakih, a Muslim Lebanese-American crowned Miss USA, is a spy for Hezbollah, a U.S. classified terrorist organization.
Although CNN initially denounced these rumors made by a neo-conservative blog and calls them “outlandish,” groups point out the poor choice that CNN took when it entitled the article as “Miss USA: Muslim Trailblazer Or Hezbollah Spy?” and probed the question throughout the piece.
“We believe that such discourse is counterproductive in today’s society, and contributes to a double standard placed on Arab and Muslim Americans,” Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services (ACCESS) wrote in a letter to Octavia Nasr, CNN’s Senior Editor of Middle East Affairs.
Because the article probes for further discussion of the topic, it feeds into the racial profiling that neo-cons have started.
“Publishing this article gives credence to this ridiculous rumor, and creates a more hostile environment towards these communities,” ACCESS wrote. “It creates a space for people to question whether an ordinary American is associated with terrorism simply based on their ethnicity or religion.”
More:
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6014887-tell-cnn-that-referring-to-miss-usa-as-a-hezbollah-spy-is-wrong