Business Insider: Portland Newspaper: We’re Sorry We Acknowledged That Some Americans Are Muslims–We Know You Hate Muslims

An interesting apology to readers from the Portland Press Herald (Maine).

The paper apparently made the grievous error of printing a picture (right) of some Portland residents observing the end of Ramadan.

This picture appeared in the paper on September 11th.

The paper’s non-Muslim readers exploded in a rage.

Didn’t the paper understand how insensitive this was? Didn’t the paper understand that ALL MUSLIMS are responsible for what happened on September 11th? Didn’t the paper understand that celebrating Ramadan is like celebrating September 11th…?

Like most Americans–including, we suspect, Muslim Americans–we were horrified by what happened on September 11th, 2001. We were horrified, sickened, and appalled. We will forever be filled with hatred for Bin Laden and al qaeda for what they did to our country, our city, and thousands of our fellow Americans.

But we don’t hate or blame Islam for this–any more than we hate Christianity for producing the murderous zealots who have killed in its name over the centuries.

So we have a question for the Portland Press Herald: Is it now going to apologize to its Muslim readers for tacitly holding them responsible for the actions of a handful of terrorists? Next time a Christian cult leader persuades his entire flock to commit suicide (or worse), will the paper provide “balanced coverage” of pictures of Christmas celebrations?

We ask because what it really sounds like is going on here is that the Portland Press Herald is agreeing with some readers that Muslim Americans should not be considered Americans. And if that’s what the paper believes, it should probably just come out and say so.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/ramadan-picture-apology-2010-9#ixzz100LcJzkm