Campbell Brown Hits Back On Maligning Arabs, Muslims (VIDEO)

Campbell Brown's own brand of "special commentary" doesn't quite draw the fanfare of those offered by other media figures. So it should be noted that the CNN anchor has been quietly injecting some righteous fire into the discourse, and last night, she killed it again. A week after calling out the McCain campaign for allowing "race-baiting" on the campaign trail, demanding a "much stronger denunciation" of the rhetoric that was on display at McCain rallies, Brown saluted the GOP candidate for doing just that -- correcting a misinformed voter who thought Senator Barack Obama was a dangerous "Arab." Having given McCain credit, Brown then pivoted and issued a sharp indictment of the underlying prejudices directed at Arabs and Muslims that give rise to such toxic rhetoric in the first place: "So what if he was? So what if Obama was Arab or Muslim? So what if John McCain was Arab or Muslim? Would it matter? When did that become a disqualifier for higher office in our country? When did Arab and Muslim being dirty words, the equivalent of dishonorable or radical?"

[WATCH.]

BROWN: First, though, cutting through the bull. Now, you may find it hard to believe that this remains an issue in this campaign, but it does. The candidates, both candidates, are still getting questions about Barack Obama's ethnicity and religion. If you are even semi-informed, then, by now, you already know that, of course, that Barack Obama is an American, of course, Barack Obama is a Christian. Yet, just a few days ago, here was a woman at a rally for John McCain incorrectly calling Obama an Arab.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't trust Obama. I have read about him, and he's not -- he's an Arab. He is not...No?

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: No, ma'am. No, ma'am. He's a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. And that's what this campaign is all about. He's not. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Now, I commend Senator McCain for correcting that woman, for setting the record straight.

Story continues below

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But I do have one question. So what if he was? So what if Obama was Arab or Muslim? So what if John McCain was Arab or Muslim? Would it matter? When did that become a disqualifier for higher office in our country? When did Arab and Muslim being dirty words, the equivalent of dishonorable or radical?

Whenever this gets raised, the implication is that there's something wrong with being an Arab-American or a Muslim. And the media is complicit here, too. We have been all way too quick to accept the idea that calling someone Muslim is a slur.

I feel like I'm stating the obvious here, but, apparently, it needs to be said. There is a difference between radical Muslims who support jihad against America and Muslims who want to practice their religion freely and have normal lives, like everybody else.

There are more than 1.2 million Arab-Americans and about 7 million Muslim Americans, former Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, successful business people, normal, average Americans from all walks of life. These are the people that are being maligned here every time this happens. And we can only imagine how this conversation plays out in the Muslim world.

We can't tolerate this ignorance, not in the media, not on the campaign trail. Of course he's not an Arab. Of course he's not a Muslim, but, honestly, it shouldn't matter.

Comments

[Samalabear]

I live close to Stony Brook University and we're about as international as you can get. It's actually a beautiful place to walk around from this fact alone. I feel at home here, and I'm white.

Of course, we have our hate-mongers here on Long Island and they've shown their faces increasingly over the past several years. I think they're emboldened by the Bush Administration and now, of course, McCain-Palin is making it worse. Yes, we do have those crazy white folks here, too. They're just hidden a bit better most of the time.

[munco]

Ignorance is no longer Bliss. It never seizes to amaze me how ignorant the white Americans are, they’t know, Constitution of the United States. They are by far the most stupid people I ever meet (of course not all). They sit behind the Idoit Box all day long and never learn the value that our "Founding Fathers". They are quick of belittle anyone but themselves. I believe the reason this country is going down in the eyes of the world because, we have a president, who lied to public about the so called democracy War, (But we know , its stealing the oil and building the WAR Machine”). Yet the public, are asleep, and allowed the trillion dollar debt, 3 generations of grandchildren will pay. How stupid can you get, when you have allowed our country, go down the drain. Like they say “Stupid is, and Stupid does” They don't like people who are educated and know how to debate the issues, and know how to stand up for their constitutional rights.
I learned the Preamble when I was in high school and I live by it. How many people know the Preamble today? Perhaps we should ask that question. Regardless of ethnic background, religion, or color. Justice for all. Don’t forget who we stole this land from? What a shame. I feel sorry for those that are IGNORANT. You will continue to live in FEAR, act in FEAR, and Die in FEAR. What a SHAME.

[ashisu84]

I work at a university. Almost half of the students in my department are international, including some who are from the Middle East and some who are Muslim. These are nice, intelligent people who just want to get an education and live normal, peaceful lives. They are not violent terrorists and don't present a danger to me or any other American. When I hear someone speak derogatorily about Arab- or Muslim-Americans, I feel nauseous. My heart breaks because I think about these kind, funny, sweet people that I work with every day. I can only imagine how they must feel. They have done nothing wrong and deserve to be treated with nothing less than respect and empathy.

[galinha]

I have to confess I did not like Campbell Brown very much during the primaries for her bias against Senator Obama. I have to say she has redeemed herself and if she continues along this path she will become a respected journalist.
She is asking the same thing I have asked myself. So what if Obama is a Muslim?? As an Obama supporter I have complained why he has not put it out clearly that although he happens to be a Christian, there is nothing wrong with being Muslim.
I also feel he should be proudly using his middle name Hussein and he should send word that those who call him by that name are not wrong or insulting.
As we have seen in the campaigns as well as the presidential debates, the man named Barack Hussein Obama comes across as the presidential, intelligent, caring and thoughtful candidate with great love for his wife and two daughters. The candidate called John McCain is angry, mean, hateful, erratic, clueless, impatient, disrespectful and unpresidential.
It is clearly not all in the name.

[rasputin999]

The dirty little secret many Americans can't face up too, is not Obama an Arab or a mulsim, but he is--black. How many white people, some who would call themselves-liberal, will flunke the colour test in the secrecy of the ballot booth?

[GrumpyMorningBoy]

WHY IS CAMPBELL BROWN THE FIRST MAJOR TV JOURNALIST TO SAY THIS? Honestly. My friends and I have been saying this for a *year.* It's disgusting that we still live in a country that thinks that people as all-American as Danny Thomas, Paula Abdul and Michael Nouri should somehow be considered un-American or ill-suited for public office. Frickin absurd.

[Rosanneofpgh]

Two of the smartest and more intelligent pundits on TV are both women. Campbell Brown is fast approaching Rachel Maddow in my estimation!

[shirleen01]

sshhhh..don't wake up the ignorant!

[shirleen01]

This is no longer funny. This has to stop people.

[Liam]

If I weren't married and/or much to old for her, I would marry this woman.

Absolutely. It should not matter. That we have fallen to the point where we accept a Muslim religious preference or an Arab genetic make-up as something to be defended against... disgusting.

[2351]

This is the same thing that used to be done to black people.

[LewDan]

Used to be? Uh... Sen. Obama is black. Its being done to him.

[Obama4Life]

I love this woman. She is so smart and truthful.

[tdazo]

That old woman said that she received a letter from somebody saying all bad things about Obama and that ketter and the origin should be investigated. That old lady also sent out 400 copies of tehta letter or something. This is a falsehood about a person and slander, a defamation and should be criminalized on the basis of that context. THe origin of the letter should be investigated.. By the secret service and police or what have you It should not pass and shuld be nipped in the bud. Thanks for cutting through this bull! I will bet the Mc Cain campaign had started this and the old woman was right that he did not want talk about it. Because he got caught on TV. The I 'll bet Palin and Mc Cain started this slander . IT iS LIBEL. should be punished.

[waterchuck]

Don't worry tdazo, when BO and his followers assume power, along with a filibuster-proof Congress, your type of law, I believe it's called Sharia, will gradually work its way into our lives.

[Witkacy]

>We have been all way too quick to accept the idea that calling someone Muslim is a slur.

Has the moral fury of Jack Cafferty been transferred to Brown? For my part, I'm very, very glad that she's saying what she's saying, and that CNN is going with it. As with Rachel Maddow's show appearing this year, I feel as if some corners of broadcasting are arranging themselves for a more enlightened time in our society & politics under the administration of President Barack Obama.

[leira07]

sometimes the obvious facts are the ones that are not stated - and we all suffer the consequences of microanalysis of the peripheral issues..
thank you ms brown! she is a tough and very capable lady - hope she gets some more recognition

i was also pretty concerned about this whole issue, especially because i thought that the muslim population (please correct me if i'm wrong) were more conservative-leaning and voted largely bush/republican in the past... talk about biting (one) of the hands that feeds

[BMBTHC]

Thanks Ms. Brown for stating the obvious. It's unbelievable to me that this sort of bigotry has gone unchecked by TV journalists and that you are the first to go there. Colbert was right. The MSM just transcribes, they don't fact check because they are all caught up in the game of truthy relativism that the post-mod continental philosophers we call GOP strategists dish up to confuse the body politic. Translation: TV journalists buy the BS and think it smells good.
That McCain hasn't come out and corrected the record is shameful. At this point, he would need to campaign for Obama to rectify things.