David Letterman Death Threat: Jihadist Site Calls For Host's Killing (VIDEO)

A jihadist website has issued a death threat against David Letterman, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The threat was issued after Letterman referenced Ilyas Kashmiri, an al Qaeda leader killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in June, on his late night show. Letterman apparently joked about Kashmiri's death, something that enraged a poster on the website.

According to the SITE Intelligence Group, the user called for someone to "cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever."

Letterman, who is not Jewish, is not the first comic to receive death threats. In 2010, the creators of "South Park" were threatened after they depicted Muhammad in a bear suit.

It's also not the first time Letterman has been a criminal target. He famously confessed to having affairs after a CBS News staffer threatened to blackmail him in 2009.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story characterized Letterman's affairs as "extramarital." Letterman married his wife in March 2009, but no dates have been established for the affairs.

Comments

[Ossit]

05:09 PM on 09/12/2011

elsquibbs said to me: You'd be surprised how many people on here are able to stick to the topic without resorting to deflection and excuse-mak­ing. Try it sometime.

Just a rhetorical question for ya. Is being nasty natural or do you have to work at it?

[TarzanaGirl]

09:39 PM on 08/29/2011

David Letterman is an American Icon...and he's damn FUNNY!!! He's also an equal opportunity comedian who makes jokes about EVERYONE!!! Oh, and since when do Americans allow "terrorists" to dictate what we can and can't do on our t.v. shows??? Don't understand Letterman's humor? Then change the channel. Or better yet ... don't watch American t.v. at all.

[mosuro]

02:18 PM on 08/24/2011

al qaeda can always change the channel if they don't like letterman's jokes.

[Bike Commuter]

02:27 PM on 08/23/2011

Someone taking offense about something and making a threat is not some new phenomenon specific to Muslims. When PaIin had her made up tiff about one of Letterman's jokes I saw multiple comments suggesting various vioIent things be done to Letterman. I am sure he got actual threats sent to him at the time. There is even currently a story over on the comedy section of this site that has a picture of some guy that threatened a woman if she ever put her dog waste in his trash can.

[Phyllis Kay]

10:45 PM on 08/22/2011

I don't believe the threat, just a gimmick to raise ratings...besides even if a bug is killed, not good to make fun of death...

[thatcraiizygirl1]

07:29 PM on 08/22/2011

This is just sad to see , Im part of a religion that has people who bring it to shame everyday they say their peaceful just like the other good people in that religion but they evil people who think they'll go to heaven by killing innocent people even though its just a huge sin.

[MisterCaps]

10:48 PM on 08/20/2011

I Guess Dave will have to hide out with the creators of South Park.

[MountPanic]

08:58 PM on 08/20/2011

Dave's used to threats from violent fundamentalists...

He makes jokes about Sarah Palin all the time.

[Elecktra001]

07:32 PM on 08/20/2011

These jihadists are just soooo sensitive.

[Whinerbozo]

07:03 PM on 08/20/2011

Great ratings gimmick for an aging, no longer funny, dolt!

[Randolph Greer]

01:22 PM on 08/20/2011

Ultimately, if you believe your religion is the true word of God and you want to live in a world where everyone follows the teachings of your religion, then the only thing you can do to make that a reality is to kill everyone who does not adhere to its teachings. Fundamentalist believers of all religions will gladly kill to spread God's teachings of Love and Charity. The reformed believers of all religions could easily sit down together and solve all religious disputes in harmony and tolerance without even a harsh word between them if the fundamentalists would simply kill each other off . In fact, it is probably God's will that they all do that so the reformed believers can create a peaceful world.

[Tolerant]

03:06 PM on 08/20/2011

What is needed is to recognize the existence of "scientia sacra" or "philosophia perennis", that universal "gnosis" which always has existed and always will exist, and resides at the heart of all traditions.

[shieldvulf]

01:51 PM on 09/05/2011

No, the Middle East needs what we need, good jobs and a stable, prosperous middle class. Ideological extremism appeals to the desperate far more than to the comfortable.

[jdmn17]

07:25 PM on 08/19/2011

If I read this right, he didn't get the threat from a website, he got it from someone who posted a comment on the site. Once again someone we don't even know is Muslim posts a comment and it becomes Jihadist implying that every Muslim in the world is looking to take down David Letterman. Contrast that with a single poster who makes a comment on a Christian website against some individual celebrity and we don't hear a peep about their being some Christian "hit" being called for on someone. Once again HP and the media sensationalize and demonize Muslims based on someone making comment and give free passes to Christian loonies.

[Tolerant]

07:32 PM on 08/19/2011

And that has resulted in a gazillion commentators here demonizing Islam and painting ALL Muslims as violent creatures.

People have to realize that the more they demonize Islam and Muslims, the greater the chance of some lunatic going overboard and carrying out violent acts against the Muslims or their own, as we recently saw in Norway, where a lone wolf was partially inspired by some of the infamous Islamophobes.

HP should take note that whenever they publish an article like this one, there will be a lot of demonization of Muslims that will take place in its comments section, which may have tragic consequences for the Muslims.

[KRC23]

08:39 PM on 08/19/2011

Anders Breivik did not target Muslims. In fact his actions were eerily similar to jihadist methods.

[Whinerbozo]

07:01 PM on 08/20/2011

Nothing like having a 'profit' who was a druggier, illiterate, and a womanizing pervert. Wait a minute! Are you sure he wasn't an early Kennedy!?

[scriibe]

10:55 AM on 08/19/2011

A post on an Islamist website said nasty things. So what? As is widely believed (with probably a fair amount of truth to it), internet forums are "owned" by thirteen year old males. Why should Muslim thirteen year olds be any less idiotic than those who post on Christian or any other websites?

[Stephen Salbod]

10:00 AM on 08/19/2011

That was Leno in disguise making the threat.

[whyus]

12:50 PM on 08/20/2011

Good one!

[JoePenn]

09:57 AM on 08/19/2011

Seriously - we're going to believe this B.S.? He endorses Cong Ron Paul for pres. and a day later, a 'threat' shows up and bingo, it's picked up by good ol' rita katz' "SITE" and passed to the world --- and the 'media' swallows it all, hook, line, and sinker.
Git real.

[Erewhon7]

12:03 PM on 08/19/2011

Yeah. There's no precedent of Islamic militants ever threatening anyone, or carrying out their threats. None whatsoever.