Maher vs. Liberal Panel: Liberals "Worried They're Going To Be Called Racist If They Criticize Muslims"

by Bill Maher
Real Clear Politics
October 26, 2013

https://www.legal-project.org/4202/maher-vs-liberal-panel-liberals-worried-theyre

On Friday's broadcast of HBO's "Real Time," host Bill Maher clashed with his liberal panel over liberals not being allowed to criticize Muslims in fear of being called a racist. The panel consisted of Michael Moore, Al Sharpton, Valerie Plame and Richard Dawkins.

"I think the point we always try to make is that liberals somehow feel worried that they're going to be called racist if they criticize people of the Muslim faith, which is stupid," Maher said. "First of all, because it's not a racist, Muslim. It's a religion. And if I criticize Michael Vick, it's not because he's black, it's because he electrocuted dogs. You know?"

"We need liberal voices to stand up for liberalism. This is the great irony here because we are standing up for liberal principles. Which I am sorry, but a lot of the Muslim world stands against, not just the radicals," Maher said.

"There are widely accept beliefs by a lot of Muslim people that are against our principles just because they are a minority or they're brown. It doesn't matter. Pernicious beliefs are pernicious beliefs," he added.

Maher's panel all made the argument that Christian extremists are just as bad as Islamic extremists. Maher wasn't buying it and said it was "bullshit."

"There were Christian klansman that were Christians, KKK members, who burned crosses," Sharpton chimed in.

"Not now," Maher responded.

"Yeah, but now there are Christian Dominionists that are just as extreme," Plame said.

"Do they have a farm system? Do they have websites? Show me the country that has the Christian fundamentalist training camp where they're on the monkey bars," Maher shot back.

"This is not just the same. Look, I'm no fucking Catholic or a Christian, but one is herpes and one is cancer," Maher said.

"I'm asking who've they killed, or who've they threatened," Maher also said.

"I can guarantee to you that right now there are Christians out there tonight that want to kill you and me," Michael Moore, a Catholic, said to Maher.

"But they don't," Maher responded.

"We have to have special extra security here. We don't have to have special extra security here when there is a Christian who is pissed off," Maher said to his panel.

"Remember in the 90s when Rudy Giuliani was mayor and they had that Piss Christ art exhibit in Brooklyn? And Rudy Giuliani was, I mean, he was pissed. Christ, was he pissed. But, it didn't jump to, 'and, we're going to kill you.' You see?" Maher said.

Oddly enough, Sharpton was offended by Maher calling out extreme Islam, however, had no problem saying Christian militants are just as much as a threat domestically.

"You don't have the truth on your side. I know you're liberals, you want to feel good," Maher said near the end of the discussion.

Later in the discussion Moore said we should be thinking about why Muslims hate us and listed off a litany of actions America has taken against the Muslim world.

"[Christopher] Hitchens said a great thing once. He said, here, rape is a crime; there, it's a punishment," Maher said at the conclusion of the segment.

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