Muslim Group Asks Radio Host to Apologize (LMAO!! !)

Post Reply New Topic

Muslim Group Asks Radio Host to Apologize
Thu Jan 26, 11:36 PM ET

ANAHEIM, Calif. - A Muslim civil liberties group demanded an apology Thursday from the host of a Los Angeles-area radio show for making fun of a stampede that killed hundreds of Muslims during an annual pilgrimage.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations asked for an apology from KFI-AM 640 host Bill Handel, who allegedly made fun of the deaths the same day they happened during a segment he called the "Annual Stampede Report."

A spokeswoman for KFI, which is owned by Clear Channel Communications, did not immediately return a message left Thursday. Handel's producer, Michelle Kube, also did not return calls for comment. Handel had left work for the day and attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.

At least 363 pilgrims were killed and hundreds injured in a stampede Jan. 12 in Mecca, where thousands of people were rushing to carry out a symbolic ritual of stoning the devil.

According to the civil liberties group, Handel imitated the people screaming and then joked that the Muslims at the pilgrimage should use a helicopter to monitor pilgrimage traffic, as is done in Los Angeles with the freeways.

The group quoted Handel as saying: "This is Mahmoud Nolan. Hajj in the Sky. There is an accident. ... Ali lost his sandal on the on-ramp to the Martin Luther King Jr. freeway."

In March 2004, KFI issued an on-air apology after the group filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission following a skit that claimed Muslims have sex with animals, don't bathe and hate Jews.

"The deaths of hundreds of people engaged in religious observances is no laughing matter," Sabiha Khan, the group's spokeswoman, said in a statement. "KFI needs to distance itself from Mr. Handel's unbelievable insensitivity by issuing a formal apology and a reprimand."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060127/ap_on_re_us/muslims_radio_skit[/b]

I think they were going to the black rock.

it was kinda crude to make fun of that many people dying. But on the other hand, the comment was kinda amusing. In my line of work we use dreadful jokes to lighten the otherwise heavy and depressing burden of being the ones that have to clean up after that kind of thing (massive tramas and deaths) and being the ones that have to deal with the things that shouldnt have involved the fire department in the first place (ie: constipation at 3am, and the stubbed toe calls). There are thousands of jokes made about the "running of the bulls" in spain, and even the shuttle crashes. *rolls eyes* tasteless jokes to one are seriously funny humor to others.

I think that joke was completely inappropriate, save for some kind of translation into tee-shirt hell. ((The web site. I won't link it; google it, you'll get why I said it. They have shirts like "I surfed the Tsunami."))

I dont see where the joke was -is it the imitation screaming or the helicopter comment?

...or is it simple glee at the thought of muslim people being upset?

It is completely tasteless. Whilst what Ladysmokeeater says is true, and that in that sort of line of work many people make jokes about it, they don't broadcast it over a radio and say it in front of the relatives of the deceased, so to speak. At work, we look at the photos and have a laugh, about stuff like how bad they look, or how they died. I remember one day we sat around the computer watching a guy run in front of a train and joking about it. It's just something that you do. But if you were to broadcast that over the radio, a lot of people would be offended, and rightly so. Because it's acceptable in some situations, does not make it acceptable in every situation.

i absolutely agree, danlo.

quite disgusting.

You know what ...

Even to me that radio show sounds tasteless and disrespectful (going on the story that was posted). As danlo says, people might joke about those sorts of things in private - and they should be free to do so - but why put it on the radio? It just seems like being offensive for the sake of it, which is what so much comedy is about these days. It doesn't sound like those guys actually had an important point to make.

I doubt anyone would joke about such a thing in Britain given the current political climate.
But there are plenty of comedians who make jokes about people who have died under tragic circumstances (or come close to dying), and much of the time they're just totally unnecessary and unfunny.

Here are a couple from memory. See what you think of these.

"I bet Maurice Gibb's heart monitor was singing the tune of Stayin' Alive." (Graham Norton, while Bee Gee, Maurice Gibb was lying critically ill in hospital.)

"Maria Sharapova ... the tennis player with the loudest recorded moan since Monica Seles got stabbed" (Dara O'Brien)