The Orange County Register: A Tale of Two Similar Stories-One Reported, the Other Not Reported

 The Orange County Register (OCR) is the largest newspaper in Orange County, California. It was founded on libertarian principles and once could be considered conservative or center-right. In the past, I had the opportunity to write a couple of op-eds in the Register, one on the issue of marijuana legalization, and the other on anti-Semitism at UC Irvine, where I was teaching part-time from 1998-2016. Over the years, it has moved more in line with most American newspapers, if not downright liberal, politically correct. 

So it was this past week when I posted this article on my most recent attempts to pass on information to the OCR, specifically a video discovered online by MEMRI TV featuring a local Anaheim mosque leader named Moustafa Kamel, who recited the old hadith about the Day of Judgment when Jews will hide behind trees and rocks, and the trees and rocks will call out to the Muslim, " O Muslim. There is a Jew hiding behind me. Come and kill him." In addition, in the video of Kamal's sermon, which he himself posted on his  YouTube channel on February 1, he reportedly called for the "annihilation" of Jews. (MEMRI TV translated his remarks from Arabic to English.) 

As the above link shows, I got nowhere with the OCR. To this date, I have not been able to speak with anyone. (I sent emails to a couple of individuals at the OCR, but I choose not to mention any names.) The story, to my knowledge, has not been mentioned in the paper.

Curiously, at the same time, the OCR was, rightfully, covering the story of a school teacher in Hayward, California (East Bay) who was giving the Nazi salute in class, making derogatory comments to his students about Jews, and quoting the recent anti-Jewish comments by Kanye West. The teacher is also, reportedly, some sort of cleric for a Black Hebrew Israelite church, temple, or whatever they may call it, in Alameda, California. In spite of its name and the fact that they consider blacks to be the real Israelites, this is a very anti-Jewish sect.

The teacher has been placed on suspension by his school. 

So here is my question: Why has the OCR chosen to publish the story about a teacher/cleric who made anti-Semitic comments in the classroom in Northern California, but, apparently, chosen to ignore a story about an Imam right here in Orange Country who is on videotape calling for the annihilation of Jews?  I think it is clear. They are afraid of creating a firestorm within the local Muslim community and have CAIR breathing down their backs. Perhaps, they are also afraid of losing readership. There can be little question that had a local Christian pastor made violent and hateful comments about Jews or Muslims to his/her congregation, the OCR would be all over the story as they should be. There is obviously a double standard here. This is emblematic of how the American mainstream media ignores stories that do not fit their narrative.

I reiterate here what I previously said. This should not be construed as an attack against the Muslim community as a whole. Indeed, it is my hope that peaceful Muslims who attend this mosque and who harbor no ill feelings against Jews would be motivated to find another mosque to worship in.