Source: U.S. Newswire
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=139-03102004
On March 10, 2004 U.S. Newswire reported, "A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called on major media outlets to end their association with a controversial conservative pundit who recently suggested that Muslims 'smell bad.' The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said syndicated columnist Ann Coulter, who frequently appears as a guest on cable news programs, made that Islamophobic remark in a recent commentary on Mel Gibson's new film 'The Passion of the Christ.' Coulter wrote: 'Being nice to people is, in fact, one of the incidental tenets of Christianity (as opposed to other religions whose tenets are more along the lines of 'kill everyone who doesn't smell bad and doesn't answer to the name Mohammed'). She also referred to: '(The Prophet) Muhammad's many specific instructions to kill non-believers whenever possible.' 'We believe strongly in freedom of speech and support Ann Coulter's right to hold even bigoted and hate-filled views,' said CAIR Communications Coordinator Rabiah Ahmed. 'But credible media outlets should not associate themselves with or serve to legitimize such overt racism and Islamophobia. 'Ahmed called on newspapers that publish Coulter's column and on cable news channels that invite her as a guest commentator to reconsider promoting someone who spreads virulent hatred and intolerance.'"