Chris Matthews on Monday linked the "zealots" in Afghanistan who encouraged and participated in the
murders
of United Nations workers to Republican "fanatics" and "zealots at
home" who "attack the President's basic beliefs, accusing him of
thinking like a Muslim from Kenya."
Making his connection clear, the Hardball host (see file photo at right) opined, "
Is this what's come to the wars in the Islamic world? We've begun to talk like the zealots from the Middle East." MSNBC graphics also made the point. First, a picture of a militaristic Muslims appeared with the words "zealots abroad."
Then, a shot of Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann and Donald Trump was
shown above the message: "zealots at home." After his opening
commentary, Matthews interviewed New York University professor Irshad
Manji and Abderrahim Foukara of Al Jazeera.
Later,
Matthews reiterated his A-to-B-to-C
connection. Referencing Terry Jones, the Florida pastor in Florida who
burned Korans in 2010, the anchor alleged, "But they keep
spreading this rumor on the right, people like Newt Gingrich and the
rest of them. They are building the case for this Billy Bob character to
burn Korans and then he's giving a case to [Afghanistan President
Hamid] Karzai to save his butt over there."
He continued, "This is a dynamic, dangerous kind of thing that does
lead to wars. This is what happens in wars. Rumors lead to rumors lead
to rumors and then only in the end, 'I only responded to what I heard.
It's not my fault.' That's what you hear. The killers."
A partial transcript of the April 4 segment, which aired at 5pm EDT, follows:
MSNBC graphic: Zealots Abroad. Graphic changes to Zealots at Home [Trump, Bachmann and Gingrich pictured]
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Leading off tonight: Zealots abroad, zealots at home.
What a horrible story I've come home to. Not the tsunami, not the
nuclear disaster. Not even Qadhafi. But what do you do when people,
20,000 of them, rush United Nations workers? Good people doing good work
in a tough place? Why? Because some character on the other side of the
world burnt a holy book. Is this why young men risk and give their
lives, arms and legs in Afghanistan and Iraq so that any time on this
planet that some clown decides to say something against Islam, innocent
people get killed? Is this the deal? I spent the last seven days in a
land divided by religion. The Israelis hold their covenant with God to
the land he promised them.
The Arabs cling to the land of their birth,
to their Muslim or Christian faith and, yes, they too to Jerusalem. But,
listen to the fanatics in this country. They attack the President's
basic beliefs, accusing him of thinking like a Muslim from Kenya. You
hear that a lot. Or- this is the subtle version- not accepting the
specialness of America. Like he's not really one of us. They say the
President isn't one of us. They say he may also be an impostor. The
Democrats are anti-American. They want next year's election, that's the
people on the right, to be about who the real Americans are, the real
Christians.
They let the word spread around the country, keep spreading,
by the way, to a majority of their Republicans, about how the President
may have just snuck in this country, doctored his papers and now
pretends to be a Christian. Even John Boehner, who's obviously a
sensitive guy, won't raise his voice one bit to stop this talk. Is this
what's come to the wars in the Islamic world? We've begun to talk like
the zealots from the Middle East.
5:10
MATTHEWS: But they keep spreading this rumor on the right, people like
Newt Gingrich and the rest of them. They are building the case for this
Billy Bob character to burn Korans and then he's giving a case to
Karzai to save his butt over there. This is a dynamic, dangerous kind of
thing that does lead to wars. This is what happens in wars. Rumors lead
to rumors lead to rumors and then only in the end, "I only responded to
what I heard. It's not my fault." That's what you hear. The killers.
- Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
