Washington, DC | April 13, 2007 | The recent remarks by radio personality Don Imus are demonstrative of the fact that racism still pervades public discourse in the US. While the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) supports freedom of expression as protected by the First Amendment, it believes Imus’s repeated bigoted, racist, and misogynist comments have no place in today’s world.
During Imus’s career his comments have contained a surprising array of dehumanizing and overtly racist hate speech. In the past, ADC has expressed deep concern with the negative effects of Imus’s hateful rhetoric which he has directed at Arabs and Muslims. For more information, see: https://www.adc.org/index.php?id=2383
ADC applauds MSNBC, CBS Radio, and other corporations who have disassociated themselves from Imus following his April 4, comments about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team. These corporations include American Express Co., Staples Inc., Procter & Gamble Co., General Motors Corp., and several others. This was followed by MSNBC‘s decision to cancel the simulcast and his show being terminated by CBS Radio.
The ADC-New Jersey Chapter (ADC-NJ) issued a statement prior to CBS Radio’s termination of Imus yesterday. Hani Khoury, Esq, President of ADC-NJ said, “While freedom of expression should be protected and respected in our nation, there is no place in American civil society for the tolerance of hate and slurs such as those hurled at the Lady Knights of Rutgers University. All Americans should be vigilant and quick to protect the long and venerable heritage of civil rights in our country.” For more information, see: http://www.adcnj.us