PBS in Dallas has decided that premiering a documentary on Islamic terrorism isn’t such a great idea after all. Not after local Muslim leaders asked them not to.
The Forward reports,

“The Roots of War: The Road to Peace” was scheduled to air on KERA-TV on Sunday, January 29, but the premiere was postponed by the station’s managers after a local Muslim group alleged that the program contains inaccuracies and anti-Muslim bias. The documentary’s producers, Niki and Dennis McCuistion, have defended their work; they have refused to make changes[…] Mohamed Elibiary, president of the Dallas-based Muslim advocacy group The Freedom and Justice Foundation, raised concerns after viewing the film at an advance screening.
“I was expecting them to break new ground, to take not a pro the other side [view], but take a close look at the other side and take a more critical look at our side here, and see, does the other side have any story to tell, have anything to say,” Elibiary told the Forward. “Unfortunately, they failed in that regard.”

Unfortunately or not, a documentary doesn’t have to offer “a more critical look at our side here” for it to have value, as moral relativism isn’t a requirement in the U.S., not even when it comes to examining terrorism. Why is PBS being so sensitive to the demands of an organization that clearly prefers us to not just understand, but to sympathize and be sensitive and respectful of those bent on Fundamentalist Islamic Hegemony? Isn’t PBS a U.S. government subsidized organization? Are we a neutral party in this conflict who should respect the terrorists and their supporters but not the terror?
There should be greater understanding of the enemy. But there need be no sympathy for the motives and goals of the enemy anymore than there should be sympathy towards the horrific means used to achieve these goals. Nor should there be sensitivity to those so-called moderates who perceive the portrayal of the enemy to be a reflection of themselves.
Are the terrorists adhering to a legitimate brand of Islam or not?
If not, let the documentary air.
If yes, let the documentary air.