The Forced Conversion That the Media Forgot
Charles Johnson
Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 9:27 am PDT • Views: 274
I’ve noticed something very odd about news reports on the release of kidnapped AP photographer Emilio Morenatti. Many of them compare it to the kidnapping of Fox News reporters Centanni and Wiig and describe that event—but not one of the mainstream news articles I’ve seen has mentioned that Centanni and Wiig were forced to convert to Islam as a condition for their release. It’s very unlikely that this omission of an important detail is an accident; there seems to be some kind of unspoken agreement to steer clear of it.
A case in point, the Christian Science Monitor’s account: Abduction signals troubling trend in Gaza.
Some of the details of the abduction bore similarities to the August kidnapping of two journalists for Fox TV, US reporter Steve Centanni and New Zealander cameraman Olaf Wiig, who were snatched at gunpoint from their vehicle. The two men, like Mr. Morenatti, had been staying in Gaza for several days at time.
After intensive campaigning by family members and colleagues, the two were released uninjured but told a harrowing story of their ordeal, including rough treatment and being moved from house to house. They were forced to make several videos, including one which aired on Al Jazeera and demanded the release of all Muslim female prisoners held by the US.
Frank says: