- (WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/11/02) - A prominent
national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today criticized as "tasteless
and insensitive" a television commercial promoting professional wrestling
that shows "Jesus" gambling with the devil in a sports bar. The
Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said the
ad, currently airing on the TV Guide Channel, shows a blond man dressed
in white and illuminated by a shaft of light discussing the upcoming World
Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) "Armageddon" pay-per-view event
with a devil-like figure. The "devil" says, "We've been
hyping this [Armageddon] for two millennia." At the end of the commercial,
he asks the "Jesus" figure, "Do you want to go double or
nothing on the Saints?"
- (SEE: http://www.wwearmageddon.com/ and http://www.tvguidemediasales.com/channel/default.asp)
-
- "This kind of tasteless and insensitive portrayal
of Jesus, peace be upon him, is an insult to the deeply-felt beliefs of
Muslim and Christian Americans. We ask that TV Guide Channel and the WWE
withdraw the commercial and apologize to viewers," said CAIR Executive
Director Nihad Awad. Awad added that Muslims revere Jesus as a prophet
of God and called on Christian leaders to join in his defense.
-
- Awad quoted a verse from the Quran, Islam's revealed
text, which states: "Behold! The angels said 'O Mary! God giveth thee
glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus the son
of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company
of) those nearest to God.'" (Chapter 3, Verse 45) In another verse,
the Quran states: "Say ye: 'We believe in God and the revelation given
to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given
to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord. We
make no distinction between any of them, and it is unto Him that we surrender
ourselves.'" (Chapter 2, Verse 136) He also quoted the Prophet Muhammad
who said: "Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest
of all people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers;
their mothers are different, but their religion is one." (Sahih Al-Bukhari,
Volume 4, Hadith 652) There are an estimated seven million Muslims in America
and some 1.2 billion worldwide.
- - END - -----
-
- CAIR
- Council on American-Islamic Relations
- 453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
- Washington, D.C. 20003
- Tel: 202-488-8787, 202-744-7726
- Fax: 202-488-0833
- E-mail: cair@cair-net.org
- URL: http://www.cair-net.org
-
-
- In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
- ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be POLITE.)
- CONTACT TV Guide Channel to politely request that they
withdraw the ad.
- Contact:
- Mr. Bill Rosolie
- VP, National Cable Advertising Sales Director
- TV Guide Channel
- 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 28th Fl
- New York, NY 10036
- FAX: 212-852-7323 E-MAIL: bill.rosolie@tvguide.com, robert.belbruno@tvguide.com
- COPY TO: cair@cair-net.org
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- WholeTruth123 writes: "I find on this forum a lot
of
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