The Newsweek story was just over 300 words. One sentence set off the firestorm that U.S. interrogators in Guantanamo Bay, in an attempt to rattle suspects, flushed a Koran down a toilet.
The news was blamed for inciting riots in the Muslim world, where at least 17 people were killed. Religious leaders called it an unforgivable crime and an attack on Islam’s sacred values.
Yesterday, Newsweek retracted the story but many are saying that it is too late. That irreparable damage has been done–to the country’s independent media and image in the Muslim world.
Tune in to hear about the fallout of the Newsweek disaster.
Guests:
Mark Mazzetti, Pentagon reporter, The Los Angeles Times
John Esposito, Professor of religion and international affairs, Georgetown University and author of “What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam”
Paul Marshall, senior fellow, Freedom House’s Center for Religious Freedom and editor of “Radical Islam’s Rules: The Worldwide Spread of Extreme Sharia Law”
Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development, University of Maryland and author of “The Stakes: America and the Middle East”
Jack Beatty, On Point news analyst and a senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly.
