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Transcript from “The O’Reilly Factor,” September 17, 2012.
BILL O’REILLY, FNC HOST: Now for the “Top Story”. Tonight, why do so many millions of Muslims hate the U.S.A.? Joining us now from Portland, Oregon, Harris Zafar, National spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community; and here in the studio, Irshad Manji author of the new book, “Allah, Liberty and Love.”
All right, Miss Manji, what if — if you had to point to one thing that makes some Muslims hate the U.S.A., it would be?
IRSHAD MANJI, AUTHOR, “ALLAH, LIBERTY AND LOVE”: Hypocrisy over democracy. While America, the government now, preaches democracy, it has propped up authoritarian leaders and also overthrown democratically-elected ones.
O’REILLY: Where — where did we overthrow? I know — I know you are talking about Mubarak and Egypt as far as propping up.
MANJI: Right.
O’REILLY: But where did we overthrow?
MANJI: You know a lot of Muslims are still very rankled by the overthrow of Musadek (ph) in Iran which was a generation ago. But when you combine that with what kids are learning about America on university campuses, about what has happened with America in you know — South America, the propping up of those dictators as well, you get this big bundle fomenting against the United States and, you know, that I believe that that is a very ideologically-lopsided narrative.
O’REILLY: Ok but it doesn’t make any sense logically.
Look, the Soviet –
MANJI: But we’re not talking about logic we are talking about emotion.
O’REILLY: – the Soviet Union, Germany and Japan did awful terrible things, correct?
MANJI: Yes. Oh my God.
O’REILLY: Do I hate Russians, do I hate Germans, do I hate the Japanese?
MANJI: Right, right — I’m with you.
O’REILLY: No, I don’t.
MANJI: I’m with you.
O’REILLY: No I don’t.
MANJI: Yes.
O’REILLY: All right, so that doesn’t make that kind of sense where these people want to kill you and hurt you. What do you think it is Mr. Zafar?
HARRIS ZAFAR, NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON, AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY U.S.A.: Well it’s an important question and I think the difference is that what we’ve seen is that since the 1950s as Irshad was alluding to since then there have been many crisis in the Middle East which involve natural resources such as oil.
And we have sided with the status quo governments, the dictators and kings and disregarding the people, the differences we weren’t affected as a people by the Russians. We disregarded a people who are being oppressed by those regimes and people remember that. And the problem then becomes that the current leadership whether its religious or secular they misuse and that they keep reminding people that to rile up the masses against us. And then when things — isolated incidents happen like this childish yet provocative and vile film that come out. When things like that happen they will use that as a ruse to rile up people –
O’REILLY: Yes but nobody believes that this a stupid film that nobody seen causes people to assassinate ambassadors and to storm embassies and to try to kill people. I mean, that’s just irrational.
If Allah and Prophet Muhammad, if they condone murder because of a stupid film then you guys got a real problem inherent in your religion.
But let me get back to you Miss Manji. Both you and Mr. Zafar are Americans, correct?
MANJI: Well, I’m a Canadian citizen.
ZAFAR: Absolutely.
MANJI: But I live now and work in New York.
O’REILLY: All right.
ZAFAR: I’m born and raised American.
O’REILLY: So there is a reason why you live in New York.
MANJI: Yes.
O’REILLY: And there is a reason why Mr. Zafar lives in Portland, Oregon because this country is a free country.
MANJI: Right.
O’REILLY: And we provide opportunity for 300 million people.
MANJI: You’ve got it.
O’REILLY: All right, now.
ZAFAR: Absolutely.
