Charlie Rose

michael shumacher  06/20/2008 03:19 AM Report

excellent, interview. I guess this is why charlie has a show named after him, his objectivity in the face of a skewed conservative trend is indeed commendable.

Nevin  04/12/2008 12:15 AM Report

No matter how much effort is put into trying to make people understand Islam, it is obvious that some people will not even attempt to listen. Since when has a language became a barrier between people? (That's what translators are for!!) If that was the case then maybe the whole world should forget about their languages and just speak English! It is only logical that the Imam Shata does not speak English because he came here only a couple of years ago, and OF COURSE he won't be speaking the language because all of his studies were in Arabic. His mission in this country is to guide the Muslims, and speak with the Muslims (whose majority speak Arabic). At a time where there is a confrontation, then there would be a translator...and he is CLEARLY very open minded to speak with the Americans, otherwise, he would have used the excuse of not speaking English and just backed out of the whole interview. When are we ever going to focus on the subject and not drift away to meaningless diverging topics...."LIKE HE DOESNT KNOW HOW TO SPEAK ENGLISH THEREFORE HE HATES US". A comment made by indiviuals who are closed mineded and would rather be fed with false information only because it satisfies their hate. The main purpose for this interview was to have an understanding of the Muslims who are looked upon in an unfair perspective. It is a way of getting the two sides (americans and muslims) to understand one another. If Mr. Shata, as well as the rest of the Muslims, hated the Americans then why would they come to America. Common sense! Lets think for ourselves rather than having others think for us. Maybe if that is done, then many misconceptions will disappear and people will treat one another as human beings and not as "muslims", "christians", "jews" etc. THIS INTERVIEW WAS A JOB WELL DONE, AND MR SHATA, YOU ARE AN INTELLGENT INDIVIDUAL AND KEEP UP THE GREAT JOB!!!!! Andrea Elliott, youre great and also, KEEP IT UP! CHARLIE ROSE, you did speak in two different tones (as someone mentioned in this forum) when it came to the two guests. I dont know whether you were trying to intimidate Mr Shata or not, but obviosly it did not work!

Adnan  01/26/2008 10:53 PM Report

As an american muslim, I am dissappointed that "Muslims in America" was chosen to be represented by a dying-breed of Imams and American Muslims in general. But the poor choice of covering this Imam is more a reflection of Andrea Elliot and I understand that the show was trying to cover the Pulitzer articles that she wrote.

The American Muslim community according to most of the recent surveys is mostly composed of African-Americans, Caucasian-Americans, Latin-Americans and Second-Generation Muslims. All these groups culturally and linguistically identify themselves as American. Most Imams, even the ones that I have experienced that come from Egypt or Pakistan, are extremely fluent in English and much more adept in communicating themselves because they have to be otherwise no one would listen to them especially younger Muslims like myself.

In the future (and I have emailed this in the past) please bring on your show credible scholars and active American Muslims that represent a wider fabric of Muslims in America. Scholars such as Hamza Yusuf, Professors such as Sherman Jackson, Artists such as Lupe Fiasco and other accomplished Muslims that are active in wider endeavors deserve the chance to come on your show to talk about Islam and specifically Islam in America.

This show was poor in terms of analysis and content that is usually expected of a Charlie Rose Show. To get that high level of content you need to invite Muslims on your show that can deliver that type of content. Case in Point is the recent Bill Moyers interview of Imam Zaid Shakir, a mainstream nationally-recognized African-American Muslim Imam.

I hope that your research staff will take these comments into serious consideration.

Thanks for atleast trying to present this topic which is often consumed with slogans such as "moderates" and "terrorists."

salllm  11/21/2007 05:16 AM Report

Charlie Rose, Ms. Elliot and the Imam have done a wonderful job to get an important message across. The Imam acts as a bridge between Islam and the west. He is doing his best to narrow the gap. It is a tough job. It took the Mr. Shata 20 years of studying to become an Imam. Obviously, all the schooling was in Arabic. I challenge the critics who are hung up on the English issue, to speak a foreign language fluently in four years, say Russian or Chinese. Thanks to the host and the guests for presenting a clearer image of Muslims to the west and daring to discuss such important topics. Mohamed Meshal

Mariam Aboulela  08/18/2007 01:34 AM Report

I think Mr. Rose's choice of Sheikh Reda on the show was an excellent decision. If you have read the articles in the New York times you will know more about this highly inelligent man who devoted so much to his Islamic community that caused him one night in the hospital due to exhuastion. His lack of the English language should not cause people to criticize him because it doesn't affect the work he has done in America to Muslims and non-Muslims.

TribeMember  07/11/2007 11:10 PM Report

Dear Shata, what does the following mean. Can anyone help?

"jiash kl lalk lkd klmklm;g ll bm"

Wittgenstein was right: Limits of one's language are the limits of one's world.

T. Pireo  07/08/2007 10:08 PM Report

Charlie,

W/o people like you, Larry king, Andrea, Seymour Hersh, It will be hard for underdogs and left behinds to have a word. Thank you.

Re: Arthur A > Victor, many reader will realize that you are trying to prejudge the hosts of this good program. A session we need more of rather than scare/negative messages.

JT

Brian Taibi  07/06/2007 10:05 PM Report

If only people took the time and read Andréa's articles they will find answers to many of the questions below. To people who wondered why he didn't answers the questions in English. Simply because he doesn't speak the language. he preaches to arabic speaking audience, more like the rabbi speaking only hebrew in the temple, the mexican priest that preaches in Spanish, To the person who wonders about why not interviewing the likes of Hamza Yusuf and Zaid shaker they are all over the place. go to youtube or to Zaytuna you will find plenty of interviews and let me know if you learn somthing useful.Honestly I'm tired of both of them they never say anything new. same old same boring stuff.

TribeMember  07/06/2007 05:42 PM Report

If the Imam can only be called a "good Muslim," if he truly believes in all that is in the Koran, then Mr. Victor, do you as a "good Jew" believe the following:

Isaiah 45:7 "I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things."

Ezekiel 20:25,26 "I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live. And I polluted them in their own gifts...

When will the human race "think about thinking" for God's sake. Tell me your ethnic identity, & I will predict your politics, statistically significantly. So much for "Free Will."

I wonder whom can I Report the Abuse that takes place in every human household through the narcissistic practices of embedding "tribal memes and identities" (be it from Bible or Koran etc) in the minds of innocent children? The curse of ethnic identity is the root of all evil.

Some of the great contemporary thinkers on Identity such as Don Beck (Spiral Dynamics), Amin Maalouf (In the Name of Identity), Amertya Sen (Identity and Violence),

Anthony Kwame Appiah (Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers), should be read along with Koran, Bible and Geeta, etc. to overcome the "data poisonings" that happen in all households of humanity across cultures. Very few individuals recover from that poisoning as histroy and modernity is a witness. Free will alone does not a citizen of the world make. There are not many surprises, but only consequences of the causal conditions, be it Muslim mind or a Jewish mind.

Donald Karp  07/06/2007 04:49 PM Report

Did Ms. Andea Elliott wear a burkah or veil when interviewing the Imam? Did she speak to any female members of the mosque? Imam Reda Shata is quite unique, in the fact that he even would look at an unveiled infidel woman. Not you average Muslim Shaykh, for sure. He does have a sweet countenance, and is probably quite sincere.But he would be unpopular with "real" Muslims.

Arthur A, Victor  07/06/2007 04:27 PM Report

Charlie, you are sometimes too much of a gentleman. Your interview with Imam Shayk Reda Shata was "softball' if there ever was such. No mention of the taboo word "Jihad". No query as to Israel's right to exist. No mention of Salman Rushdie affair, etc. Please learn the definition of the Arabic term "taquiyah". This viewer found much irony in the information that the Imam's mosque has a congregation of "between 600 and 800" members. Ironic,-to me as a Jew, as that is the number of male members of the Jewish Quarayzeh tribe, beheaded by Mohammed and followers. Charlie, perfume smells lovely, but do not drink it, it is poisonous.

Dorothy Baker  07/05/2007 11:03 PM Report

Dear Charlie, Thank you for your program of July 3. We need a lot more of this sort of TV programing. I admire Ms Elliott very much. Is it possible to obtain a transcript of the program? Please advise if this is possible and the cost. Also, thank you for Ms Sill's memorial as well as all of your programs. Sincerely, Dorothy Baker PS I want to better understand your guest's answers.

Mohamed Meshal  07/05/2007 10:18 PM Report

Charlie Rose, Ms. Elliot and the Imam have done a wonderful job to get an important message across. The Imam acts as a bridge between Islam and the west. He is doing his best to narrow the gap. It is a tough job.

It took the Mr. Shata 20 years of studying to become an Imam. Obviously, all the schooling was in Arabic. I challenge the critics who are hung up on the English issue, to speak a foreign language fluently in four years, say Russian or Chinese.

Thanks to the host and the guests for presenting a clearer image of Muslims to the west and daring to discuss such important topics.

Mohamed Meshal

TribeMember  07/05/2007 01:10 PM Report

Our species spends trillions on technologies of violence and trillions on religious and cultural conditioning. Thw way our world is, is no surprise. Most religion and most politics not to mention most journalism, is continuation of narcissism by other means. Kudos to Rose and Andrea for rising above tribal politics. Sincere journalism concerned with objective truth is rare given the massive cultural conditoning children of homo Sapiens go through in any given culture.Power games of this species take complex disguises. Tax payers of all cultures whether they follow Bush or Bin Laden, will do well to first understand their tribal memberships in one group or another and its relationship to their politics, ethics, metaphysics and easthetics. Ken Wilber's Integral Spirituality, Spinoza Ethics and Morgenthau's Politcs Among Nations are great books to rise above tribal politics.

Fatima al-Husayniyah  07/05/2007 08:13 AM Report

Thank you Charlie and Andrea. I think you both did your best, were sincere in your intentions, and did very well. I wish more Muslims would practice their religion and stop complaining about people and have a good opinion of others. It's easy to be an arm-chair critic. Andrea went looking for an Imam, and she interviewed the one she found. So give her a break! She didn't happen to find Hamza Yusuf Hanson who is based in California or Dr. Umar who is based in Chicago because she was in New York! And perhaps Charlie was only trying to enunciate clearly so that the Imam could understand? The Imam didn't seem insulted. So, chill out and have a good opinion of others, as the Qur'an says. I hope Charlie and Andrea don't lose heart by the negativity expressed, and that they continue to do more positive stories, as this is the kind of bridge-building work this country and our world need so desperately right now.

Mohamad  07/05/2007 01:21 AM Report

Great interview!

Sam  07/05/2007 12:29 AM Report

Thanks to CRS and the Pulitzers for bringing Elliott's work and this most important topic to the attention of thinking people. Unfortunate that the technical issues/translator were not better produced. (Why mike the iman and have his Arabic answers compete with the English translator?)

Encourage you to pursue more in depth discussions among Muslims in America, involving Ms Elliott as she, almost singularly in the MSM, has taken the time to look and listen to Muslims--rather than to judge/caricature--and report this story through a journalistic prism rather than an inflammatory, racist/ neocon/ terrorist frame.

SomeONe  07/04/2007 08:57 PM Report

Yea Right ,He seems to be like an angel ,but since I am Egyptian ,and lived with these people my hole entire live ,I can assurly say ,that muslims do not like you ,Although I am not a muslim I have been taught to hate you ,what proves my point is him not talking in English.Obviously he does not like you Americans enough to learn your Languages .He does not want to talk to you .Why dont you Americans get it .

Marcia Kannry  07/04/2007 08:51 PM Report

Thank you for bringing the deeply spritual Imam Shata to your audience. The Dialogue Project initiated a series of neighbor to neighbor dialogues in Bay Ridge,(SPEAKING ACROSS DIFFERENCES, in the Imam's mosque during the period that Andrea was interviewing him.

It was the first time for many Bay Ridgers

to sit in a mosque and have an opportunity to

learn by listening, and sharing stories. It is not always easy for New York long time residents to learn to put aside judgement and just experience the reality of others, in this case more observant Muslim men and women at the Ismlamic Society of Bay Ridge. Imam Shata and several members of the mosque were gracious hosts and hostesses. These encounters are extremely important because so much residual feeling lives in Bay Ridge, since 9/11.

Please encourage people to learn about dialogue, as a tool for challenging our own assumptions, rather than attack the perspectives of the "other".

www.thedialogueproject.org

George Garth  07/04/2007 08:47 PM Report

Thanks to both Charlie & Andrea for again doing a great job with the story /show I cannot believe the neg comments Every one is NOT articulate like Charlie & every one will not learn English like Swartnagger who is my Governor but pronounces California with an accent.

The Imam had a great demeaner & Charlie talking loudly & slowly was to get his message across correctly which he did (Does not pay to be flippant here).

May be she will next do a story about the 2nd generation & native born Muslims.

Much better than the mud slinging generally done on TV!

George wishing yo'll a great 4th!

Dr Sabri Bahlool  07/04/2007 07:38 PM Report

Great work. need Mr Shata to talk more about true Isalm so people uderstatnd that we have more semilaties than differances.

Stama Knox  07/04/2007 06:27 PM Report

I must ask others this question: Did you notice Mr. Rose's shift in demeanor and tone when he asked the journallist a question, vs. the Imam? It was stunning to me.

His voice was markedly louder, his words more clipped, his tone more abrasive when he turned to the Imam. It was almost like watching someone who was totally unaccustomed to talking to foreigners. It is amazing how those not used to non-English speakers seem to elevate the decibal range. I am not reading anything into Mr. Roses' reasons/motives for this ... but go back and take a listen and see if you notice (if you did not notice the first time).

Truly, I do like this show and am thankful for it. But found the above amazing.

Thanks

Tu  07/04/2007 05:47 PM Report

Many of the comments are about Imam's English. I believe that's what makes this story interesting, compared to a PR-polished American-born imam.

Of course, there are many multi-lingual Imams in America.

Omar  07/04/2007 04:24 PM Report

The man obviously speaks english. It is just not his first language. He is more comfortable in Arabic when engaged in complex discussion. He is clearly an eloquent and intelligent man. Lay off people.

Cordelia Carrey  07/04/2007 04:17 PM Report

Thank you for doing such a positive show on Muslims in America. It's nice to see objective reporting. Andrea was great. I appreciated the imam's humility and wisdom. The translator was very difficult to understand though. There are so many bilingual Americans who are fluent in both English and Arabic. It would be a good idea to either get a better translator, or to interview an imam who is fluent in English. There are thousands of 2nd generation Arab-Americans all over the country! Thank you again!

Naaz  07/04/2007 03:37 PM Report

Great segment! Thank you for having done it!

Ahmad Azizi  07/04/2007 03:34 PM Report

Once again, Charlie demonstrates one of the characteristics that make his show so unique, i.e. the diversified selection of topics for discussion. Nonetheless, I find it a little strange that an issue as important as Islam in America is rarely discussed on the show. There is a great need for more discussions like this one, where the source of information about Islam and the life of Muslims in America is an American Muslim. As Mr. Shata said, he would not be the ideal source for information about Buddhism, Christianity or Judaism; and by the same token, we should learn about Islamic teachings and the values and attitudes of Muslims in America from American Muslims themselves.

Ray Brachelli  07/04/2007 03:55 AM Report

If the AH is living in the USA and can not express his opinions in English he is not worth promoting his view. This is what is wrong. No mention of assimilation.

These folks are dangerous.

Ray Brachelli

harrod  07/04/2007 03:17 AM Report

i wish the interview had been less about the process of reporting on these issues and more about the issues themselves.

Johnny Poindexter  07/04/2007 02:47 AM Report

Chuckster, Why didn't you flippantly remark to the good Imam that Christopher Hitchens had already taken care of the "God Question", as you said to Paul Simon the other night ago? Wheras if it were Billy Graham or Franklin Graham or Graham CRACKER being dissected upon your egg-shaped table of LIPeralism you would have been mockingly wiping your [ nose \ with the pages of the Bible while citing GW Shrub as the root of all evil. Aren't afraid of anything, are we, Chuckster? Just remember ABC-- Anything's Better than Christianity, or so your LIPeral goosesteppers say... ps. "muslin" is a fabric.

T. Newkirk  07/04/2007 12:27 AM Report

I was surprised when the Imam did not respond to your questions in English (nor did I hear an introduction from Charlie that a translator would assist in the interview and a reason why this would be so -- which would have helped lower my surprise -- regarding a leader right on the "forefront" in America. Given the probes covering "assimilation" into the U.S. society, one of the first major steps surely is the language?!! I'm hopeful there is a good explanation -- but unfortunately it was missing.

A help would have been an "on-screen" script in English, as the translator was hard to understand, doubling the difficulty of hearing everything clearly.

I look forward to reading the NYT's articles, regardless of the interview difficulties -- as this is a very important subject. I hope there will be more Imam and insightful reporters interviewed in the future. Keep up the good work -- and focus on improvements, too.

gustav tracchia  07/03/2007 11:45 PM Report

Dear Mr. Rose:

Your piece on Iman Shk Reda Shata was a diservice to the point you wanted to convey by featuring a non English speaking muslin person.

A very poor choise. Sorry to say.

With respect and sincerely yours,

Gustav Tracchia.