Pro Iran regime ‘Salon’ slams Fox News top expert as ‘nativist’!

by Hossein Khorram

The pro Iran regime propaganda in the US continues to target national security experts, particularly those who articulate analyses enabling the public to understand the threat posed by Tehran and its global reach. Salon accused several shows on Fox News after the ISIS-inspired terror attack in New York of being “Islamophobic and nationalist,” just for spreading awareness about the danger posed by Jihadis. In an article published on November 1, self-described “breaking news writer” Matthew Rosza waged an online blast against Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Brian Kilmeade and, in general, Fox News shows. Salon, which supported the Iran Deal and opposed the designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, is notorious for stepping in to attack media and experts attempting to educate the public, precisely about these two threats. The list of hit pieces produced by the pro-Iran regime outlet is too long—but easy—to compile.

However, in its latest attack against Fox News and its commentators, Salon went as far as to characterize the top foreign policy expert at Fox News with a strange attribute, apparently not paying enough attention to what they were writing. Rozsa, who in “Mic, Quartz” and on MSNBC—noted supporters of the Iran Deal—wrote that “a similar nativist line was used by right wing political pundit Dr. Walid Phares when he appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show.” Salon quotes Phares arguing that “we need to have a strategic policy on vetting. Unfortunately, over the past eight years, the previous administration did not want to do it.”  Rozsa quoted Phares further: “It comes from, actually, campuses. Social scientists have been telling us, and telling many generations, that we do not address this because it is the wrong argument.”

Stunningly, Salon calls Phares a “nativist.” Born in the Middle East, who emigrated 27 years ago, the author of 14 books on the region is certainly not an “American nativist.” Besides, Phares is not a “right wing political pundit.” Here again, Salon fails. Using a description from Wikipedia, posted by pro-Iranian operatives years ago, they coin Phares as a “right wing” while he is a centrist and registered independent. But beyond the misgivings in attributes, the real target of Salon was the narrative presented by Phares to the public. He demonstrated that the problem with fighting the Jihadi ideology is rooted in the refusal of the academic elite to admit that there is one.    
   

Hossein Khorram is Co-Director of American Middle East Coalition for Democracy