Fourth of a series.  Find parts one, two and three here.  And don’t miss this report, either.

Martha Coakley declares that terrorists are “gone from Afghanistan” and has no idea the Taliban are either terrorists or our sworn enemies.

No one ever accused Martha Coakley of having any foreign-policy experience.  After all, as a career lawyer, prosecutor, state attorney general and lifelong Democrat party hack, the “Massachusette” can’t rationally be expected to be as up on the nuances of the “war on terror” as, say, Joe Biden.

Still, her remarks during her one debate with Scott Brown on January 11 should trouble anyone who hopes that a potential successor to the warm body currently occupying the deceased Lion of the Senate’s seat would have, shall we say, a greater grasp of the geo-political situation.

First, in her own words, her foreign-policy credentials:

I have a sister who lives overseas and she’s been in England and now lives in the Middle East.  I’ve spent a lot of time on my own traveling, ‘cause I’m interested in it.  Less so as attorney general, and my responsibilities don’t take me overseas.

Unbelievable?  See for yourself:

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“Every single Iranian is valuable.  The government is at everyone’s service.  We like everyone.”

-Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, June 2009

I cannot use my real name.  If the freedom of expressive condemnation practiced in this article were associated with my name I would never be permitted to return home.  Dozens of family members would be in danger of interrogation and persecution for my words.  This is an everyday reality for an Iranian-American.  I live in America with my family and enjoy all the freedoms and privileges contained within the American dream.  These are the freedoms that my fellow Iranians are fighting for.  I use these rights to voice my thoughts and to condemn those who will not acknowledge our struggle.

On June 13th, 2009, in the aftermath of Iran’s tenth presidential election, the Iranian people marched through the streets outraged, denouncing the disputed and fraudulent re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. As a result, the regime’s security apparatus fought the people’s will and tried to repress all forms of civil activism. Using different news media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, the Iranian people allowed their protests to be heard around the globe. (more…)

The media have an inadequate understanding of religion. This simple fact is corroborated frequently, as mainstream outlets attempt to illustrate stories, explain religious themes and delve deep into faith-based systems.  Unfortunately, most outlets miss the mark entirely, as journalists do not have proper understanding of the constructs through which they are attempting to report.  As a result, the American public suffers a lack of pointed and well-presented information on a subject that stands at the forefront of important global and domestic issues.

Case in point, Christiane Amanpour’s 2007 CNN mini-series entitled, “God’s Warriors.”  The three-part series delved into the world’s three largest religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam.  As is typical of the secular media, an enhanced level of relativism led the Iranian-bred Amanpour (born in London to a Persian family) to equate “extremism” within and among adherents to the three religions.  While each belief system has had moral failures, equating the deaths as a result of radical Islamic fascism to those of contemporary Christianity and Judaism is absurd.  Furthermore, as is the case when journalists attempt to cover religion, Amanpour left out essential details that would have provided a more fair-minded picture. (more…)