Paper: Sorry for Photo of Muslims Praying on 9/11

The Portland Press Herald has apologized for having the temerity to show Muslims praying peacefully on September 11th. The upbeat frontpage story followed local Muslims as they celebrated the end of Ramadan, which this year fell near the anniversary of the terror attacks (for details, click here). These worshipers, according to the paper, prayed, called for charitable donations, and watched their kids play soccer. This, according to the apology, “offended many readers.”

“We erred by at least not offering balance to the story and its prominent position on the front page,” the publisher wrote. A sample reader comment: “I don't want to here [sic] how caring the Muslim religion is on 9/11.” The whole incident depresses James Poniewozik of Time. “Here is where we are in America, 2010,” he laments. “There is now one group of Americans whose peaceful religious observances cannot be noted by decent people, unless it is ‘balanced’ by mention of a vile crime committed in 2001.” (More Islamophobia stories.)