I just watched the re-airing of the Soledad O’brien (in for Larry King) interview with  Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf of New York City.  I don’t even know where to start.

Perhaps the CNN Belief Blog, where I also left a response.  However, this is from Kenny from the Bronx, who posted several hours after I did. (I have added paragraph breaks for easier reading.)

I couldn’t believe what I was watching! As an avid CNN  watcher, I was very disappointed with Soledad’s so-called interview. But I am more disappointed @ CNN for having the audacity to reair this travesty. It is unforgivable. CNN is not the joke that is foxnews.

I have always respected CNN because you always reported with balance and integrity. Shaw in Tianamen sq., Amanpour in Iraq, Cooper and Gupta in NOLA and Haiti.

Even Soledad’s Black in America was good. But Soledad did CNN and fair journalism a grave disservice.

As a New Yorker who lost 4 friends on September 11 this all important interview could have been a teachable moment.

That America stands for freedom of speech AND religion –this is a fight between moderates for peace and radicals for hatred. I am glad Christianne Amanpour is on ABC interviewing the Imam the way a responsible journalist should have.

If only Soledad checked her personal feelings at the door and asked the questions. For jounalism’s sake she could have given herself a great feather in her cap and posed the tough questions.

But unlike Walters, Hunter, King, Oprah, Sawyer, Coric and Wallace;  Soledad missed a historic opportunity…

My wife and I, both great admirers of Soledad’s work were expecting a reflective and inciteful interview which would step behind the emotion and provide greater understanding on behalf of improved relations between faith cultures in this country. Given the high quality of Sodedad’s work, it was a reasonable expectation.

What we were treated to was an exercise in incessant badgering reminiscent of the bullying Lou Dobbs often imposed on his “guests”. We were appalled when O’brian kept interrupting the Imam’s thoughtful responses by reasking questions that he had already answered.

The use of the Franklin Graham video bite, in which Graham insists that all Muslims must seek total domination of all non muslims and the extermination of all other religious faiths to be true to their own faith, was unacceptable. My wife and I are Christians, and Mr. Graham does not speak for us.

Had O’brien not been in attack mode, this video could have been used to give the Imam an opportunity to challenge its accuracy. Instead, O’brien seemed to be using it to bolster her attack upon the Imam.

Ironically, the quiet and respectful response given to O’brian was in marked contrast to the tone of the Graham quote and O’brian’s apparent agenda. Furthermore, O’brian’s constant reference to the poll claiming that 70% of Americans do not want the Cultural Center built, loses its power when compared to the large number of Americans who do not want the Muslims worshipping anywhere.