O’Reilly to Muslim Guest: You Don’t See Militant Islam Because ‘You Don’t Want To’

O’Reilly Clashes with Muslim Guest: You Don’t See Militant Islam Because ‘You Don’t Want To’ (Mediaite)

Bill O’Reilly took on the issue of stopping Islamic terrorism Monday with Osama Siblani, the publisher of the Arab American News, telling him he doesn’t see militant Islam because “you don’t want to know.” O’Reilly repeatedly confronted Siblani about militant Islam in Detroit, but Siblani said he knows of no militant Muslims to begin with.

They fought over the decision by the mayor of New York City to end a controversial unit monitoring Muslims, with Siblani saying public officials are “elected to protect the rights of the people, not harass them.” He told O’Reilly that the idea of militant Islam being such a problem in the U.S. is a “figment of your imagination.”

O’Reilly called him “terribly naive,” saying that the NYPD simply followed a number of individuals around places where militant Islam is accepted. He said, “You’re a guy who doesn’t believe the facts.” Siblani shot back that Muslims are not an exception to the protections of the Constitutions. He told O’Reilly, “If one person loses their freedom, all of us lose our freedom.”

O’Reilly found it “mind-boggling” that he can’t acknowledge militant Islam in the U.S. is real, telling Siblani, “You don’t want to know.”