Daily Herald's refusal to print Rios' response to article
 
From: dailyherald.com
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 10:52 AM
To: Sandy Rios

Sandy,

When I said I'd publish a response, it didn't occur to me that the response would include a restatement that Islam is a religion of vegeance [sic]. If that's your interpretation, that's your interpretation, as you apparently said in your Day of Prayer remarks, but many Muslims take strong exception to that interpretation of the Quran, and our letters policy disallows broad-brush statements of prejudice against any particular religious or ethnic group, so I'm not going to publish that. Our policy generally prohibits theological debates as well...there's some latitude there, particularly when a news issue or debate inherently involves theological viewpoints ... but again, I'm not going to publish a restatement of the views you presented (if I understand correctly, and, no, I wasn't present either) that day. If you want us to publish a letter stating that we should have contacted you and that it's unfair to bring Roskam into this, I'll do that.

Sandy Rios' response to Daily Herald's refusal to print

From: Sandy Rios
Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 10:43 AM
To: dailyherald.com
Subject: With Respect

Let me see if I understand....your reporter sought out a Muslim in Villa Park to respond to one phrase of my remarks at a Christian celebration of the Day of Prayer, printed his response that my words were "blasphemy" and yet your policy "generally prohibits broad-brush statements of prejudice against any particular religious or ethnic group." You created this controversy, violating your own policy, printed it and now are refusing to let me respond.

You felt free to print that Tammy Duckworth labeled my statements as hate speech, but won't let me respond with an explanation as to why they are not. I'm sad because the repercussions of this are far more than you may realize. Not because of any backlash on my part....you have won this one. You have the power to manipulate and print what you want. But because of a greater issue.

We ARE losing our freedoms of speech. You are, knowingly or not, cooperating with a move to eliminate our right to speak our convictions....entering a time when words are redefined in a dangerous way. Maybe you're comfortable to embrace the "groupthink" of our time, but the freedom to dissent and openly debate are precious things I would think a newspaper professional would fiercely defend. But then I know too well the pressures you face.

Do you know who Theo Van Gogh is? He WAS a Dutch film producer, murdered in Holland by Muslims because of a film he made critical of Islam. As you probably know, Holland was in an uproar over it, voting in anti-immigration politicians in a knee-jerk effort to stop the increase of the Muslim influence. But it is too late there, as it is in most of Europe. You can believe what you want, but I'm telling you that the intent of Islam, expressed explicitly in the Koran, is to kill or conquer. The Koran teaches that it is okay...even righteous to lie to the non-Muslim to achieve these ends. You can say that I'm crazy, but you have only to look at the pattern in areas of the world where they become the majority, how the pendulum quickly swings to forced conversion. Look at Indonesia...the Sudan...

My intent on the National Day of Prayer wasn't to go on a crusade against Islam...my remarks on that were only passing. My purpose was to proclaim the uniqueness of the God of our Fathers. But you must hear the truth about Islam, even if you are afraid to print it.

Remember Daniel Pearl...Nick Berg....As you watch the headlines unfold, remember what I said. These are dangerous times and you have a great responsibility.

Sadly but respectfully,

Sandy Rios