August 27, 2005

MOST INFAMOUS PERSON I KNOW

Wow, I didn't know anyone had been following Mariam Sobh. I met her, as a friend of a friend, when I was at University of Illinois; we had a pleasant, if superficial, lunch one day. After I graduated, I continued to follow the Daily Illini newspaper and check on Mariam's columns from time to time. I know once she wrote that the hijab is an honored tradition dating back to the Koran. I emailed her and politely pointed out an article by Amir Taheri about how the hijab was actually introduced in the 70's in Iran. She wrote back and politely told me that Amir Taheri is a well-known liar and that I shouldn't believe what he says. I basically blew the whole thing off and forgot about it until now. Hmm, who's the well-known liar now?

Posted by: Sarah at 05:50 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 She has issued an apology for her error: "I wish to come forward and say that I did not do enough to clear up and apologize for a severe problem that I caused with a Dec. 11, 2003 column titled, “Stop Turning a Blind Eye.” I used a quote attributed to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that described in horrid and disturbing detail what he wanted to do to Palestinians. While I thought I had adequately researched the quote and had been reassured by trusted sources that it was accurate, I was wrong. I cannot blame anyone else for my error. The column is mine, the work is mine, the sources were mine and therefore, the mistake is my responsibility. I am thankful to the various writers and people who pointed me in the right direction, even those who did so with wrath and hate, because it drove me to find the truth. It reminded and motivated me to do a better job. It will continue to burn in my memory as I strive to be the high-minded, fair and principled journalist I work to become.?" Adequate? Maybe not. But I wish that Bush would accept the blame on WMDs with equal forthrightness.

Posted by: Pericles at September 05, 2005 12:19 AM (EpPuP)

2 By the way, Sarah, didn't you a couple of entries on how people who honestly believe what they are saying shouldn't be called lairs, even if they are dead wrong?

Posted by: Pericles at September 05, 2005 10:50 AM (EpPuP)

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