CAIR Exec Director: Maher ‘Offends Himself More Than He Offends Me’

On Thursday’s broadcast of “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell,” CAIR executive director Nihad Awad reacted to HBO host Bill Maher’s remarks on Islam as it pertained to this week’s terrorist attack on the French magazine Charlie Hedbo in Paris.

Awad denied he was offended by Maher’s views on Islam, but said it was more of an indictment on himself than on him as a Muslim.

“Well, people like this insult themselves, insult the intelligence of other people who are watching them. He has the right to disagree with the religion, but just to make fun of other people and just to earn money, you know, just to be insensitive is his choice. Do I get offended by his lack of sophistication, his lack of knowledge, his lack of understanding. He offends himself more than he offends me. But nevertheless, he has the right to do it and I’m not going to commit violence against him or urge for violence against him. We live in a free world. We live in a free society. Everything expresses himself and what comes out of me shows my character. And what comes out of Bill Maher and others shows, it shows his character. And therefore, truth stands out from. So instead of saying he is crooked, I am straight, you know, truth stands out from other than truths. So therefore he’s entitled to his bigotry. I’m entitled to my decency. And we define each other based on what we do and what comes out of ourselves and out of our mouths.”

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