by Askia Muhammad

WASHINGTON (Finalcall.com)� American Muslims, who have long insisted that the popular news media intentionally dehumanizes them, are now claiming to have indisputable evidence of that practice.

The CBS News show "60 Minutes" apparently doctored the English translation of an interview with a Palestinian who recruits suicide bombers, Muslim activists charge, to make it appear that he was motivated by the prospect of enjoying "paradise with 70 virgins," according to the Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC).

A five-member Arabic-speaking team assembled by MPAC listened to the Palestinian�s remarks which were broadcast Aug. 19, and disputes the network�s translation. The show�s voice-over interpretation quoted the man�Abu Wardeh�as saying: "If you become a martyr, God will give you 70 virgins, 70 wives and everlasting happiness."

What Mr. Wardeh really said, Mahdi Bray, MPAC�s national political director told The Final Call, was: "As long as I love the land (of Palestine) and as long as it is under occupation, I have no hesitation in doing what I am doing."

MPAC has written "60 Minutes", demanding a retraction, an apology, and on-air time for Islamic scholars to explain the religion�s true teachings about violence and martyrdom.

CBS News stands by its story, but could not explain how the discrepancies in the translation occurred,  according to published reports.
"For Palestinians, this is about fighting aggression and occupation, not about seeking opportunities for sexual fantasies," Salaam Al-Maryati, MPAC executive director, said in a statement. The issue is important to the estimated 7 million to 10 million Muslims in the U.S., because it confirms their fears that media organizations are intent on defaming their faith, he said.

"There is nothing in the (Holy) Qur�an or in Islamic teachings about 70 virgins or sex in paradise," Maher Hathout, a scholar with the Islamic Center of Southern California, said in a published report. "This is ridiculous, and any true Muslim knows that."