Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, TUAW Business
Follow-up on the "Muslim community offended by Apple's Fifth Avenue NYC Cube" post
Earlier this week I posted a pointer to a story about how Muslims may have been offended by the design of Apple's 5th Ave Cubic retail store design, and more specifically what it looked like while it was still covered with black panels, before the clear glass structure was revealed. I came to the topic by way of Jason O'Grady's Apple Core post on ZDnet and have since read the similar story and it's heated comments on SFGate.com from April '06. The site/org that I referenced, which publishes English translations of mostly obscure Arabic media, is one of questionable intentions, but the validity of the translation in this case hasn't really been questioned. In its original form the claims that MEMRI cites may very well be false and MEMRI's reasons for translating/publishing those claims may indeed be nothing but propaganda, but there appears to be no evidence that the translation itself was fabricated. I have emailed MEMRI requesting a link to their original source but have not yet received a reply.
It's important to note that nowhere in the 300 words that I wrote did I personally say anything derogatory about any religious or ethnic group. It's important not confuse the message with the messenger and equally as important to consider the context. This is an Apple-related blog, therefore my reference and commentary were Apple-related and not political or religious in any way. I was truly shocked by the volume and content of the comments that ensued. Those who know me and many of you who contacted me privately expressed surprise at the reaction as well.
I do regret that some of you were offended by my even mentioning or linking to MEMRI, where the original report was cited. I regret the title I chose for the post. I meant no disrespect to those Muslims who felt they were being unfairly portrayed and I never meant to imply that all followers of Islam were represented by the MEMRI allegation. I felt - and still feel - that changing the title after the fact or disabling comments on that post does more harm than good as it makes it look like we're trying to cover something up, which we are not.
For the record, I live on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn, widely known as the Middle Eastern hub of NYC. I've had some interesting discussions about this topic with several neighbors and local business owners that I've been friendly with for years. Everyone I showed the pictures of the Apple Store (still veiled) and the Ka'ba to was shocked by the similarities. None of them were offended by my showing them the pictures, however, or by what I'd written. One of the men I spoke with, who owns the deli I frequent across the street from my apartment, was happy to translate this cached page I discovered from May that confirms what many of you pointed out in the comments... that the initial reports of this issue were probably based on a rumor. While I never stated or think I implied that the source I quoted was credible, I also never clearly stated that I personally believed it to be inflammatory or biased. In retrospect, I should have made that point, making the ensuing controversy less about me and more about the original story.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
JT said 10:11AM on 10-16-2006
ENOUGH with religious justification. This is just giving this whole thing just too much importance anyway. If you're tolerant, you shouldn't need recognition from others to feel good about that.
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Modano said 10:18AM on 10-16-2006
I live in your neighborhood! Keep up the good work!
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Chris said 10:20AM on 10-16-2006
Personally, I think this apology is unnecessary. This is a place of free speech. Let's remember this.
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michel said 10:28AM on 10-16-2006
you don"t need to excuse yourself in front of mad people. but well it's a "professional" blog, so maybe you have to.
the main truth is : some people don't want you to speak about _any_thing. this had _Nothing_ in common with any religion or any idea specifically , it was just a will to shut up everyone.
Keep up the good work and yes, you seem to be a vert decent guy. no worry about that.
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rdas7 said 10:30AM on 10-16-2006
That'll teach you to quote or follow-up on something that Jason O'Grady reports. The guy is almost as bad as John Dvorak for stirring up nonsense. He's disabled comments on his own blog for years now because most of his posts are just nonsense.
Keep doing what you're doing, this is one of the best Mac rumor sites out there. No apology necessary.
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zahed said 10:37AM on 10-16-2006
Thanks for the follow up, Laurie. However, MEMRI never divulged what website they were translating, in their original post on this topic or a follow up, so I'm not sure where you got the website you had translated for you. The New York Post ran a story today specifying a website called "Al Hesbah", which is basically an Arabic message board, but again, MEMRI hasn't confirmed it.
The frustration that many Muslims felt from this story (and countless others where Muslims are said to be outraged with little or no verification) is that a hoax was blown up into a story that was published by mainstream media worldwide in order to make Muslims (many Apple fans among them) look worse than they already do (admittedly in part to the minority of extremists). No one was angry at your words, per se, but the (still) uncredited source of information.
Your translation of a website may have alleviated your fears (and others), but it still has nothing to do with MEMRI who have not identified this source of outrage that is reprinted as if it were close to mainstream. Everyone has to be critical of what they read, especially the media.
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Steath43 said 10:44AM on 10-16-2006
Very well addressed Laurie. I think the general consensus IS that you meant no harm, and its a pity that a few sad individuals would ruin it for the rest of us. With regards to what you originally wrote, your definitive clarification should go a long way towards silencing the cretons.
Here's to good bloggers, good, open, honest discussions, and to religious tolerance.
evaD
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Charles S. said 11:01AM on 10-16-2006
Atlantic Avenue! We lived on State street a long time ago and really enjoyed the middle eastern aura of Atlantic Ave.
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Abdul Wahid said 10:50AM on 10-16-2006
Thank you for the post Laurie!
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digitalintrigue said 10:48AM on 10-16-2006
No one should be offended the linking of MEMRI, any more than they should be offended by cartoons or the dates of the Olympics or ancient quotations the Pope might reference.
No apology necessary.
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Laurie said 10:50AM on 10-16-2006
rdas7 - point taken about O'Grady :) Imagine how much worse I felt after a friend sent me a link yesterday to this article from the NY Post http://tinyurl.com/u2zxe which ran on Friday. I don't ever want to have that much in common with the tabloid rag NY Post.
zahed - as I said, I did contact MEMRI for a source link but never did hear back. I saw the NY Post reference as well.
I think the important thing now is that we all recognize the underlying issue itself was a non-event and there never was any big outrage anywhere and I certainly will do better in the future to leave less room open for interpretation as to where my personal values lie when it comes to things I believe are nonsense.
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Chris said 10:54AM on 10-16-2006
TUAW is not a professional news site. I think everyone should go easy on them. It's MEMRI that deserves to be called and questioned on the misrepresentation.
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Faisal said 11:03AM on 10-16-2006
Hi All,,
I'm from Saudi Arabia and I'm Muslim too. I don’t think like what the other people think about Apple cube is looks like the Kabbah there is a lot of cubs around the world looks like the Kabbah and it's black too. But the problem is one of our writers in one of the big newspapers want to write something to get more attention to hem and he create that idea from nothing. I'm living in Saudi Arabia in Riyadh and I can tell you there is nothing now about that. Right when the people. Saw it first there were a lot of reactions here in Muslims Countries but now when they complete the work in Apple Cube it's gone..
And we like it.. :)
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Chadonna said 3:21AM on 10-17-2006
I agree with most of the other posters. I never felt that anything you wrote was offensive. People can be so hypersensitive sometimes, especially with regards to religion. They can take a legitimate news story and falsely turn it into something blasphemous.
It sounds like we may actually live in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn, and some of my middle eastern friends in the area feel the same way. They say that these middle eastern people who get offended so easily make them look bad, because most of the time there is no reason to feel offended.
Keep up the great work over there. By the way, I live with my boyfriend on Atlantic Ave. near Hoyt. Just wondering how close we are to each other. :)
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Ben said 11:26AM on 10-16-2006
I agree with the others above. I think it's silly you felt the need for such a long and gushing apology. Please. That kind of politically-corrent egg-shell-tip-toeing is just ridiculous.
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OzV said 11:34AM on 10-16-2006
Yes Chris, free speech also includes the right to disagree.
But it’s not a question of free speech; it’s a question of common sense and bit of decency.
We could all trawl the internet looking for similar baseless stories about people and communities. But we don’t for a reason, and it's nothing to with a lack of free speech.
Thanks for the apology. I appolgies if I said anything out of turn. And no thanks to the commentators who are still having a go at us for highlighting the article for what is was.
You’d think we were the baddies! Funny old world sometimes.
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Dar the Monk said 11:39AM on 10-16-2006
Laurie A. Duncan,
I have enjoyed reading your posts as well as posts from other bloggers here at TUAW. One thing I can say for certain is that when in a position of leadership/responsibility there will ALWAYS be those individuals who are what we call "wet blankets." They will use many ways to undermind you, to cause fear, anger, factions and divisions. And even try to get you fired. This is the nature of the beast working with the public. Trust me, I know these issues all too well. [I am in church leadership-note my name]
You have always done a good job here and there is definitely no need to apologize unless that apology is justification... I look forward to reading your posts no matter how "controversial" they may be! ;)
BTW, as it looks is that the problem with the post was not the one who posted, it was the ones commenting.
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Jay Contonio said 11:46AM on 10-16-2006
I'm in your neighborhood too!
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Pedro said 11:50AM on 10-16-2006
I agree with most everyone here... no apology needed!
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Rory said 11:50AM on 10-16-2006
The story made the Metro (a free paper in London) this morning with a typically sensationalist and right wing headline. It is amazing what the world's press will do to demonise an innocent group of people.
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