The Only Story Worth Reporting?

 Cairo, Egypt - photo by JoAnn Sturman

Scott Sturman

Since the disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370 on March 8th, Russia annexed the Ukraine, a devastating mud avalanche in Washington killed nearly a 100 people, Obama deemed the United States should relinquish control of the Internet, and Democrats running for reelection this fall disabused their constituents that they had anything to do with the enactment of Obama Care.  Yet CNN devoted nearly all resources to covering the ill fated airliner for every minute of the day.  It is, after all, a challenge to crow about the President’s foreign policy, which smacks of the invertebrate, Neville Chamberlain.  Thanks to those like New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, history is taught so poorly in public schools that most under the age of 40 have never heard of the appeasing English Prime Minister and the events leading to WWII.  Alas, for the last three weeks the masses could tune into CNN, listen to speculation of experts and soothsayers alike, and pretend one missing airplane was the only problem in the world.

Just when one understands why CNN’s news coverage has been compared to Pawn Stars, the progressive network shocks its listeners.  Sandwiched between endless recaps of the intended path of Flight 370 and scenes of anguished Chinese relatives, a noteworthy report aired:  This past week the Law Society, which serves lawyers in England and Wales, published guidelines to allow solicitors to create “Sharia compliant” wills.   The recommendation would be recognized in British courts as “good practice” in integrating Muslim religious law into the judicial system.  It was an astounding revelation to learn a parallel system would be recognized, which discriminates against women, adopted and illegitimate children, and non Muslims by legalizing their disinheritance.     

Parallel systems have been dismantled systematically in Western cultures.  Separate but equal is a euphemism for discrimination.  Certain sectarian practices are incongruent with democratic principles and strictly forbidden despite sanction by religious text.  The recognition of Sharia Law and its incorporation into common law should provoke grave concern among women, who have battled religious and secular proscriptions for centuries.  Perhaps the editors at CNN, who long ago abandoned journalism for political correctness, realize this latest effort to meld mosque and state is so inimical to civilized society that for once they took the duties of a free press seriously. 

 Bright Angel Trail - photo by JoAnn Sturman