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August 12, 2003
Bill Maher: Terrorist's Friend Or Foe?
"NEW RULE: Terrorist organizations can't also be charities." That's how comedian Bill Maher began an op-ed in the Boston Globe. Nice thought, but Maher is an animal-rights zealot who regularly works with the terrorist-supporting "charity" People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Does his rule apply to them?
"NEW RULE: Terrorist organizations can't also be charities." That's how comedian Bill Maher began an op-ed in the Boston Globe. Nice thought, but Maher is an animal-rights zealot who regularly works with the terrorist-supporting "charity" People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Does his rule apply to them? Maher suggests that President Bush should:
... confront this mindset that accepts the paradox of a "terrorist charity." To far too many Muslims in the world, feeding children and knocking down the World Trade Center can both be considered "good works," and that's how Hamas stays in business ... If we don't take a stand now, people will come to believe Hamas really is a legitimate charity, and then we'll start getting come-ons from them in the mail, and Pam Anderson will have to start showing up at their fund-raisers.
Note to Maher (as if he didn't already know): Pam Anderson also supports PETA, attending that group's "terrorist charity" fundraisers on a regular basis.
In 2003 Maher received the "Celebrity Animal Advocate of the Year award" at the "Animal Rights 2003 National Conference" in Los Angeles. (Convicted arsonist and PETA grantee Rodney Coronado was inducted into the "Animal Rights Hall of Fame" at the same conference.) Accepting his award, Maher told the audience:
If ten people in America died of mad cow disease, in the long run it would save probably millions of lives. Because people would stop eating meat. That's not a catty thing to say, to say -- in the long run this is what I hope.
Here Maher was just repeating what he said on his (since cancelled) show, "Politically Incorrect": "I have mentioned before on this show, when the subject of mad cow disease came up, that I do have a strong position on that. I'm for it."
Discussing actor Christopher Reeves, who was paralyzed in a horse riding accident, Maher sermonized during a 1997 interview: "If you try to make a horse jump over something that it doesn't want to jump over, I think it really should throw you off its back."
One final Maher line before we document his ties to PETA: "To those people who say, 'My father is alive because of animal experimentation,' I say, 'Yeah, well, good for you. This dog died so your father could live.' Sorry, but I am just not behind that kind of trade-off."
Maher's collaboration with PETA includes, but is by no means limited to, the following:
- Maher co-hosted PETA's 21st Anniversary Party.
- Maher wrote the foreword to PETA President Ingrid Newkirk's book, You Can Save the Animals.
- Maher donated his winnings from Celebrity Jeopardy to PETA.
- Maher was Master of Ceremonies at PETA's 1996 "Animals Ball."
- Maher has appeared in PETA print advertisements.
- Maher has appeared in PETA public service announcements.
- Maher has appeared in public service announcements for PETA's quasi-medical front group, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Even the Animal Liberation Front's (ALF) website acknowledges Maher for his contributions to PETA. The FBI classifies both the ALF and its sister organization the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) as "domestic terror" groups. At the beginning of the month, the PETA-funded ELF burned down a nearly finished apartment building, causing an estimated $50 million in damages.
If Bill Maher is serious about disavowing terrorism, we recommend he start with his friends.
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