The abduction of Jill Carroll in Baghdad in January, along with the murder of her interpreter, Alan Enwiya, was an important event. Her ordeal demonstrated that the Islamic world has friends in the West—people like Jill Carroll, people who went out to try and understand who they are, in the wake of 9/11. Appeals from around the Arab world surely played a role in her being freed by jihadists. And during her captivity, 82 days, a lot of us who thought about her felt we knew her: a serious and generous person who knew how to enjoy herself.
Alas, it appears that Carroll has now gone along with the Christian Science Monitor’s addlepated plan to turn her abduction into a circulation bonanza. It is running her story over several days. The result is so far a disaster. The first entry is all action, and lots of it. Nothing but action. Not a serious thought to be had. And the story is co-bylined. A guy named Peter Grier gets equal credit. I thought Jill Carroll was a writer. Dammit, she is a writer.
This is shocking. The one thing an intelligent reader always wanted after Carroll’s joyful release was Jill Carroll’s thoughts, Jill Carroll’s experience, Jill Carroll’s honest reflections. Unfiltered. Undramatized. Find a rock and crawl under it, Monitor, and let Jill Carroll speak for herself.
This is Phil's dream- to be kidnapped by some rough and tumble Jihadists. After they bond over political ideologies, Phil can pleasure them while he begs for mercy. Maybe you should do yourself and the Observer a favor and get yourself kidnapped.
"Beware of beardless youth for they are a greater source of mischief than young maidens."
Prophet Muhammad
The Islamic world is a dark place now. Tyrants and Supreme Leaders rule.
The real victim are the billions of ordinary people who can not liberate themselves, just like Jill Caroll could not on her own will.
Jill has had a taste what oppression, imprisonment means.
Her captors are also oppressed poor victims of Islam at this stage. This branch of the Islamic Enterprise is pure fascism. The method of brutal force.
Can we dissolve this terrible force with intellectual arguments?
Phil, please try. Stay on the subject.
I sooo hear you on this…her apparent brainwashing wasn't by her abductors but by the Monitor. Why, why and why?
little philly suggests the monitor find a rock and crawl under it. may we suggest little philly worm his way under that very same rock. oh wait, i almost forgot. he is a blogger with a readership of approximately 27 people. he already has.
oh my god, thats so gross: rightwing porn.
let me get this straight: a news organization covers this reporter's expenses and then gets rapped for trying to make money off her story? Small wonder no one ever employed you at a newspaper of any significance. Phil, you need a reality check.
No thughts, honest reflections, etc?
Mr. Weiss and I must be reading two different versions.
As for the Monitor publishing the series — Mr. Weiss obviously has no understanding of the newspaper business.
Well, what did you expect from CSM, a paper that really doesn't have too much going for it these days. Gotta go with what you have and make the best of it.
People who have worked with Jill know her as a diligent, energetic reporter who has something to learn about clear writing and structure. This glib movie script does not read for a minute like her work. Weiss hit the nail on the head.
Jill — with a reported IQ of 140 — is smart enough to figure out whether or not she should write a newspaper series about her ordeal.
Most of us are glad that she is at least alive to write about her experience.
Get a life. Get a job, Phil.