Threats to Family of Haitham Joudeh Remain on Comment Section of Newspaper Website

Steve Graham — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:09:43 +0000

I blogged yesterday (see here) about the discrimination that Haitham Joudeh is facing in North Idaho from inside and outside of the establishment. His truck was recently vandalized with swastikas. I mentioned some threats that someone had posted in a comment section of an article in CDApress.com. I guess I was hoping that someone was monitoring this on the weekend and the threat would be removed. The threat from a local under then alias “idabilly” read:

idabilly wrote on Dec 5, 2009 8:31 AM:

1. Dude was born here- he’s American.
2. Dude didn’t get his way on the Mica Flats deal and pulls the “race and religion card.” No bueno guy- now you’re just asking for trouble, especially with our local “history.”
3. Trouble finds Dude and he keeps playing the “race and religion card.”
4. Trouble fins Dude AGAIN…. perhaps Dude should consider
moving to California for the safety of his son.
**Idaho Native, your comments about the white man are the
same type that got Dude in trouble here… sometimes it is better to keep your head low and mouth shut even when you are right.

The threat is not just to Haitham Joudeh, but “idabilly” also threatens a commenter with the online name “Idaho Native” who spoke against the racism. Didn’t “idabilly” cross the line when he mentioned Haitham Joudeh’s son? How can a newspaper allow itself to be a conduit for these anonymous threats? Hopefully on Monday, the CDApress staff will remove this comment. However, shouldn’t the paper remove all the comments against Haitham Joudeh from the last year that violate the newspaper’s comment policy?

Graham Lawyer Blog » North Idaho

Threats to Family of Haitham Joudeh Remain on Comment Section of Newspaper Website