Young Israel praises ViacomCBS over Nick Cannon, asks FOX to follow suit

"Nick Cannon demonstrated a callous disregard for basic human decency and religious tolerance."

By CELIA JEAN
Nick Cannon (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Nick Cannon
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) praised American television network ViacomCBS for firing celebrity and TV personality Nick Cannon after he released an antisemetic podcast that also propagated conspiracy theories, yet the group is still calling FOX, which airs another one of Cannon's shows, to follow suit.
"We have spoken with Nick Cannon about an episode of his podcast ‘Cannon’s Class’ on YouTube, which promoted hateful speech and spread antisemitic conspiracy theories," The New York Times quoted a ViacomCBS statement as saying.
“While we support ongoing education and dialogue in the fight against bigotry, we are deeply troubled that Nick has failed to acknowledge or apologize for perpetuating antisemitism, and we are terminating our relationship with him.”
NCYI is a synagogue-based Orthodox Judaism organization in the United States. Cannon released his podcasts on YouTube in June, which earlier this week, sparked the organization to ask the question of why his offensive podcast continued to remain on YouTube’s platform if it violates their guidelines for hate speech, as YouTube's guidelines state that “[h]ate speech is not allowed on YouTube” and that YouTube will “remove content promoting violence or hatred against individuals or groups based on religion.”
In his "Cannon's Class" video podcast, Cannon interviewed "Professor Griff" Griffon, known for having been fired from the rap group Public Enemy in 1989 for making antisemetic remarks in an interview with The Washington Post. In the interview he reportedly said that Jews were responsible “for the majority of wickedness that goes on across the globe.”
Cannon praised the rapper for having “the most substance and weight in speaking unapologetically… and you stuck to your guns,” Jewish Insider reported. Moreover, Cannon also said that, “it’s never hate speech, you can’t be antisemitic when we are the semitic people. When we are the same people who they want to be. That’s our birthright, we are the true Hebrews.”
Additionally, he gave praise to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan who recently made headlines after called Jews “termites” and denounced the “Synagogue of Satan.”
“By disseminating Protocols of the Elders of Zion-type conspiracy theories against Jews and antisemitic tropes on his YouTube channel, Nick Cannon demonstrated a callous disregard for basic human decency and religious tolerance, and exhibited a degree of antisemitism that makes your skin crawl,” said NCYI President Farley Weiss.
“We commend Viacom-CBS for acting swiftly to make it clear that antisemitism will not be tolerated, and strongly urge FOX to do the same and immediately terminate its relationship with Mr. Cannon.”
Cannon addressed the controversy in a Facebook post on Tuesday as well as in a Twitter post on Monday afternoon. “Anyone who knows me knows that I have no hate in my heart nor malice intentions,” he wrote on both of his accounts.
 
“I do not condone hate speech nor the spread of hateful rhetoric. We are living in a time when it is more important than ever to promote unity and understanding.”
Many, including ViacomCBS and NCYI, do not see the statement as a true form of apology.
“Nick Cannon’s failure to comprehend the danger that his racist rhetoric poses and his failure to issue a heartfelt apology which acknowledges that his statements were antisemitic and false, are both indicative of his apparent inability to recognize that hate has no place anywhere,” Weiss added.
“Denigrating the Jewish community by perpetuating anti-Semitic tropes is despicable, and Mr. Cannon must be held accountable for his outrageous and racist conduct.”
Currently Cannon also hosts the American TV series The Masked Singer, through FOX. Whether FOX will decide to take similar action as ViacomCBS still remains unclear.


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