Maine Paper Apologizes for 9/11 Ramadan Coverage

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The publisher of a Maine newspaper has apologized for giving Page One coverage to the end of Ramadan on Sept. 11 without mention of the ninth anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Saturday's print edition of The Portland Press Herald featured a front-page photo of Muslims praying at the end of the Muslim holy month. It published coverage of events marking the anniversary of the terrorist attacks the next day.

Editor and publisher Richard Connor issued a front-page apology to readers who were offended.

Connor says the celebration by 3,000 Muslims at the Portland Expo warranted coverage. But he says the newspaper should have shown sensitivity "toward the painful memories stirred by the anniversary of 9/11."

Blaze editor's note:

This is the apology as posted on the paper's website:

We made a news decision on Friday that offended many readers and we sincerely apologize for it.

Many saw Saturday's front-page story and photo regarding the local observance of the end of Ramadan as offensive, particularly on the day, September 11, when our nation and the world were paying tribute to those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks nine years ago.

We have acknowledged that we erred by at least not offering balance to the story and its prominent position on the front page.

What you are reading today was the planned coverage of the 9/11 events. We believed that the day after the anniversary would be the appropriate occasion to provide extensive new coverage of the events and observances conducted locally and elsewhere.

In hindsight, it is clear that we should have handled this differently and with greater sensitivity toward the painful memories stirred by the anniversary of 9/11.