Ajami speaking "as a Muslim"

The schtick that Ajami has been performing in the US for decades is well-known by now.  He appears with his beard and accent and vomit Zionist cliches about Arabs and Muslims, but market them as authentic due to his upbringing.  I saw a small segment with him on CNN and he was speaking about the film and prefaced his remark by saying "as a Muslim".  He realized how ridiculous he sounded and probably worried that he would scare off his Zionist benefactors so he quickly added: I was born to a Muslim family, but I am not a practicing Muslim, or words to that effect.  He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he has just reassured his Zionist audience.  When I first to the US, I detested him fairly quickly but used to find him interesting to read and to listen to.  Now, I feel that he sounds (in writing and on the air) like a Bush speechwriter.  So boring and so unoriginal.  Nothing kills talent like opportunism.  I keep telling that to young Arab journalists and academics.  There was a young Arab journalist with talent: he exhibited signs of opportunism early on.  I told him my impression of him and said that if he was going to do the opportunist route and follow the Hariri/Saudi media, it will kill his talent.  It happened.  Now nobody reads him.  I never read him anymore, and you know I am willing to read the enemy and read trash daily but there are limits.  I don't read the opportunists: I rather go to the source.