'Roseanne' Was a Good Liberal Show, Says Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has condemned Roseanne ... while praising her sitcom as a "very good" liberal show -- and is now questioning if canceling the program was really the right move.

Kareem says his immediate reaction to Roseanne's tweets was to "punish her" by taking away her show -- and notes Disney and ABC "cut off the rotting appendage before it infected the rest of the body."

But, when thinking it through, Kareem says it's important to consider the other options ...

"'Roseanne' is a very good show," Abdul-Jabbar wrote in the Hollywood Reporter ... "Ironically, it's one of the most liberal shows on TV, with a clear agenda of tolerance and compassion."

"To punish Roseanne, we’ve removed the louder, smarter, more influential voice of the show itself."

"Roseanne’s tweets may give solace to other racists, but they have no real impact in changing minds. The show, which reaches millions, can affect people by showing tolerance and compassion on a weekly basis."

Kareem also questions if ABC should have fired Roseanne and kept the show running without her. He points to other shows that continued to air without the main star ... like "Two and a Half Men" and "Valerie" which continued after Valerie Harper left.