The Great Catholic Cracker Caper
Sometimes, Freud told us, a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes, though, it's a cracker. Apparently, there's a huge wave (that's media speak for at least two similar incidents) of people using Roman Catholic communion wafers for something other than their intended spiritual purpose. Earlier this month, it a University of Central Florida student: Webster Cook says that, instead of eating a ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 21, 2008 07:58
Only Muslim Extremists Get Upset About Cartoons
Good line, purportedly from Jon Stewart: Obama is not upset about the cartoon that calls him a Muslim extremist. Who gets upset about cartoons? Muslim extremists. via Steve Garfield. See "New Yorker Obama Terrorist Cover" for background and commentary on the story. UPDATE: Amusingly, I see via Memeorandum, the hubbub goes on. Obama is continuing to beat this dead horse: Democrat Barack Obama said ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 16, 2008 06:37
Professor Ordered to Take Down Cartoons
A tenured, conservative professor has been ordered to take cartoons off his door because they offended someone. Getting one’s own office can be a rite of passage right up there with defending a dissertation or receiving tenure — and many professors’ lairs are reflections of their own attitudes and beliefs. Usually, it takes just a quick glance at the door, ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on April 10, 2008 12:03
Wilders Film ‘Fitna’ Incites Muslims
Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders has debuted a new film that compares Islam to fascism. No rioting has yet ensued. Iran and Indonesia on Friday condemned a film by a Dutch lawmaker that accuses the Koran of inciting violence, while Dutch Muslim leaders urged restraint. Islam critic Geert Wilders launched his movie on Thursday evening. Titled "Fitna", an Arabic term sometimes translated ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on March 28, 2008 09:09
Newspapers Reprint Danish Muslim Cartoon
The Danish Muslim cartoons that sparked worldwide rioting, mayhem, and murder two years ago are back. Newspapers across Europe Wednesday reprinted the controversial cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed that sparked worldwide protests two years ago. The move came one day after Danish authorities arrested three people allegedly plotting a "terror-related assassination" of Kurt Westergaard, the cartoonist behind the drawing. Berlingske Tidende, was ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on February 13, 2008 13:56
Race Riots and Assimilation
Over at The Glittering Eye, Dave Schuler extends the argument he's made in the comments of my tongue-in-cheek post on the fact that the media continues to ignore the ethnic-religious component of the rioting in France. He argues that the problem goes beyond religion and is ultimately about assimilation and "giving the descendants of immigrants a stake ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on November 27, 2007 15:35
Islamofascism
Monday's essay by Christopher Hitchens defending the term "Islamofascism" drew quite a bit of blogospheric reaction. Matt Yglesias responds to it with what amounts to a straw man and yet backhandedly makes a valid point. [The term] provide[s] a spurious patina of unity and sameness to diverse phenomena involving Muslims Behaving Badly so that al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran, Assad, ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on October 24, 2007 11:55
German Terrorist Plot Foiled
German and U.S. authorities have thwarted what a massive Islamist terrorist plot against about to be launched against American targets in Germany. FT's Hugh Williamson: German security forces have prevented a terror attack in Germany that could have been more deadly than the Madrid and London bombings, top security officials said on Wednesday. Police on Tuesday arrested three men who had planned simultaneous ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on September 5, 2007 10:01
Banned Opus Strip
Berkeley Breathed has up this Note to Opus readers: The Opus strips for August 26 and September 2 have been withheld from publication by a large number of client newspapers across the country, including Opus' host paper The Washington Post. The strips may be viewed in a large format on their respective dates at Salon.com. That's the end of his ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 27, 2007 07:22
Pakistan Minister Says Rushdie Knighthood Justifies Terrorism
Pakistani Religious Affairs Minister Ijaz-ul-Haq declared that terrorism was "justified" in response to Salman Rushdie being awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth. Pakistan demanded on Monday that Britain withdraw a knighthood awarded to author Salman Rushdie, as a government minister said the honour gave a justification for suicide attacks by Muslims. Angry protesters in several cities torched British flags and beat them ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on June 19, 2007 09:27
