The View From Scranton

Intolerance 2

In yesterday’s haste to get the blog out before my House-imposed deadline, I missed getting in a couple further developments in the Reign of Intolerance:

First, the caricature-blamed death toll in Nigeria now stands at well over a hundred, with the Christian Ibos (Igbos) now taking the lead over the Muslim Hausas in the repercussive killings. Seems mad members of both factions were looking for a convenient excuse to spill blood.

Second comes this unnerving nugget, again courtesy of the Grey Lady:

Millions Offered to Murder Leading Indian Artist
A militant Hindu activist organization has offered $11.5 million for the murder of India's best-known artist, Maqbool Fida Hussain, 90, Agence France-Presse reported. Objecting to what it called "obscene paintings" of goddesses, the organization, the Hindu Personal Law Board, said the amount would be doubled if the slaying was done by Yaqoob Qureshi, a Muslim politician who announced an identical reward for the beheading of the 12 artists responsible for cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. "We do not distinguish between Islam and Hinduism," said Ashok Pandey, the president of the board. Earlier this month, protests by militant Hindus prompted Mr. Husain to withdraw a depiction of Bharat Mata (Mother India) as a nude woman from sale at a charity auction. Similar paintings by Mr. Hussain have prompted protests in the past.

Guess something’s gotta galvanize a little Muslim/Hindu togetherness. Too bad it’s something -- and someone -- intolerant and reactionary. Quite clever for the Board to call on Qureshi to do the killing; makes ‘em look like they’ve got their arms outreached, when really it’s only their hate.

Finally, a Comment came through from one xradiographer, who chimed in with criticism of the West’s muzzling of David Irving. Now, like the X man, I’m no fan of the Great Denier, but I’d never in a million years deny him his right to deny anything, and I sure as hell wouldn’t jail him for his denials. The guy wants to be ignorant, let him be ignorant. To wring the words of another notorious anti-Semite: he is bunk.

posted by John Hood. @ 10:23 AM