Roberto Calderoli, "who resigned from his post as government minister last week" is under investigation by Italian authorities. How come? Mr. Calderoli wore a T-shirt with a cartoon of the Muslim prophet Muhammad. If found guilty, he can be fined €1,000 to €5,000. (Is that lyra or euros?) The Daily Star's headline implies that riots in Libya were the direct result of Calderoli wearing the shirt. Italy's president "blamed the riots in Libya, Italy's former colony, on the 'thoughtless action by our minister,' the Italian news agency ANSA reported."
Riots. Killing. Mayhem. Over a friggin' T-SHIRT.
What the hell is it with Italy, now? First there was Oriana Fallaci who will stand trial this June for "defaming Islam;" now Calderoli. And it's not just Italy -- in Germany, a dude faces charges for printing the Koran on toilet paper! Hell, throughout Europe it is a crime to merely assert the Holocaust did not happen, but not, for example, to state that the Catholic Church is responsible for it. Go figure.
Back here in the US, looks like a Turkish outfit successfully (but only temporarily) hacked Michelle Malkin's site. Cause, y'know, she had the unmitigated gall to report on all the nonsense that is Islamic rioting over cartoons (and now t-shirts).
Wonder how long it'll be before Europe and even America begins seriously considering the placard that Kenyan woman held that said "Freedom of expression is Western terrorism"? Interestingly, "critical race theorists" have been in favor of such "defamatory" speech restrictions for some time. You really only find these "theorists" sloughing around a college campus; I'm sure that's why university speech codes continue to attempt to get implemented.
I'm sure these little anointed ones are silently cheering the Europeans. Rah rah!
I don't know about other European countries, but I can refer some facts about Italy.
Until a few years ago, we had a specific crime for "contempt os the State's religion". This was actually an old Fascist law that had survived until, I think, the new agreements between the Italian Republic and the Vatican State were put in act in the 80s. Still, you can be fined for contempt of any religion (I wonder if I can be fined for writing "Scientology sucks", but I digress). The numbers you quote are certainly in Euros, we haven't had Liras anymore since 2002.
Regarding Calderoli, my opinion is that as a private citizen you should be allowed to mock any religion you like, but a Minister of the Republic should show some restraint. He wore that t-shirt as a provocative act and this only what shows what kind of fuckhead he is. The fact that it took some days, and a dozen dead people in Libya, for him to resign only shows what a bunch of fuckheads our government is.
Posted by: Ugo Cei at February 24, 2006 05:18 AM