The peaceful religion...

More photos here from Michelle Malkin.

Not much peace in this report at Fox News c/o the AP.

WHYGRR has a sense of humor...as always:

US State Dept: "87 Million Violent Extremists Giving 'Religion of Peace' a Bad Name"

Brit Hume reports in his Political Grapevine:

The editor of a French newspaper that republished those controversial cartoons of the prophet Muhammad called the decision a "defense of freedom of expression." But the Egyptian-born publisher of France Soir didn't feel that way, firing editor Jacques Lefranc on the same day "as a sign of respect" to Muslims, and offering an apology "to the Muslim community and all people who were shocked by the publication."

Free speech is certainly under assault on this issue.

Michelle Malkin has been all over this story. Here's another related post about a painting hanging at the National Black Fine Art Show: "Bin Laden as Christ".



Morry Alter reports: (Hat tip Michelle Malkin)

Is that who we think it is in that picture?

On the phone with me, the artist declined to do an on-camera interview, telling me the work speaks for itself, but adding, the resemblance to Bin Laden was no accident.

The art show's producer Josh Wainwright, insisted he hadn't even made the Bin Laden connection. "Knowing what you know now would you have barred the painting from being part of your show?" I asked. "Absolutely not," he replied. Wainwright says he's a military veteran and despises Bin Laden, but he added, "I don't think it's anyone's job or vocation to limit the expression of artists."

Michelle is right:

The difference between Us and Them: No one's proclaiming an International Day of Anger and issuing fatwahs over this odious piece of "art." No one's taking up arms, raiding the art museum, or kidnapping the artist. No one's going to blow himself up in protest.

Yes, it's insulting. Yes, it's offensive.

But it's a picture. Just a picture.

Just like these.

The U.S. State Dept. blasts cartoons of Prophet Mohammed (Again, hat tip Michelle Malkin)