Unforeseen Contingencies

Al Jazeera has a feature story on the exponential rise in state-sponsored executions, mass detentions, and torture in Iraq.    Apparently the Iraqi government has been arresting and executing increasing numbers of people (21 put to death in one day alone last month), without explanation or, so far as anyone can determine, trial.  Iraq's exiled vice president Tariq al-Hashemi called for an end to "the arbitrary and ever-increasing rate of executions in Iraq," whereupon he was promptly sentenced to death in absentia.  The Al Jazeera article also describes numerous cases of brutal torture inflicted on detainees -- gruesome stuff.  Unsurprisingly, one can get detainees to confess to almost anything if one tortures them enough, thus getting the "evidence" needed to convict for a capital offense.

And so, good Muslims all through the Islamic world are demonstrating, rioting, and occasionally killing over... well, not this kind of travesty, of course, this is par for the course for most Muslim countries.  Instead they are running amok over a film that appears to be the equivalent of the old Batman series because it offends them.

It offends them.  It's an insult to their religion.  And this isn't:

Hassan explained that his jailors had "various techniques of torture".

"They forced me to drink huge amounts of water and then would tie up the head of my penis so I could not urinate. This was really harmful to me," said Hassan.

Another method was to "take off my fingernails with a pair of pliers, one by one" so Hassan would "make confessions for things I did not do", he said.

Hassan said he was also hung upside down from his feet, his head placed in a bucket of water, while he was whipped with plastic rods.


Let that sink in.

Or here's how Egypt's Prime Minister sees it:

We ask the American government to take a firm position toward this film's producers within the framework of international charters that criminalise acts that stir strife on the basis of race, colour or religion.

I see.  Torture and executions aren't worth quibbling over.  On the other hand, bad films are, and when you savages go bazook and engage in strife, rioting, and murder, the people who offended you are the ones to be criminalized.

It's unfortunate that western governments don't simply tell these idiots to go to hell, or whatever the diplomatese equivalent is.  There's no reason at all for the West to cower.  Free speech is a sacred right, and if it offends, too bad.  And it ought to be fatal for anyone to breach an American embassy or consulate.  But political correctness reigns.

I suppose it's also a pity that Innocence of Muslims is so bad... although this highlights how irrational these crazy people are.  What would they do with a real challenge to Islam?

Oh well.  For your "enjoyment," and as part of the "Let's Offend Muslims" campaign, here's a clip from "Innocence," as well as a clip from the old "Batman" TV show.  After looking at these, it's much worse than "Batman."  Try Plan 9.  Enjoy (if you can)!






Update 17 Sept. 2012: The short excerpt from "Innocence" was removed, so I replaced it with a longer version.  The early parts in which present-day Muslims attack Christian Copts seem not so badly done, and quite accurate.