Blog For Arizona

Michael: I, too, am often guilty of vilipendio

Oriana Fallaci is not someone I would wish to be in the company of, or at least not for long. She has strong opinions that are often counter to my own: we'd end up on each other's nerves, no doubt. But despite differences of opinion, I certainly condemn her legal prosecution for those opinions.

Ms. Fallaci is being tried in Italy for the crime of vilipendio of a religion admitted by the state; to wit. Islam. She thinks that Islam is on track to take over Europe. Demographically she may not be far off the mark, but like any anti-clerical writer she took a bit more liberty than might be warranted, calling Isam a "pool that is never pure" in her book "The Force of Reason".

The Italian government should rid itself of such an odious law immediately. Let Fallaci say whatever she wants; she's the only one it can embarrass.

posted by Michael Bryan @ 6/23/2005 10:02:00 PM