In USA Today, Anthea Butler, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania, lays out her bewildering case for the arrest of provocative filmmaker Sam Bacile:
While the First Amendment right to free expression is important, it is also important to remember that other countries and cultures do not have to understand or respect our right.
Bollocks.
When it comes to legal jurisdiction in the United States, of course they must understand and respect that right. No mufti or sheikh has even a shred of authority outside of a mosque and certainly none that contravenes the constitution of another country.
Like so many other bien pensants, Professer Butler is happy to grant extraterritoriality to Islamists. And that makes her expression of condolences to the victims of that presumptive authority empty words indeed.
old white guy says:
i am sure that she would be more than happy wearing a burka, staying at home and keeping her mouth shut. just another useful idiot.
Glendronach says:
On the contrary, Professor Butler assumes that she can live a typically liberated Western lifestyle and wilfully deny any possibility of the consequences for other women of abetting Islamists. That paradox makes her a very useful idiot.
Powell lucas says:
After Obama spent all that time and effort kissing the ass of the Muslim terrorists this is his reward. The sad part is that he will probably get re-elected.
Alain says:
Re. Powell Lucas’s comments, I would add that Obama has also allowed the infiltration of the Muslim Brotherhood into his administration.
Unfortunately “Professor” Butler is rather typical of most “professors” today in that clearly intelligence and critical thinking skills are not a requirement to be a professor. It is evident that just like the original 9/11 these attacks were well planned in advance and long before there was an awareness of the film. Her reasoning equates to blaming the victims of the Holocaust for the actions of the Nazis.
S M says:
What is wrong with these people? Did they suffer some kind of head injury as a child?
Mary T says:
Who had heard of this movie prior to the attack. How did all those terrorists know about it. To blame some individual for that attack is very stupid.
What gets me is the look on Obama’s face, the toothy smiles, the little laughs when saying, we have more work to do folks. Compare that to the look on Bush’s face after 9/11, he was not making a joke about the attack, he gave up golf, he did not run off to Vegas.
I don’t think it has sunk in to Obama that the middle east is at war with the USA.
Waiting for the polls to come out after this non response from the WH. When you are attacked on your soil, it is an act of war.
Is it possible that O was sort of behind this thinking it would help his re-election, and it got out of hand.
dmorris says:
According to Daniel pipes, Obama was raised as a Muslim,and had both a Muslim Father and Grandfather. Their influence undoubtedly still affects his view of the world.
Alain says:
Further to Dmorris’ comments, it should be noted that according to Islamic law, if the father is Muslim his children are considered Muslim whether they accept it or not. So no matter what Obama believes or thinks, he is Muslim according to Islam.
anon1152 says:
In fairness, I think “the chattering classes” are, at the very least, divided on this issue. The article you cite is posted as “an opposing view” to the official view of the newspaper.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/story/2012-09-12/US-ambassador-Libya-Egypt/57769762/1