Now look at what happened in Sudan. The whole ‘harm’ of that case is an “insult to the prophet” The charge lies on incredibly shaky ground. There are millions of living breathing Muslim males with the name Muhammad or derivation there of; are they insulting god’s last messenger? Is the government of Sudan proposing that doors be busted down to find other inappropriately named Teddy Bears? The whole kerfufel reeks of tin-foil hattery and the loss of common sense.

This is were the need for informing the uninitiated, unwashed masses comes from. It is PR thing. Like it or not, it needs pointing out that the Sudanese government has left the Islamic reservation in this case. Like it or not, from a PR stance, Muslims from other lands need to distance themselves from what is going on in Sudan. Like it or not, Sudan has been a big, black eye for the Islam- it is a bloody rag being waived by the Islamophobes.

Were British, Australian, Malaysian, Canadian or other Muslims absolutely required to speak out? No, they were not. The Code Pink protester who confronted Condoleezza Rice with blood stained hands was not compelled by any other thing than need to speak the truth to power. But what a brave and visually powerful thing she did. She spoke for millions of people in the U.S.A who oppose the Iraq misadventure, who want peace and reconciliation. She stood up to a woman who’s history in government slanders the good name of the USA. That Code Pinker showed the world that there are people in the USA who still give a damn about law, order and morality. She didn’t HAVE to do any of it, she could have just as easily joined a bridge club. (But oddly enough, even bridge players feel compelled to disown Bush.)

The question before us all is how far we a willing to defend our side, are we willing to turn a blind eye to cruelty, anger and lawlessness masquerading as the defense of a Noble cause? I can only answer for myself, and to my own conviction. I will not justify lawlessness from any source, I will stand up to cruelty, injustice and abuse wherever I find it. I will support the widow, the orphan and the downtrodden. I will hold the powerful to account for their evil deeds. I will oppose any base fool who tries to tell me that an evil is justified or tries to trivialize that evil. And yes, that goes double for the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and his evil Ventriloquist of a Vice President.

Is this a milder form of stoning?

If British Muslims have a responsibility to condemn the weirdness and excesses of Sudanese legal system then the Americans in Australia have the same responsibility.

Personally, I think charging someone with assault for throwing a snowball is ridiculous and silly but at the same time this sort of litigious hypersensitivity is just what we expect from the Americans.

If the victim of the snowball was a lady in a veil, you would not have posted this.

Very disappointing, people. Very indeed.

Michel.

Remember the teacher torn to death by her pupils in Nigeria because she unwittingly threw a bag containing a Koran? If Mrs Gibbons didn’t happen to be a national of a country with muscle, she might at least have been lashed and possibly killed by a mob.