Off With His Head!

Another day, another offended Islamic interest group:

A BRISBANE radio station may have to explain why it should keep its licence after an announcer was accused of making anti-Islamic comments. Former Victorian police officer, now 4BC drive-time announcer, Michael Smith called for Muslim women who wear an Islamic hijab in public to be fined for offensive behaviour.

Smith's comments seem a little much straight out of the blocks - one normally eases into such things - but the general sentiment of distaste for one of Islam's most obvious symbolic combinations of conspicuous piety and the oppression of women is shared by many.

Indeed, two polls on the the 4BC website currently show vast support for the banning of the hajib in Australia and for religious headgear that covers the face to be removed on entering banks.

In the end, however, Smith could have said something so mildly critical as to be meaningless and the Islamic complaint squads would have still descended.

Is there anything an infidel does that doesn't offend a Muslim?

Not really; that's why Portuguese cardinal Jose Policarpo had little to lose with this:

(He) warned Roman Catholic women against marrying Muslim men. "Be careful with love. Think twice before marrying a Muslim, think seriously because it brings loads of hassle... When you recognise what a young European of Christian upbringing is subjected to, given Muslim attitudes to women, the first time she goes to their countries, we can imagine what that entails. You can only dialogue with someone who is willing to dialogue. With our Muslim brothers, for example, dialogue is very difficult... We have taken the first steps, but it's extremely difficult - because for them, their truth is the only way."

Little to lose except his head, of course. You mustn't offend the Religion of Peace.

-- Nick