Remember the Monty Python court room bit?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLplQWB2S_8

Behold Michael Sean Winters yesterday in the National Catholic Reporter, doing a very similar bit.

President Barack Obama lost my vote yesterday when he declined to expand the exceedingly narrow conscience exemptions proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services. The issue of conscience protections is so foundational, I do not see how I ever could, in good conscience, vote for this man again.

I do not come at this issue as a Catholic special pleader, who wants only to protect my own, although it was a little bracing to realize that the president’s decision yesterday essentially told us, as Catholics, that there is no room in this great country

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

More on Rushdie not in Jaipur.

Times of India:

Two prominent authors on Friday read out portions from Salman Rushdie’s banned book “Satanic Verses” at the Jaipur Literature Festival as a mark of protest after the India-born author had to pull out of the event over security concerns.

As the literary community expressed outrage over Rushdie not being able to make the trip, Hari Kunzru and Amitava Kumar used their session at the festival to read from “Satanic Verses”. The controversial book was banned in the country shortly after it was published in 1988, for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Muslims.

Love those guys.

The organizers later asked Kumar not to go ahead with his reading. Kumar initially agreed

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

Alex Gabriel reports another front in the battle against “Islamophobia” (meaning, in the battle against any and all criticism or mockery of Islam). This time it’s LSE’s Student Union hassling LSE’s student atheist society. It has to do with the atheist society’s Facebook page not being a “safe space” for Muslim students.

What?

Well don’t look at me, it’s not my idea. It’s what they were told:

Here’s part of the e-mail I got today from the society, who’ve just met with their union to discuss the issues:

Essentially, a large of group of Muslim students felt offended that there were pictures of Mohammed on the facebook group. As a result, they felt that our facebook group was no

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

And then there’s this “Urgent – Calling all muslims” at Islamicawakening on Monday -

Brothers, the Queen Mary Athiest Society, sister of the shaytaani UCL Athiest Society (which published pictures of Rasoolullah(saw)) are holding an event today at Queen Mary University of London at 7:00 pm on ‘ Is Shariah in violation of human rights’.. We need your presence. Who gave these kuffar the right to speak?

The kuffar have no right to speak, at a university in London. That’s an interesting thought. Also the comment addresses “Brothers” – so apparently “all muslims” actually means only half of all muslims – and then the “kuffar” who was speaking at Queen Mary that evening is a woman, so her right to … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

On Rhys Morgan’s (currently very busy) Facebook page – a guy called Safwan Ahmed, a graduate of Rhys’s school, posted to say

take that blog down before i fly kick you!

Rhys said no, Ahmed replied

inappropriate and offensive! take it down before you lose the remaining half of your penis.

Someone tried to tell Ahmed that threats are a serious matter and can be reported to the authorities. Ahmed replied

nah no argument cbf wasting time with u. sorry if you were looking for a rebuttal, i will deal with this matter personally.

More back and forth, culminating in Ahmed’s

hahahahha scott you amuse me in the sense that your a fucking sad prick! look at my avatar? id

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

A new Jesus and Mo.

With an apt dedication:

Today’s comic is dedicated to Rhys Morgan, Jessica Ahlquist, One Law for All, and Salman Rushdie. Heroes, all.

Of course, author himself belongs in that company.… Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)