
Why Muslims Cannot Poke Fun at Muhammad
In a recent piece in the Asia Times, economist David P. Goldman analyzes why Muslims—unlike Jews and Christians—have such a hard time poking fun at their prophets.

In a recent piece in the Asia Times, economist David P. Goldman analyzes why Muslims—unlike Jews and Christians—have such a hard time poking fun at their prophets.

A full quarter of Russian respondents to a poll by state-run pollster VTsIOM answered that jokes about President Vladimir Putin should be off-limits to comedians. 79 percent said religious jokes are inappropriate, with more than half answering the same for war and terrorism.

While Italy’s government gears up for serious confrontation following ISIS threats to “conquer Rome,” putting the country on high alert and upping security at “sensitive targets,” the Italian rank and file are responding in a typically Italian way: with ridicule.

Our response should be hope: hope that ridicule and not retaliation is our response. Because in the bleak twilight of French grief, when it seems that nothing could ever make good on the loss and violation that these animals have unleashed in one of the world’s great capital cities, what ought to ring out loud and true are not the echoes of gunfire—but guffaws at the proposition that subhumans with submachine guns will undo the achievements of our civilisation.

The classic tale about a little old lady who lived in a cottage and decided to bake a gingerbread man out of boredom has gone naughty.