[Islam, Cartoon Riots]

Further Perspectives.

It seems like a fairly-well covered topic, but I see that the cartoon analysis continues. On the odd chance you're dying for more (and since I'm running out of opinions on Islam), here we go:

Charles Krauthammer, who's commentary almost ceaselessly fails to enrage, has an interesting, if compromised, editorial today.

What passes for moderation in the Islamic community -- "I share your rage but don't torch that embassy" -- is nothing of the sort. It is simply a cynical way to endorse the goals of the mob without endorsing its means. It is fraudulent because, while pretending to uphold the principle of religious sensitivity, it is interested only in this instance of religious insensitivity. [itals his]

Seems fair to point out that Krauthammer is hardly unbiased in the debate. To adopt his own formulation: it seems a cynical way to indict Muslims whom he's long indicted, because the baby-with-the-bathwater approach ignores nuance within the outrage Muslims are expressing.

For those who are interested in the righty blogosphere's hypocrisy (and who's not?), an interesting development has emerged the Anne Applebaum's editorial in which she opined:

Remember the controversy over Newsweek and the Koran? Last year Newsweek printed an allegation about mistreatment of the Koran at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base that -- although strikingly similar to interrogation techniques actually used to intimidate Muslims at Guantanamo -- was not substantiated by an official government investigation. It hardly mattered: Abroad, Muslim politicians and clerics promoted and exaggerated the Koran story, just as they are now promoting and exaggerating the Danish cartoon story. The result was rioting and violence on a scale similar to the rioting and violence of the past week.

But although that controversy was every bit as manipulated as this one, self-styled U.S. "conservatives" blamed not cynical politicians and clerics but Newsweek for (accidentally) inciting violence in the Muslim world: "Newsweek lied, people died."

To this, a ruling member of the righty blogosphere (Capn Ed) posted a rebuttal--and shock of shocks, managed to induce Applebaum into responding. He has her email and his response here. (Andrew Sullivan, fellow righty, sides with Applebaum.)