let us all tolerate the screaming children in the theater

Based on the recommendation of an Iranian-born colleague, I planned on watching the controversial Dutch documentary “Fitna” today. Linking footage of terroristic acts to verses in the Koran, the film has been roundly condemned, with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon offering the most offensive critique.

“We must also recognize that the real fault line is not between Muslim and Western societies, as some would have us believe, but between small minorities of extremists, on different sides, with a vested interest in stirring hostility and conflict,” Ban said.

So non-violent provocateurs are equivalent to baby-killing suicide bombers?

I’m sure Ban hasn’t watched “Fitna,” and, despite my best attempts, neither have I. The doc was posted earlier on LiveLeak but removed “following threats to our staff of a very serious nature.” Once again, the Islamic impulse towards violence serves only to validate the material — be it novel, cartoon or film — it aims to suppress.