Imams Goad On Lebanon Rioters

The Lebanon Daily Star is full of chilling quotes this morning -- but frustratingly, it has one brief sentence about mobs decending on a Christian neighborhood, and nothing more on that subject.

Last year, the Lebanese appeared on the verge of becoming a liberal democracy again. Yesterday, as they rioted and torched the Danish consulate, they were in the hands of the imams:

The protest started from Al-Nour mosque in the [Palestinian] camp and protesters slowly joined in from other mosques within the camp.

A ceremony was held during which the Imam of Al-Nour mosque, Sheikh Jamal said: "The insult made against Prophet Mohammad requires all Muslims to take revenge."

He added: "Islam is under attack. This demonstration is an expression of the Muslim nation that will score a victory and liberate the lands of Muslims." (What Muslim nation needs liberating? They're all Muslim. Oh, it's that "Islam, the religion of victims" thing.)

They called on Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden "to take revenge immediately!"

Speaking on behalf of the Esbat al-Ansar group, Sheikh Abu Sharif called for "beheading the blasphemers and all those who abuse Islam and the divinities." (That's a bit beyond "an eye for an eye;" more like "a head for a toenail.") He addressed bin Laden, Zarqawi and Abu Mohjen (leader of Esbat Al -Ansar) asking them "to take revenge." ...

Amongst the demonstrators was a group that called itself "The Martyrdom Group Sacrificing For God's Messenger." (a.k.a. "We'll Blow Ourselves Up Over Just About Anything.") Their heads were covered in black masks and they carried green banners reiterating: "Muslims, take revenge!"

Pictures of bin Laden and Zarqawi were held high, as the protesters called on them to "kill the dirty Danish people." They said: "Every Muslim should kill the Danish and the Norwegians. The Europeans have signaled a Crusader war!" (I'm reading a translation here, but I'll bet that the word translated as "dirty" is the same word that always precedes "Jews" throughout the Middle East. And "Crusader war?" Like American secularists, they are unable to forget what happened a millenium and a half ago.)

If this continues uprising in this vein, a century from now, students will be reading their history books about a war that started with a cartoon. They'll scratch their heads and say, "And I thought fighting WWI over the assassination ofArchduke Ferdinand was crazy!"

Why a cartoon war? Because Islam is a hypocritcal, hyper-sensitive religion. In too many of its mosques, Imams preach hate, drum hate into the heads of its followers, demand that hate be acted upon. But it is a religion that cannot take criticism, let alone hatred, for what it does.

Psychologically, it is an immature bully. A billions-strong, martyrdom-driven bully. Where are the moderates?