If someone writes a real “Profiles in Courage” for our difficult times, few deserve a better place in it than Oriana Fallaci – author of such powerful works as Man and Letter to a Child Never Born. Now she is being sued by the Muslim Union of Italy for her book The Force of Reason. What an outrageous assault on open expression and the flow of ideas. Time for the Mainstream Media to stand up in her defense. Newsweek? New York Times? Let’s see those editorials in favor of free speech by one of the great journalists of our era. We’re waiting.
I think this is a good reminder of just how unique the first amendment is. I am not aware of another country that has anything like its uncompromising scope. We all bitch about the abuses of the media, but we should be careful of what we wish for.
Can we repeal McCain-Feingold now?
It is also a reminder that for a religion that prides itself on knowing the revealed word of God, they seem to think their deity is extraordinarily insecure; how else to understand the need to silence anyone who criticizes Islam?
Are you kidding? Newsweek and NYT are up to their necks in their own problems and in danger of going down for the third time. I’m afraid that Ms. Fallaci is on her own.
What a great woman she is, she has been on the Moslem Maniac’s hit list for years. While she was living in New York the NYPD used to watch out for her, come up to her place and check her out, watch the building. War correspondent and has bullet holes in her to prove it, not like the bums they have in Iraq now that write their stories from the bar while their stringers take part in the Moslem Maniac’s kill-o-thon.
Hey, we should remember that in Europe, America and elsewhere, Muslims (and secularists) never criticize Christianity and Judaism in print or aloud at rallies. They don’t call Christians and Jews “infidels”, “dogs”, “pigs”, and “monkeys”. Muslims don’t call for the annihilation of Israel and defeat of the US. Islamists don’t call for jihad against Christians, Jews and the West in order to establish a global Caliphate in service to the only True Religion. Muslims would never advocate that homosexuals be stoned or burned at the stake or that women be oppressed and whipped for Moral offenses. Muslims don’t voice approval for acts of terror committed against westerners or fellow Muslims. Muslim countries are never hostile to other religions practiced among their people and would never ban a Bible as a book of the devil. The Shia and Sunni would never defame the other as apostates and kill each other for their heresy.
Muslims are only victims of the Christian/Zionist West and need court protection from the mean things we say about some of them and their culture of tolerance, and the MSM and Euro elites know this. Except Oriana, Hirsi Ali, Van Gogh and a very few others.
Seems to me that the assaults on free speech have reached extraordiary levels throughout the western world…particularly in Europe, but also in the US.
In my darker moments, I wonder if maybe Marshall McLuhan was right…that only a culture whose dominate mode of communication is typographical (as opposed to oral cultures and television cultures) can develop and maintain a true respect for individuality.
Let’s see those editorials in favor of free speech by one of the great journalists of our era. We’re waiting.
I suspect that we’ll be waiting for a long time, and that the first sentence excerpted above explains why. The editorials in favor of free speech are never in defense of great journalists. They’re always in defense of people who fabricate quotations, fail to check sources, never stop to think that it would be awfully hard to flush a book as big as the Koran down the toilet or that 1970-vintage typewriters didn’t produce Times New Roman output, etc. Oriana Fallaci doesn’t do those things.
This is an excellent example of why we must vigorously fight any attempt by the Left in this country to pass hate speech and hate crime laws. The net effect of these laws is to wipe out free speech.
Oriana’s my heroine. She needs those MSM soaks like I need DailyKos. Is there any doubt that people like Frank Rich identify more with Adel Smith?
Richard:
Amen on hate speech and crime. Those type of bill s make no sense. We have libel for lies. We have laws against inciting riots. We have laws against assault and murder. Hate crimes and hate speech are so vague that they can be spun in a thousand different directions. these laws are meant to give the state a weapon against political thought. It is so humerous that many free speech radicals supported Clintons hate crimes bill. And the ridiculous thing is that the two cases they used to sell the case, Sheppard and the poor gentleman in Texas who was dragged before dying, the perpatrators were all given severe sentences.There was never a question that they were going to be convicted so the hate Crime laws would not have been needed. They are eventually used to muzzle political thought.This case is a typical example.
Chuck,
I think this is a good reminder of just how unique the first amendment is. I am not aware of another country that has anything like its uncompromising scope. We all bitch about the abuses of the media, but we should be careful of what we wish for.
Glen Reynolds is having a field day (his links are a bit messed up at the moment) with media bias today.
Directly related to 1st Amendment he has Saving the First Amendment which is a tad weak as far as his articles normally go. But I have to say that he hit a nerve with this:
“I worry that freedom of the press — which in its modern extent is basically a creature of the post-World War II Supreme Court — is likely to be at risk if people see it as merely a special-interest protection for a news-media industry that is producing defective products that do harm.”
I admit that I’ve pondered that both wrt “freedom of the press” and “freedom of religion”.
Why are we extending freedoms to the MSM, which has become nothing more than a purely commercial enterprise, while we restrict commercial speech for other enterprises that are purely commercial? Companies are not free, 1st Amendment or otherwise, to spout lies for commercial gain. Yet the MSM is.
I further admit that I wonder about the 1st Amendment wrt “freedom of religion”. I find myself wondering if freedom of religion can continue to be extended to a religion which openly advocates murder.
I don’t claim to like the fact that I ponder these things since I have long been a big fan of the 1st Amendment, but I do.
From the linked BBC article:
The case is being tried in the northern town of Bergamo, where the book was published. The prosecution has 10 days to come up with a charge.
Heads up, US authors. If one of your books, op-ed columns, screenplays, or magazine articles is published in Italy and Mr. Adel Smith believes that you are “spreading hate against Islam and Muslims, sometimes by allegedly distorting real historical facts and inventing others”, then you’d better be ready to plead your case in a flea-bitten Italian court.
No wonder Ridley Scott’s latest flick was such an irrational disaster. If he had delivered a film that distorted ‘real’ historical facts (are there ‘unreal’ historical facts?) and invented others (how does one invent a historical fact?)which placed the onus of bad behavior on 12th century Muslims, might not the Mr. Adel Smiths of dar-Islam have cause to petition an Italian court to formulate charges against Sir Ridley? Better (and safer) to slime Christians, and for that, who needs to give a damn about truth?
John Adams once said that ‘facts are stubborn things’. I believe that was said during his closing statement at the Boston Massacre trial. Adams, an ardent American patriot, was the defense counsel for several British soldiers accused of murdering Boston rioters. It was Mr. Adams’ position that even the agents of a despotic monarch deserved a fair and impartial trial based on evidence and British jurisprudence. An Italian court is on course to persecute a writer for her intransigent (and published) opinion that Italy remain a country tied to Western cultural values.
What is the relevant case law regarding hate crime laws? Meaning, has their existence ever been contested?
“Time for the Mainstream Media to stand up in her defense. Newsweek? New York Times? Let’s see those editorials in favor of free speech by one of the great journalists of our era. We’re waiting.”
… crickets …
Well, that did it. I just ordered “The Rage and The Pride” and pre-ordered “The Force of Reason” and threw in Bat Ye’or’s “Eurabia” just for good measure.
Can you sue for a fatwa, or are those specially protected? Until the rules of the game are improved, it might be time play hard ball.
As an aside, has there ever been a more erotic name than Oriana Fallaci?
“Hello, I’m Oriana Fallaci.”
“Oh, jeez, me, too!”
ROTF!
Viva Oriana indeed!
She is one of my heroes (heroines?).
The “Rage and the Pride” was tremendous and I, too, am ordering this new one.
If the Muslims hate it, I know I’m gonna love it.
(They tried to stop the Rage and the Pride, too, IIRC.)
The Rage and the Pride.
Chuck ó “Remember, Senator, the First Amendment is just an amendment.” ó attributed to a CIA official testifying at the Church hearings
Likely to be an interesting (in the chinese curse sense) trial. Oriana is dying of cancer, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. What are they gonna do, kill her?
Over at LGF, Charles has the text of a proposed Congressional resolution by Dhimmicrat John Conyers:
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives condemning bigotry and religious intolerance, and recognizing that holy books of every religion should be treated with dignity and respect… Whereas the word Islam comes from the Arabic root word meaning “peace” and “submission”…
The rest of Conyer’s Newsweek/ I CAIR resolution is all about Islam and its holy book, after a brief mention of the Abrahamic faiths. How long before he and other Dhims introduce one-way hate speech laws here, too?
Since Conyers brought it up, does the word Islamist come from Arabic for peace and submission, as well? I did a little research and discovered that the term throat-cutting/suicide-bombing/plane-hijacking/Jew and Christian-hating/America and Israel-loathing/black African-slaughtering/ jihadist-terrorist and sympathizers in the name of Allah and his Caliphate on earth comes from an Arabic root word meaning “gentle persuasion”. Conyers forgot to explain this in his otherwise fine resolution.
I wonder if there’s anything we can do to support her…email the Italian government?
Maybe the first thing would be to write to Conyers and tell him he’s all wet.
I wonder if there’s anything we can do to support her…email the Italian government?
Krillix (Pajamas Media – Italian Branch) has a good post up. She also links her review of a book about Islam sold in Italy that contains some very anti-semitic language that goes far beyond anything that La Fallaci would ever write.
Cristina – Krillix – has a very good grasp of English and would be happy, I’m sure, to have comments supporting Fallaci from Americans.
Thanks from Italy!
Oriana is the most important journalist in our country but communist, muslims and leftist “intellighenzia” don’t understand it.
It’s a pride for me that in USA you love her! Oriana is patrimony of the world and we must preserve her.
(sorry for my english ;P)
Mr. Ballardicci,
I clicked on over to Krillix but my Italian is limited to parsing menus – I no gabeesh. You wouldn’t consider translating, would you?
Domenico Naso,
It’s the least we can do for the country that send us Sophia Loren and Oriana Fallaci!
Domenico, thank you for fighting the good fight. Your battleground is critical to the success of the West.
I can’t forget that if now Italy is a democratic country is thanks to the United States.
And today I’m on your side for freedom and democracy. And Oriana too!
Roger,
I really appreciate you standing on Fallaci’s side. Italy is a strange place. We had fascism. We have the Vatican so close to our parliament. Result: our constitution has nothing similar to your 1st amendment. Yes, you really have to be proud of it!
We have something similar to american mainstream media tho. How lucky! And that?s why you can write terrible things about jews in the italian most popular Coran version, but you can?t say muslims can be racists too.
In italian university people from Israel can hardly talk without being insulted. Israelian ambassador coudnt even talk few weeks ago in Florence. And it happens more and more often. None says anything tho. It looks like it?s a normal reaction. No judge did nothing about it. On the other end, a crazy muslim crying against Fallaci’s book immediatly found a judge ready to help.
Sometimes i feel like i should follow Oriana and move to Us. VIVA ORIANA INDEED
Thanks Roger for keeping an eye on italians.
Thanks Rick Ballard for showing me this post and inviting me to reply.
KrilliX
ewww
buddy larsen makes me feel coward!
he says my “battleground is critical to the success of the West!”
ok ok
i’m gonna stay here in rome. and fight with domenico
i’ll just come here and whine sometimes
Oh, sure, the MSM will stand up bravely and forthrightly to Islamic fascists, and safeguard her sacred First Amendment rights…
just exactly the same way that they did when the Ayatollah Khomeini put a fatwa on Salman Rushdie’s head.
[crickets chirping]
(Let us not forget, that the Islamist nutcakes didn’t get him but they did kill the book’s Japanese translator and seriously injure his Norwegian publisher and Italian translator.)
Krillix, LOL, didn’t mean to tap your conscience!
Vive la gente Italiana!
Translation from Krillix -
The Italian judicial system indicted Oriana Fallaci for presumed offense aginst the Islamic religion – committed by the author in her book “The Force of Reason”.
At the same time the same judicial system continues to undervalue (or ignore) violent antisemitic acts committed within the university and the cultural elite accepts the racist comments contained within the most widely sold translation of the Koran withou batting an eyelash.
Complaints about the accuracy of the translation will be met with the rebuttal of: “Next time – you do it.” Indicted might not be technically correct and vilipendio word for word would be “comparison to the vile”.
Omg!
Thanks Rick! I feel very important! LOL
Thank you so much for your perfect translation
How could I complain???
Actually I have something to complain about you! You are a lazy blogger! You started your Reality check and abandoned it right away. I wouldnt take your link from my blogroll. So that you will feel ashamed sooner or later and start to update it again
and btw Buddy! you did tap my coscience
there is nothing wrong about it tho! LOL
now I feel I have your blessing in my crusade for liberty in Italy LOL
Ali Sina is suitably outraged:
The Fall of Europe
All the best to Oriana, KrilliX and other good Italians who understand what’s at stake here. I’ve received emails from half a dozen people today who read this post, and they all agree that there is something fundamentally twisted about how hate speech laws are applied in a one-way direction, and about how these laws that abuse free speech to begin with are themselves abused for partisan purposes or out of institutionalized bias. Jews, Christians, Hindis, sectarian Muslims and faithful others should clog up court dockets in Europe, Canada and Australia against their defamers as a statement on the absurdity of penalizing opinion and also as a holding action against the chauvinism, hypocrisy and projection of perpetual victimhood as practiced by a vocal segment of The One True religion.
Oriana had to go to court for in France for her Rage and the Pride, and now this in Italy. When fatwas from imams are not enough, European law and jusrisprudence will help intimidate and silence cultural and political critics who would spark needed debate. Europe is on the edge, and the abyss becoming a familiar sight. Guess it’s not so scary, anymore, to those who have been looking at it for so long
Signor Ballardicci,
Thank you so much for the translation.
As for Krillix, egads, man, what have you done!?! Hell hath no fury like that of the blogress carrying an inactive link.
I went and picked up “The Rage and the Pride” and can’t put it down; I particularly admire Oriana’s wonderful translation to make sure that we get the full impact.
I couldn’t help but notice in the preface a reference to a “revolting and ungrammatical booklet entitled ‘Islam Punishes Oriana Fallaci’..[in which]the so-called Italian Islamic Party’s president has outrageously insulted my dead father and demanded his co-religionists to kill me in the name of Allah.” Could that be the same nit that is suing her or is Italy totally overrun by these vipers?
I would like to think that Krillix and Domenico represent the majority viewpoint in Italy. But then I like to be an optimist.
Krillix, Domenico, I’m sure you didn’t miss this, or this, the Ballad of Fabrizio Quattrochi.
And another, great link-filled site:
http://fabrizio-quattrocchi.encyc.dyndns.dk/
eww
thanks guys!
thanks buddy for your links. I actually missed them all. sometimes you need a stranger to remember you can even be proud to be italian. I’m going to post those link on my blog.
thanks again
Sono felice di aiutare quando io latta, il mio corrispondente forte, Krillix.
(ringrazi voi, Google!)
Cori Dauber has a fine idea: the correct response is to buy the book.
If you ever need to translate something you find online wwww.worldlingo.com has a good free website translator.
I used Google Language Tools, above, to try to say ‘happy to help when I can’, and then tried for an idiomatic about Krillix’ strong posts. But for all I know, I might’ve said “pass the scrambled eggs”.
Sono felice d’essere utile se possibile.
I’m happy to help if possible.
aiutare establishs a strong/weak relationship that Italians try and avoid. Dammi un mano, per piacere (give me a hand. please) is used among friends to ask for help – prego, potrebbe – please, could – you is used with strangers.
The translator sites are helpful and Buddy made his point in a way that Krillix understands – I’ve never met an Italian who didn’t appreciate an attempt to communicate in Italian – they show a lot more appreciation than Americans do when foreigners try and communicate in English. Thus endeth my pedantic moment of the morning.
I took a tech-consulting field job in the Orinoco Basin once on the promise of the stateside Venezuelan recruiter that “your entire team will speak English”. After about 5 airplane hops over two days, and then a chopper into the remote jungle drilling site, there I stood with a problem well, and forty Venezuelans without a word of English–and me with no Spanish. I quickly learned to make the effort, you get points for being unafraid to make a fool of yourself for the trying.
Buddy & Rick,
I’ve also learned that it’s very important (and well received) to make an attempt to speak the local language. You can’t learn if you don’t try.
Just to recall a good example, while in Spain a couple decades ago I noticed a sign that said, “Cerveza frÌa”. “What a country!” thought I. The effort taught me two things. I learned the beer was inexpensive but not free and I learned where to go for a cold beer for the remainder of my visit. I also learned that hotels didn’t charge extra just because there was a shower stall in the room unless they had hot water!
A translation of the eighteen passages on which the lawsuit is based, here:
http://cmnewman.blogspot.com/2005/05/18-things-you-cant-say-about-muslims.html
KrilliX has a Saul Bellow quote:
“I vinti tendono ad essere spiritosi”
which Google translates as “The won ones stretch to spiritosi” or something to that effect. I love Saul Bellow, wonder what he really said?
Hi there everybody…I am Italian too.
Nice to read such good comments towards our heroes (Oriana and Fabrizio Quattrocchi surely are)…
Cause I just read some angry posts on some Italian weblogs against Oriana Fallaci that coming here was just a genuine, fresh breath!!
Thanks for being close to us in these moments, I will stay on the battleground, too
>>”I vinti tendono ad essere spiritosi”
I would translate it like this:
“The beaten tend to be humorous”
Google literal translations are just crazy sometimes…eheh
does anyone know how I can get a letter to Ms Fallaci? Our lives have crossed for many years — I lived in Forence and often stayed with a friend whose rented villa was right across the road from where Oriana lived. We share Greece, una lettera a un bambino mai nato, and many other things. I work in the cancer field and I am not trying to save the world, just doing one case at a time. I simply wish to write to her as a woman who has been my mentor for 30 years and never knew. I feel the pain, as each time I go back to Italy, I see changes that are devastating — a culture being lost. I just want to ask some questions…