Below The Beltway

The cartoonist who drew “controversial” Mohammed cartoons that appeared in Swedish newspapers was attacked by Muslim extremists:
Lars Vilks, a Swedish cartoonist whose sketch of the Prophet Muhammad enraged many Muslims, was head-butted today while giving a lecture about freedom of speech.
Vilks, who depicted the Prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog in 2007, said [...]

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former Muslim who was the subject of Theo Van Gogh’s film Submission has a great piece in today’s Wall Street Journal arguing that the West needs to stand up to the Islamists who would punish every satirical depiction of Mohammed:
The entertainment business, especially Hollywood, is one of the wealthiest and most [...]

Ross Douthat explains why the South Park Muhammed controversy matters:
In a way, the muzzling of “South Park” is no more disquieting than any other example of Western institutions’ cowering before the threat of Islamist violence. It’s no worse than the German opera house that temporarily suspended performances of Mozart’s opera “Idomeneo” because it included a [...]

Oh my:
The New York Police Department has stepped up security at the headquarters of the Comedy Central cable channel after an Islamic extremist Web site posted apparent threats to the creators of South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, for making fun of the Prophet Muhammad. Paul Browne, NYPD deputy commissioner and chief spokesman, says [...]