If this were the work of fundamentalist Christians of neo-conservatives, it would be front-page news around the globe. Instead, it gets buried on page A23 of the Washington Post -- and not given any significant play elsewhere.

But then again, we are so used to the barbarism of the jihadi Islam that this barely causes a ripple in the cosmic force of the universe.

A Sudanese newspaper editor who infuriated Muslim fundamentalists last year by printing an article that concerned questions about the parentage of the prophet Muhammad was found dead Wednesday in Khartoum, the capital.

Masked gunmen abducted Mohamed Taha, editor in chief of Al-Wifaq, from his home Tuesday. His decapitated body was found Wednesday in another section of the city. His head was beside the body, and his hands and feet had been bound, the Reuters news service reported.

Groups of tearful Sudanese reporters gathered outside a mosque in Khartoum on Wednesday night, according to news reports.

Reporters Without Borders, a group that promotes press freedoms worldwide, condemned the killing.

"We express our solidarity with our colleagues in Khartoum, for whom this cowardly murder is a harsh ordeal," the organization said in a statement. "The Sudanese authorities must do their utmost to see that light is shed on this tragedy, so that both the perpetrators and those who instigated it are brought to trial."

Last year, Taha published an article that referred to a centuries-old text by a Muslim historian that raised questions about the prophet's lineage. Religious leaders in Khartoum denounced Taha's work, and scores of protesters called for his death.

That one would be convicted of a crime for offending the religious sensibilities of one's readers is atrocious -- especially when the offense is something so trivial as raising genealogical issues. That one would be murdered for it is intolerable -- but we go right on tolerating it out of sensitivity to the followers of jihadi Islam. At what point will we recognize that jihadi Islam is noting but a gigantic conspiracy to violate basic human rights?

Posted by: Greg at 10:04 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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