Free speech — the plot thickens

In what seems to be the first case of its kind, a man was convicted for defaming Muslims in Germany.  Surprisingly, this was not big news.  Among other things, the businessman, known as Manfred van H., printed toilet paper with KORAN written on it.  He received a one year suspended sentence and 300 hours of community service.

Also in Germany, the pressure is on to ban the big-budget Turkish thriller Valley of the Wolves — Iraq, which features a heroic Turkish intelligence officer playing vengeance against American soldiers, who are shown slaughtering civilians.  By my count, that makes the score Hollywood — 472, Istanbul — 1.

In a bizarre twist, Gary Busey plays a Jewish doctor preying on Iraqis  for organs to sell on a world market.  Billy Zane also makes an appearance as a “peacekeeper sent by God.”  Good work if you can get it, I guess.

Pete DeWan