Woah…this is a wtf moment. Why the hell are protesters storming our embassy in Cairo? What movie are they talking about (obviously the folks at CNN have no idea)?? I mean, I can see why the average Egyptian would be no fan of the US, since we were a factor in propping up the previous regime, but why the hell are they storming our embassy now and tearing up the flag over some film that even they seem uncertain about (assuming CNN’s questions to the folks there were pertinent)?
My guess is that the crowds believe that the USA is propping up the military (a not unreasonable assumption).
I think we should lodge a stern protest.
Al Jazeera has slightly more detail on the film:
Sounds like something that might not have seen much if any distribution in the US but which has been passed around as an OUTRAGE in Egypt.
Heh. Hooligan Islamists. Anyway, you give them $2bn / year. Just remember that you can’t buy love.
With which side?
$1.2 billion, and it’s not to buy love. It’s to get them to recognize the State of Israel.
Didn’t they already do that? Or do you have to pay them every year for them to re-recognize it? Like an automatically renewing subscription. Can’t be a terrible sincere recognition. Or perhaps you feel you have to pay them so they do cause too much trouble. But that sounds awfully close to tribute, and that can’t be true because I know you spend millions on defence and not a single cent on tribute, and $1.2 bn / year on tribute is more than a cent. Anyway, I’m sure there are plenty of poor Americans that would like a bit of those billions. They might even recognise Israel for it.
There’s also a Pit thread about this (primarily focused on the traditional “we’re sorry someone offended Muslims and religious tolerance is important” apology). But I have to say- if there was a large protest and the worst thing that happened is a flag being torn down and/or burned, that’s much closer to an appropriate response than riots, looting, mass arson, shooting, and bombs, all of which has happened before under similar circumstances. But at some point I’d like to see deliberate provocations of Muslims met with the really appropriate responses- yawns and humor.
It’s an annual subscription, and poor Americans don’t have tanks and strike aircraft.
On the other hand, The Last Temptation of Christ, Dogma*… *Here in France: Amen. (the combination cross/swastika featuring prominently on the movie’s poster couldn’t have helped, admittedly). It’s a bit disingenuous to suggest that our fundies are so much more temperate and less prone to stupid protests than their fundies although, granted, historical figure fundies are few and far between. But just you wait until someone makes a movie shitting all over Reagan ! 
I think it’s a bit more disingenuous to say our fundies are the same as theirs. I don’t remember Catholics murdering anyone over The Life of Brian or having such violent reactions to alleged insults against Jesus, the Pope of God.
I am frequently of the opinion that the only reason our fundies are not as violent as theirs is because our government will try to prevent them from doing so and if they succeed will arrest and prosecute them.
Yeah I even had a Catholic Priest [Father Bob from South Melbourne] who used the life of brian as a cautionary tale of following false idols and how we can easily be lead by heard mentality. To be honest it was a really good sermon, Father Bob was always about challenging people to make a stance, his view was it was better if people made a decision to be religious or atheist not be wishy washy. Great man and worth googling even if you are like most of us atheist.
Has anyone been murdered in Cairo ?
That statement I’m reading about by the U.S. embassy better be a joke.
Please let that be a joke. Hurt religious feelings??
Well, there was that blogger who got hundreds of death threats for stealing a communion wafer.
Our fundies are violent too.
Eric Rudolf bombed abortion doctors, Paul Hill and the killer of the doctor in Kansas come to mind first. There are many others.
You think this is the only incident that falls in the category we’re talking about? You think people haven’t been killed in the past for similar incidents?
But I’ll tell you what. If I were a Coptic Christian in Egypt right now, I’d be planning my exit strategy.
None in Cairo thus far, but they have been in Libya.