Bacon As A Hate Crime

Last time I checked, here in America the Koran, like the Bible or any other book considered holy by any particular group of followers, is legally considered just a book.

Sure, as a teacher, I tend to treat books with deference, if not respect. But I know that, legally speaking, defacing a book which I own is not a crime.

In Clarksville, Tennessee, the definition of "hate crime" is being extended — at the instigation of CAIR, of course. Excerpt from Christine's post at The 910 Group Blog, in which she cited a CAIR alert dated April 10, 2007:

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said worshipers at the Islamic Center of Clarksville found a defaced copy of the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, on the front steps of the mosque just before communal prayers (Jummah) on Friday. Two strips of bacon, which is prohibited for Muslims to eat, were smeared in the Quran. Local police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

Here is some of what Christine had to say in her commentary, emphasis mine:

This is a clear example of how hate crime laws are being used to impose sharia law, in the guise of religious special accomodations, and in place of U.S. federal or state laws.

[...]

Writing in a book, including a Torah, New Testament, Bible, Lolita, The Pentagon Papers, the Yellow Pages or the Koran (again, just a book under any laws other than sharia) is permitted under the First Amendment. Writing an expletive in a book is permitted under the First Amendment....

[...]

Bacon is not illegal in Tennessee, and putting bacon in a book is not illegal in Tennessee....

Where was the underlying crime that must exist for this to be a “hate” crime, under U.S. or Tennessee laws? Or was the underlying crime one that exists only under sharia law, followed with meticulous political correctness by the Clarksville police in reporting it as a hate crime?...

Read all of Christine's posting.

As far as I can determine, nobody was threatened. Sure, the sensibilites of Muslims in Clarksville and in CAIR's offices were offended: the Koran was defaced with bacon, which is haram, and Mohammed was insulted, too, although he did consummate his marriage to nine-year-old Aisha.

According to the Leaf-Chronicle, Jerome Heath, representative of the Islamic Center of Clarksville, was particularly offended. He made the following statement:

"We're not going to tolerate it at all. This was small, but maybe next time it may be something physical."

"Not going to tolerate it"? Excuse me, Mr. Heath, but I perceive your words as a threat to First Amendment rights. You, sir, are intolerant of civil law.