“It's kinda like focusing on the people who died during the protests but ignoring the SA economic boycott of Danish goods. Gee, I wonder why? Though it is amusing that you think you, or more laughably, VL/Golden Boy, are more in touch with Danish politics than Klausen.”

KStone is back yet again with her infantile and false claim that I post at Salon an another letter writer. I guess cheap ad hominem’s are the easiest way of arguing for her though.

Actually I did address the boycott in a previous post. The boycott was utterly disproportionate and misguided. After all its avowed purpose was to punish the entire nation of Denmark for the lawful actions of a few people in a private business. It undoubtedly hurt innocent people through lost jobs and income. Free speech is so threatening to many Muslims that they can only react through absurd, irrational means which can’t even successfully target the people who made them so angry in the first place (so they kill one another I guess).

How do you write an artcile about a Qur'anic prescribed punishment being metted out in an Islamic Republic and fail to mention the central role of the Islamic faith in the brutal murder of this man? Because if this weren't an orthodox expression of Islam, Muslims would be rising in outrage worldwide to prevent Islam's good name from being soiled by false association, right?

Since few women sign their name with their full given-name intitials as a rule, I am guessing you are a man, which is relevant because men can as a whole blithely travel most of the world without worrying about being targeted for a crime based on their most obvious in-born characteristic, sex. You are statistically speaking most likely also white and heterosexual which assuming my conjectures are correct makes the validity of your experience to the majority of us who are not male, straight and white immediately suspect. But then again white-bread, would-be WASP leftists who just love 'cultural diversity' (which never impacts upon their individual freedoms of course) are a staple of Salon readers.

You lament the focus of many readers on the Armenian Genocide and other atrocities but what do expect in the era of victimhood as chief political identity. Salon devotes a significant portion of its articles to lamenting the plight of the world's first professional victims: the Palestinians. Turkey's refusal to even acknowledge the scope of its crime makes it a relevant, contemporary issue, especially when people are still dying, being prosecuted (for insulting Turkishness), etc. over its legacy. The U.S. and Europe may have similar histories but we publicly brow beat ourselves over them. It is Western institutions which have enough self-critical perspective to make apologies for slavery, colonialism, etc. How many Muslim nations have ever apologized for their own long history of the exact same crimes (some like slavery and gender apartheid still on-going)?

The sentence "Hospitality and courtesy to guests are deeply held values in Turkish and Islamic culture." nicely exemplifies further a typical leftist hypocrisy when it comes to blanketly characterizing an internally diverse group. Criticism of Muslims as whole are met with howls of rage by the left, but baseless or at least entirely subjective praise for a group is acceptable? Hospitality and courtesy vary from individual to individual the world over and I can't think of any culture where being rude to guests and making them uncomfortable is actively encouraged. Saying 'Turks are friendly' is no more defensible or mature a statement than waxing on about Soutern Hospitality in America, especially when the Qur'an arguablly teaches not to have social connections with non-Muslims (5:51, 53:29 come to mind).

I have personally heard from other rich Western males who having been treated like royalty in Turkey come back with the same glowing praise, only to find that like most guests they did nothing to cause contoversy or give offense (acts which truly test the character and hospitality of one's host). Go visit Turkey as an openly gay couple or a pagan feminist and then tell me how wonderful a culture it is. And the fact that the US has failings in that regard does not excuse Turks from tolerant, egalitarian and peaceful behaviour -- just saying because I know how much Salonistas love their moral equivocation arguments.

By the way I have lived in Turkey so your all too typical charge that criticism of a non-Western land, culture, religion, etc. is based on ignornace or lack of exposure is false.

Your argument that Iran is a developing nation and should be given moral leway is entirely specious.

A) The US developed with no template of a more civilised society to guide it. Westerners pioneered the concept of human rights as a self-evident concept (religions may offer innate rights but only till you tread on god's toes), including ending slavery and coporeal punishment. Our on-going failings in living up to our own avowed principles are widely elucidated and discussed.

B) Iran claims to follow god's perfect revealed word in Qur'an. They raise themselves to the most arrogant heights and then they get beset by well-deserved criticism. What a pity.

Playing favorites is an illiberal and indefensible practise which ultimately is patronizing to the 'developing peoples' upon whose behalf it is offered. They are human beings responsible for their own failings and with the ability to not repeat our (Westerners') mistakes.

"Is there a single thread relating to the Islamic world that you haven't missed posting your hatred and venom on?"

Islam is a critically important issue on the world stage and my comments obviously threaten your position enough that you are reduced instantly to the most base name calling. I mean you are so concerned about my comments on Muslim world that you make no effort to offer any substantive response to my assertions.