High Comedy: Violence Breaks Out at 'Unity' Summit

I figure this is just an appetizer for the mayhem and hijinx that's to come once the Democrats get to Denver. Of course, The Messiah is scheduled to arrive for this confab come Sunday after he returns from his carefully choreographed World Tour of Self-Adulation, so no doubt by that time the Chicago police will come in and restore order.

After all, we can't have sundry Obamanites beating each other up on camera.

Violence broke out at Unity '08 Friday between supporters and opponents of Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade just before he was to speak to the convention of minority journalists in Chicago.

The violence, which flared just briefly but drew dozens of Chicago police squad cars to the convention McCormick Place site, appeared to have been touched off by supporters of Wade angry at a protester who was being interviewed by this reporter.

"All lies, all lies!" a Wade supporter who did not give his name shouted to this reporter and Bolly Ba, who said he was a Senegalese-American now living in Washington, D.C. Several men and a few women dressed in pastel native garb set upon Ba. About two dozen people tussled trying to rip protest signs and Senegalese flags from each other.

Dozens of Chicago police squad cars arrived and the groups were quickly separated and moved in different directions.

Sen. Barack Obama is to address the meeting on Sunday.

Wade was a controversial choice as a headline speaker at the joint conventions of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Asian American Journalists Association, and Native American Journalism Association. Lauded by many in the West for speaking on human rights issues, Senegalese political opponents and international free press groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists say in his seven-year reign he has muzzled and intimidated the press.

"Beating up journalists, locking up journalists -- that is his game," a Wade protester Joe Sall said. "When he's home he acts like a real despot. When he's in the West, he acts like he's a democrat, talking about human rights."

Wade was cheered lustily and frequently at the Unity opening ceremony Wednesday night by some 50 supporters, many wearing T-shirts and baseball caps reading "Wade in 2012."

Bizarro World: Insult Headchoppers, Get Sued

If anything, you have to give these clowns points for sheer audacity.

The Muslim world has created a battle plan to defend its religion from political cartoonists and bigots.

Concerned about what they see as a rise in the defamation of Islam, leaders of the world's Muslim nations are considering taking legal action against those that slight their religion or its sacred symbols. It was a key issue during a two-day summit that ended Friday in this western Africa capital.

The Muslim leaders are attempting to demand redress from nations like Denmark, which allowed the publication of cartoons portraying the Prophet Muhammad in 2006 and again last month, to the fury of the Muslim world.

Though the legal measures being considered have not been spelled out, the idea pits many Muslims against principles of freedom of speech enshrined in the constitutions of numerous Western governments.

"I don't think freedom of expression should mean freedom from blasphemy," said Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, the chairman of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference. "There can be no freedom without limits."

Delegates were given a voluminous report by the OIC that recorded anti-Islamic speech and actions from around the world. The report concludes that Islam is under attack and that a defense must be mounted.

"Muslims are being targeted by a campaign of defamation, denigration, stereotyping, intolerance and discrimination," charged Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary general of the group.

The report urges the creation of a "legal instrument" to crack down on defamation of Islam. Some delegates point to laws in Europe criminalizing the denial of the Holocaust and other anti-Semitic rhetoric. They also point to articles within various U.N. charters that condemn discrimination based on religion and argue that these should be ramped up.

"In our relation with the western world, we are going through a difficult time," Ihsanoglu told the summit's general assembly. "Islamophobia cannot be dealt with only through cultural activities but (through) a robust political engagement."

Have you ever seen a bigger bunch of babies than these buffoons? OK, maybe you have, since we're stuck with so many liberals here in the U.S. But seriously, if these poor offended souls don't want to be ridiculed, how about cleaning up your act, stop murdering your women on a regular basis, stop murdering innocent people in the name of your religion, and most of all, just dummy up for five minutes and stop whining.

I know, it's difficult to do any of this because most of your are completely out of your minds, but some lame threat to sue people is only going to bring on more ridicule.

Some day, maybe you'll figure that out. Until then, just STFU.

Woman Self-Immolates in Italy

Warning: This is very graphic.

Story here.

ROME, Dec 7 (Reuters) - A Senegalese woman set herself on fire at Rome's city hall on Friday in an apparent protest over a visit to Italy by Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade.

The woman, identified by city officials as Kebe Peinda Gotha, was in critical condition after dousing herself in flammable liquid and setting herself ablaze.

Police who were on patrol in the square outside the city hall quickly put out the flames.

Dramatic images of the suicide attempt were captured on a closed-circuit security video and broadcast on Italian state television RAI's evening news.

"She wanted to kill herself at all costs," a police officer told RAI, adding the woman also wanted at one point to throw herself off a ledge.

Senegalese officials, asking not to be identified, said she had wanted to meet the president. Italian media reports described the woman, who lives in northern Italy, as an activist for the rights of Senegalese immigrants.

H/T Killgore Trout, who also passed along this link.