Jim Geraghty Nails Newsweek's Cluelessness

As in hit it out of the park, out of the atmosphere, and out of the plane of the solar system:

[T]he state of the world is, you tell a Muslim country that U.S. interrogators are flushing that holy book, and it will hit the fan.

What’s fascinating is that you, me, most of the blogosphere, and in fact most of the world recognize that fact. A fact that apparently eluded the bright shining minds over at that magazine.

Newsweek Editor Mark Whitaker said, "I suppose you could say we should have foreseen the consequences of the report, but we didn't."

Horsepuckey, and that isn’t the word I originally wanted to use.

Just how did Newsweek think the world was going to react to this allegation of epic-level sacrilege? Just how “cool” is the Muslim world with mockery or insults to its faith? Does the name “Salman Rushdie” ring a bell? Do Newsweek editors recall the ultimate reaction to the Dutch politician Pym Fortuyn’s declaration that Islam was a “backward” religion? Hint: It involved six shots to the head, chest and neck....

Never mind those who disrespect Islam, take a look at those who question some interpretations.

Ever wonder why Irshad Manji lives behind bulletproof glass? Why Ayaan Hirsi Ali – a Dutch legislator has to hide from the public spotlight?

Ask Theo Van Gogh – oh, wait, you can’t.

Everybody else seems to grasp the explosive and dangerous passions stirred by stories like this. But somehow Newsweek… these worldly reporters… who sneer at the President, and many of his supporters for not understanding the world beyond our borders sufficiently… were caught completely unawares of what the potential fallout for this story could be.

“Huh? Whah? Riots over this allegation? You’re saying the story got even further hyped by foreign papers until there were declarations of jihad? How could this possibly happen?”

And this crowd has the gall to call themselves “the reality-based community.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Whitaker is still trying to blame the Pentagon for failing to do his job for him.

Pity we can't arrange a meeting between Whitaker, Michael Isikoff, and the Afghan rioters. That might actually be a story worthy of prominent publication.

Especially the pictures.