Egypt: Koran-burning preacher, seven Coptic Christians sentenced to death

Noted Chinese author, dissident and free-speech advocate Murong Xuecun (pen name of Hao Qun) once sarcastically stated; "Actually, I am a coward. I say only what is safe to say, and I criticise only what is permissible to criticise." Freedom of both speech and thought in Western civilization have a 2,500 year history and have almost been elevated to the status of sacred dogma by many. Yet when Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida's theologically and politically conservative Dove World Outreach Center burned a copy of the Muslim Qur'an early last year, liberal-minded defenders were few and far between. Much the same can be said of many of the Hollywood elite who often pontificate on "artistic freedom," yet were conspicuously silent during the overwhelming condemnation of the makers of the low budget film "Innocence of Muslims." Fruits Of The Arab Spring... As reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, a purportedly secular court in Egypt has sentenced Reverend Jones to death in absentia for his support of the film. Seven other individuals, Orthodox Coptic Christians all, also received the same sentence as the Florida preacher. As reported by CBS News, the official Egyptian news agency stated the specific charges against all eight of the defendants include; "Harming national unity, insulting and publicly attacking Islam and spreading false information - charges that carry the death sentence." Just Say What The Rest Of Us Were Already Thinking... As The Inquirer's Howard Gensler asked rhetorically in his article, presumably with tongue firmly placed in cheek; "Can we agree that sentencing someone to death over a movie - unless it's a snuff film in which people are actually killed - sort of prohibits you from being considered a 21st century country?" If you like with this article, please forward it to family and friends. Please click on the "SUBSCRIBE" button above to receive e-mail updates whenever new articles are published. To become a writer for Examiner.com, please click here - http://exm.nr/y8utl8.