October 23, 2002

washingtonpost.com: French Court Acquits Author of Insulting Islam

PARIS (Reuters) - A French court ruled Tuesday that writer Michel Houellebecq was not guilty of inciting racism after Muslim groups sued him for calling Islam "the stupidest religion."
A panel of three judges, delivering their verdict to a packed Paris courtroom, acquitted Houellebecq, 45, of the charges of provoking racial hatred in remarks made in an interview with the literary magazine "Lire" last year.
Joined by France's Human Rights League, the Mecca-based World Islamic League and the mosques of Paris and Lyon pressed charges against the outspoken award-winning author.

Nice to see that the Islamist Thought Police didn't win this one, but the real test comes next month when the verdict will be rendered in the case, also in France, against noted Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci.
Islamic groups are again the complainants and are seeking to have Fallaci's book Rage and Pride*, which is a virtual polemic against Islamism that the author was inspired to write in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, banned from French bookshelves because it also "defames Islam."
There is some speculation that Houellebecq has been allowed to walk because he is a writer of fiction, whereas Fallaci may not fare so well as her work portrays "reality."
*My copy of Rage and Pride is on its way to me from Amazon.com right now! Can't wait to read it!