RUTHFULLY YOURS

This is the same Islamic Society of Greater Kansas City that, in September 2012, exhibited its own deep respect for the First Amendment by starting an online petition urging Pres. Obama to sponsor a bill criminalizing insults to religion (no doubt with one particularly angry “religion” in mind, one that seems obsessively preoccupied with finding insults and psychopathically avenging them).

It is also the same Islamic Society of Greater Kansas City that hosted an appearance by Khalid Yasin (the Harlem-born former gang member, now Muslim convert and televangelist who preaches around the world), who has described the beliefs of Jews and Christians as “filth,” has called Zionists “the pigs and dogs of the earth,” and has called for the death penalty for homosexuals and lesbians. Yasin also believes, by the way, that HIV/AIDS was “devised” and spread by a conspiracy of the U.S. government, the World Health Organization, “Christian groups” and others, and that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job.

(A little aside about “Sheik” Khalid Yasin: I’m reminded of the late comic Sam Kinison, who used to say, about wife-beating, “I don’t condone it, but I can understand it!” Khalid Yasin (who, by the way, has endorsed wife-beating) says, verbatim, the exact same thing about terrorism: he doesn’t condone it, but he can understand it!)

It’s been reported that Nadir Soofi was a fan and Facebook follower of Khalid Yasin.

Aside from the news report that the funeral had been scheduled, I’ve seen no coverage of it. But I imagine the service likely echoed the statements that have already been made about the now-room-temperature terrorist by his family: what a “caring soul, a beautiful person”, what a “humble, soft-spoken”, peace-loving young man he was, and how “shocked” everyone is at the idea that the “non-violent” 34 yr. old would don body armor, wield a high-capacity rifle and, with his 30 yr. old Phoenix roommate and co-religionist Elton Simpson, attempt to wreak murder and havoc on the “Draw Muhammad” art exhibit and contest.

There probably wasn’t much mention of the deceased’s wonderful sense of humor. If he’d had one, it’s doubtful he would have reacted the way he did to some pretty darn amusing caricatures of Muhammad. And I doubt the late Mr. Soofi or his mourners would get much of a chuckle out of us pointing out now that he is no more; that he’s gone to meet his maker; that he’s a stiff; that he’s bereft of life; that his metabolic processes are now history; that he’s kicked the bucket, shuffled off this mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ Choir Invisible; that he’s now an ex-terrorist!

Upon learning of the scheduled funeral, a friend quipped, “Gee, it’s too bad there isn’t a group of people, headquartered nearby, who specialize in rudely and crudely picketing, protesting and otherwise disrupting the funerals of people whose behavior they find abhorrent. Oh, wait a minute…!”

My waggish friend was obviously (and accurately) alluding to the shenanigans of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. Coincidentally, Westboro Baptist is the poster child for the principle that even “hate speech,” no matter how tasteless, is still constitutionally protected. His point was that Nadir Soofi’s funeral might be an instance of Westboro Baptist’s antics being seen by the general public as appropriate, and even appreciated.

As of this writing, I’m not aware of any more news reports about the funeral, so my surmise is that it proceeded without protest, disturbance or other incident.

Which is probably just as well. Far be it from me to advocate such disruption of the solemnity of a funeral, even the funeral of a terrorist who was willing to kill people for drawing cartoons. But if such a disturbance had occurred, I’m sure I would have said, “While I don’t endorse such conduct, and I definitely don’t condone it, I can certainly understand it!”

Author’s Note: The author is an irreverent SOB who also happens to be a Monty Python fan.