Newsweek Scandal Factoids

Two items to keep in mind as we smash each other over the head in this debate over media, religion, and responsibility.

First, the Quaran is more sacred to a Muslims than the Bible is to Christians. It is not the word of God written and interpreted by people and scribbled down by monks over the ages - but the actual words of Allah directly with no middleman taking a cut. This distinction is made in today's WSJ by Kenneth J. Woodward, who is not only an editor at Newsweek (one wonders if he got cc'd on the original draft article) but more importantly a writer on cross-religious topics.

Second, and this is from Instapundit - Al Qaeda operatives are supposed to lie about the handling of the Quran. It's actually in the damn training manual [PDF]. Remember this when you see the second wave of critique - people on talk shows braying about how, even if this incident is false, U.S. interrogators have done other terrible things. Right or wrong, the source is released detainees or lawyers acting in their defense.

Unrelated (or ... is it?) - today on Fountain Square there were white men singing in reverent baritone voices about old-time religion and Jesus. There appeared to be no obvious explanation - no signs or flyers.