Cartoons again, mightier than the sword

Germany's new anti-Islam political party, Pro-NRW, had a problem -- how to get attention for itself in an already-crowded political arena?  They hit on an idea which, given their focus, was as arresting as it was obvious: a cartoon contest.  It worked.  Pro-NRW got plenty of entries, and plenty of media attention.  Much of the latter consisted of the usual pearl-clutching and name-calling ("far right!") that follows whenever anyone dares twist the tail of the Religion of Perpetual Outrage, but hell, all publicity is good publicity.

Of course, the hard-line Islamists who make up a small but vocal minority of Germany's Muslim population reacted the way mouth-foaming religious thugs are wont to do, and attempted violent attacks on Pro-NRW rallies where the cartoons were on display.  Several police officers who were in the mobs' way have been injured.

Which, of course, highlights Pro-NRW's point -- Islam, at least of the true-believing sort, is violent, barbaric, hostile to free expression, and ill-suited to fit in with a modern pluralistic free society.

[My favorite cartoon from the contest is above.  The banner reads "No mosque."  The dynamite-wielding Islamist is saying, "Pardon, have you got a light?"  The Bible-clutching priest is replying, "Naturally, my son!"  You can see more of the cartoons here, though I don't endorse the site.]