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April 02, 2010

Provocation and attempted murder at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption

Two arrested following an attempt to pray at the cathedral of Cordoba. Note the fascinatingly idiosyncratic use of the terms "Austrian" and "tourist" (via Gates of Vienna).

The two Austrian tourists who were arrested last night in the mosque-cathedral of Cordoba, accused of contempt and bodily harm of police agents, were handed over to the legal authorities today. The police had tried to stop the two from praying following Muslim rituals, which is forbidden in the temple. According to the Andalusian press today, yesterday afternoon a large group of Muslim and Austrian tourists visited the cathedral and started their Muslim prayers. Some of the tourists responded with violence when guards tried to intervene. One of the tourists, according to testimonies collected by the police, tried attack an agent with a knife. Of the two who were arrested, one has been charged with attempted murder.

The bishop of Cordoba assures us religious violence and attempted murder does not represent the genuine Muslim identity. Which is a good thing as someone naive might be tempted into experiencing hatred and contempt. Sadly for the bishop, these "Austrian" "tourists" seemed intent on arguing against his finely made point of tolerance and unicorn farts.

Worse than attempted murder: The Telegraph and the Guardian stumble over themselves to refer to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption as a "mosque". The site has been Christian since it was retaken from Muslim colonists almost 800 years ago. And before the Muslim invasion and conquest, that mosque was a Christian Visigothic Church.

Don't ask me, ask Wikipedia's entry on the "Great Mosque" of Cordoba.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at April 2, 2010 06:44 AM

Comments

The most recent request to open the building to both Muslim and Catholic rituals was made in October 2009 by the secretary of the Arab League, Amr Moussa...

Open up Hagia Sophia for the Divine Liturgy and maybe we'll talk.

Posted by: Varenius [TypeKey Profile Page] at April 2, 2010 12:36 PM

I wonder how well it would go over if some bearded metropolitan or berobed archbishop were to attempt to conduct a service in Hagia Sophia...

Posted by: dpatten [TypeKey Profile Page] at April 5, 2010 11:59 AM

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