Leading Muslim calligrapher shot dead

[subsuelo]

Source: BBC

One of the Muslim world's leading calligraphers has been shot dead by gunmen in Baghdad.

Khalil al-Zahawi was the most famous practitioner in Iraq of the art of writing classical Arabic script.

He was outside his house in the New Baghdad district of the city on Saturday when he was ambushed by gunmen and killed.

The art of writing classical Arabic script is highly regarded in Iraq and the rest of the Muslim world.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6696503.stm

[Posteritatis]

1. Okay, even by Iraq standards, *that* was pointless. Augh. (nt)

[UpInArms]

2. where there is no value for life, there is no value for calligraphy

n/t

[sam sarrha]

3. when there is no value for life, no one cares if there is a Psychopath in the White House

[BrklynLiberal]

14. Where life has become a living hell, there is no value for life.

Thanks, Prez Shit-for-Brains...
You have succeeded in creating a place where people feel that the life of another human being is so worthless that there are no qualms about taking lives...no matter how valuable they might have been.

[shenmue]

4. Religious fanatics...

have the rest of the country in a stranglehold.

[acmavm]

5. And who's fault is that?????

[wellst0nev0ter]

13. Certainly Not Saddam's

Saddam alive and in power = this man being alive

Saddam dead and in the ground = this man being shot dead

It's a bad thing when a fuckup is so big you pine for a murderous dictator.

[villager]

6. you refer to the U.S., I presume?

n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

15. Must be.

[kurth]

7. "Insurgent groups and militias in Iraq targeted scientists, doctors and academics"

What a surprise.

[annabanana]

8. fundamentalists hate art and reason. . . .n/t

[SemperEadem]

9. interesting who gets targeted when fundamentalists gain a foothold:

Scientists: No global warming.

Doctors: Fundamentalist Pharmacists can practice medicine when it comes to not filling prescriptions from medical doctors for dispensing birth control pills.

Academics: The take-over of school boards; the assault on Liberal Arts professors and the fact that an institution of higher learning teaches a liberal arts curriculum.

[BrklynLiberal]

16. Gee. Isn't the same thing happening right here in the good ol' US of A?!!!

Who is being targeted by the Religious Right?
They are shooting doctors who perform abortions. They are belittling college professors...and anyone who actually EDUCATES.

They are paying pseudo-scientists to dispuate actual science about Global Warming, the dangers of chemicals and drugs, the danger of CO2 pollution..and much more.

[Rydz777]

10. And we are supposed to believe that Bush's "Surge" will

have this all straightened out by September? There seems to be a concensus developing, even among Republicans, that September is the time to face reality. I'm in favor of facing reality in May. OUT NOW.

[Ian David]

11. Perhaps he illuminated Suni texts? n/t

[Karenina]

12. This is just so sad.

May he RIP and I pray he had many dedicated students.

[TechBear_Seattle]

17. It was the US military, I know it.

They confused the names al-Zahawi and al-Zarqawi. (Hey, you think it is only in the US where SWAT teams go in, guns blazing, only to find they had the wrong address?)