He could object all he wanted. He could tell the “Zombie Muhammad” guy in no uncertain terms that he considered his costume offensive and insulting. But when he physically attacks him, he is crossing a line that we have not often seen crossed in America. Are we going to stand idly by while our traditions of tolerance are eroded away, for fear of incurring charges of “intolerance”? Can a tolerant society indefinitely tolerate the presence of adherents of a radically intolerant ideology?
“Zombie Muhammad? Atheist attacked by Muslim during Halloween parade,” by Michael Stone for the Examiner, October 12 (thanks to all who sent this in):
Tuesday, an Atheist wearing a “Zombie Muhammad” costume while marching in a local Pennsylvania Halloween parade was attacked by a Muslim.
According to reports, the Parading Atheists of Central Pennsylvania (PACP) were marching in a Halloween parade in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania,when a Muslim stormed out of the hometown crowd to assault one of the marching atheists who happened to be wearing a Zombie Muhammad costume.
The atheist in the Zombie Muhammad costume was proclaiming that he was the Prophet Muhammad, risen from the dead. Apparently the words and costume offended a Muslim man, who came out of the audience and began to follow and harass the atheist dressed as Zombie Muhammad before actually choking the atheist.
Subsequently, a police report was filed, and charges in the matter are pending.