The tiny minority of extremists in Thailand has taken to naming babies “Saddam Hussein.” This from The Australian, with thanks to Nicolei.
“‘He’s a cross between a hero and a tyrant, but we choose to remember his good side,’ Rohcidee Lertariyapongkul, chairman of the Muslim Youth Association of Thailand, was quoted as saying in the Bangkok Post. ‘One way to do it is to let our babies bear his name.'” How generous!
“Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, but its southernmost provinces are Muslim-dominated. Some Thai Muslims don’t believe the man captured near Tikrit, Iraq, and purported to be Saddam is really him, and dismiss the capture as US propaganda, Rohcidee said.
“Navi Tohyor, a 36-year-old father from the southern province of Narathiwat, said he and his wife have named their newborn son Saddam. ‘What Mr. Saddam did is right and legitimate,’ Mr Navi said. ‘He stood up against the US, the foreign invader. He’s a fighter, not a bandit. I’m proud to name my son after him.'”