Incorrect Tune

The music for the popular piece of classical music generally known as "Ave Maria" was in fact originally written as abstract music by J.S. Bach as part of Das wohltempierte Klavier. Gounod later transformed it into a religious song and there have been other versions of it since.

Clearly, however, it is good music with or without words and it has no original religious connotations. But it was a purely instrumental form of the music that was banned at Henry M. Jackson High School in Washington State -- apparently because it was too religious. The school thus added musical ignorance to its frantic hatred of Christianity. Details here


Politicians must not Say what their Voters Think

A British Conservative politician is in hot water because he said that Muslims in Britain should integrate into British society -- a wish that he often hears from his voters. Details here. His party leader, by contrast, cannot do enough to appease Muslim demands. See here and here.

No nonsense in Australia, though. Several leading members of the Australian Federal government and even some Leftist State government leaders have told the Muslims to shut up or ship out. See e.g. here




British T-shirt Update

That a British t-shirt seller was fined 80 pounds by the British police for selling t-shirts that dissed Tony Blair was mentioned here on the 5th..

The effect of the fine may not have been what was intended, however. The t-shirt seller reports:

"Getting fined worked," he says. "I had only sold two before the police came. Once word got round, people took pity on me and everyone wanted one. I ended up selling 375."

Source