U.S. Prosecutor: Insult Islam, Go to Jail

Columnist Michelle Malkin recently reported on a disturbing case in Twin Falls, Idaho, in which three foreigners, all minors, allegedly violated a young disabled girl.

Not much is known about the case, and there is growing suspicion among Idaho residents that, because of the circumstances, Muslim sympathizers are attempting to bury the story. As such, Wendy J. Olson, whom Barack Obama picked as U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho in 2010, threatened last week to use the justice system to quash whistleblowers. “The spread of false information or inflammatory or threatening statements about the perpetrators or the crime itself reduces public safety and may violate federal law,” she declared on Friday.

As Gary Bauer points out, “While clearly high on the left’s wish list, there is no federal law under which someone can be prosecuted for 'inflammatory statements.‘ As one law professor explained in the Washington Post, Olson’s statement 'looks like an attempt to chill constitutionally protected speech through the threat of federal prosecution.’”

That’s exactly what it is, and it follows the Obama administration’s playbook. For example, on July 15, 2011, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation received the support of then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in passing UN Resolution 16/18 to censor worldwide any speech perceived to be insulting to Islam. It’s part of the same strategy being utilized to penalize climate dissenters.

For what it’s worth, Olson later tried to walk back her incriminating remark, saying, “The statement was not intended to and does not threaten to arrest or prosecute anyone for First Amendment protected speech. I issued the statement because public officials in Twin Falls have received threats. Certain threatening or harassing communications may violate federal law and will be investigated.”

Regardless, Olson exposed a top priority of the Obama administration — using constitutionally protected “hate speech” as a means of regulating the First Amendment.

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