Muslim world an homogenous mass of seething lunatics

You'll realise, I hope, the irony implicit in that headline. But I add that caveat because so much reporting about 'offended Muslims' seems to work on this assumption.

Yes, I'm afraid it's more Rushdie bollocks. In this case the Beeb reports on a "Day of Pakistan Rushdie protests". So, you think, on reading the headline, tens of thousands of people who probably haven't read the book are going crazy and demanding the blood of the western infidel.

Erm.. Around 300 people in Islamabad chanted "Damn Rushdie" [I do love sub-continent English] and "Down with Britain".

Careful now. But, still, it's the capital. It's a relatively cosmopolitan place. I bet more people turned out in Karachi where all the crazies live.

Yeah: They have held small-scale demonstrations in the southern port of Karachi (pop: 15 million or so).

How small? Doesn't say, but I would be willing to bet more people turned out to complain about the cricket team.

Now, I'm of the view that a demo in Britain should be pretty bloody big before it gets any attention. So why should the Beeb cover the anger of a tiny proportion of Pakistanis (oh and a few attention seeking local politicians whom I will not dignify by quoting here) unless it assumes they are speaking for a silent majority of deranged fanatics?

>>>This is a public service announcement from the Department of Patronising Liberalism: Muslims are so irrational you must do nothing to suggest they are irrational because they will kill you if you do.