ZERO -- SO FAR

“Last summer, Boston University professor Paula Fredriksen predicted, with no uncertainty, that ‘when violence breaks out’ (following the opening of ‘The Passion of the Christ’) Mel Gibson will have some explaining to do.  She was not alone in predicting violence, though no one was as cocksure as she was. 
 
“Now that the movie has been out for a month, there have been no reports of violence, no pogroms of any sort.... It seems only fair, then, that those demagogues who waved a bloody flag at the movie should now repent for acting so irresponsibly.  They can begin by apologizing to Mel Gibson...."

--Catholic League president William Donohoe, quoted in the League press release "One Month After the Passion: Body Count -- Zero," March 24, 2004


CAIRO, Egypt - Hanan Nsour, a veiled, 21-year-old Muslim in Jordan, came out of "The Passion of the Christ" in tears and pronounced her verdict: Mel Gibson's crucifixion epic "unmasked the Jews' lies and I hope that everybody, everywhere, turns against the Jews." ...

Kuwait bans any movies depicting any of the prophets recognized by Islam, but one of its top Shiite clerics, Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer al-Mehri, has urged an exception for "The Passion" because it "reveals crimes committed by Jews against Christ." The government has not yet made a decision on his call....

In Jordan, a leader of the hard-line Islamic Action Front says Muslims should read the Quran or pray instead of watching movies, but he doesn't mind "The Passion" being screened in his country.

"The Jews are the most upset with the movie because it reveals their crimes against the prophets, the reformers and whoever contradicts their opinions," Hamza Mansoor said....

--AP story today