What Bill said is criminal in Germany, and so is your account of what Bill said. Criticism of Islam is criminal in some Muslim countries. Without exaggeration, to convert from Islam to Christianity carries the death penalty in some Muslim nations.
In contemporay America, it is generally forbidden to publically criticize or defame Muhammad or Islam, particularly on public media. Compare/contrast treatment of Christianity/Catholicism/Jesus on comedy shows, particuarlly on Comedy Central. The debacle with South Park is the most notable.
The South Park debacle is a great example of media cowardice, but it’s not hard to criticize Islam on public television. Hitchens had no trouble, and I don’t think anybody in the right wing press has trouble. The left-wing press is semi-censorious about it.
In contemporay America, it is generally forbidden to publically criticize or defame Muhammad or Islam, particularly on public media. Compare/contrast treatment of Christianity/Catholicism/Jesus on comedy shows, particuarlly on Comedy Central. The debacle with South Park is the most notable.
The South Park debacle is a great example of media cowardice, but it’s not hard to criticize Islam on public television. Hitchens had no trouble, and I don’t think anybody in the right wing press has trouble. The left-wing press is semi-censorious about it.