Last October, atheist Ernie Perce wore a zombie Muhammad
costume to a Halloween event. Talaag Elbayomy, a Muslim,
confronted Perce about his costume, told him it was offensive and then started
to beat him. The attack was caught on video.
Elbayomy was arrested and charged with assault. At the
trial, there was testimony presented by an officer who witnesses the attack
along with the video. Judge Mark Martin, then dismissed the case against
Elbayomy and lectured Perce about the sensitivities of the Muslim
culture. In court, Martin told Perce,
“They are so immersed in it and what you’ve done is you’ve completely trashed their essence, their being. They find it very, very, very offensive. I’m a Muslim. I find it offensive.”
That’s right. Judge Martin, who served in Iraq , is a
convert to Islam. His own personal Islamic
beliefs definitely clouded his ability to interpret US and Pennsylvania law. His decision to
throw out the case basically sends a message to all Muslims in Pennsylvania that they
can physically attack anyone who offends their religion.
