Fouad Laroui has a witty and observant radio-essay on some
recent meshugaas from Haarlem (the double -aa-
is accurate in both cases), which you can savor here:
http://www.medi1.com/player/player.php?i=5310972
A school was decorated with some calligraphy reminiscent of
arabesque, though the letters were Latin. “C’est alors que la conjuration des
imbéciles se mit en branle.” Right-wing xenophobes and “salafis
analphabètes”
(pour ne pas dire: analphabêtes) sounded the alarm: This was Arabic writing, was the (innaccurate) cry from both (otherwise
interopposing) sides; and either vocally opposed it, though for opposite
reasons.
What caught my attention was this detail: When their linguistic error was pointed out, nobody
slapped his forehead and said “My bad!”;
rather, they redoubled in vehemence, contriving further reasons for
outrage. And this is but too
reminiscent of the scene in America these dark days, where (among others) the
Birthers are simply outside the realm of logic, evidence, and rational discourse.
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