gordon mohr gojomousanet robert harley writes chuck murcko wrote must feel obligated defend death right je dsapprouve ce que vous dites mais je dfendrai jusqu mort votre droit de le dire arouet le jeune dit voltaire 16941778 heres hoping tradition perseveres novelist currently trial paris calling islam stupidest religion httpcanewsyahoocom0209175ozxahtml tuesday september 17 1107 est french writer tried antiislam protest erupts caroline brothers paris reuters provocative french novelist michel houellebecq faced paris court tuesday allegedly inciting racial hatred calling islam stupidest religion holy book koran depressing read case brought four muslim groups cause celebre reminiscent salman rushdie affair pitting freedom expression religious sensitivities muslim groups include meccabased world islamic league paris mosque accuse writer insulting islam interview literary magazine lire last years launch novel plateforme lire also trial remarks taken added significance france atmosphere heightened sensitivity concern islam following september 11 attacks muslim radicals united states shortly trial started 11 people courtroom stripped shirts reveal tshirts saying censure imams marianne veiled marianne raped reference female symbol french republic freedom expression freedom expression houellebecq supporters chanted thrown courtroom main law courts central paris intellectuals argued trial houellebecq free write wants lyon mosque rector kamel kabtan retorted freedom expression insulting communities bete noire houellebecq 45 bete noire contemporary french literature stranger controversy offended conservatives politically correct left 1998 novel les particules elementaires atomised english paris mosque rector dalil boubakeur says muslims insulted houellebecq main character plateforme admit felt quiver glee every time palestinian terrorist killed world islamic league lyon mosque national federation muslims france joined paris mosque bringing houellebecq trial frances human rights league joined civil party saying houellebecqs comments amounted islamophobia deserved sanctioned part leagues struggle discrimination racism paris mosque hired jeanmarc varaut one frances leading trial lawyers whose past clients include maurice papon former official condemned 1998 naziera crimes humanity sending jews death camps restoring blasphemy houellebecqs lawyer emmanuel pierrat argues case effectively reestablishes notion blasphemy despite fact france secular state law says houellebecqs opponents want deny freedom expression also argues interview lire truncated sixhour conversation houellebecq given chance approve article appeared houellebecqs publisher flammarion distanced author whose comments say may cost frances prestigious goncourt prize contender novelist lives outside cork ireland writes detached style bleak world people forgotten love translated 25 languages atomised incensed frances 1968 generation scathing descriptions hippie era frances november prize 1998 impac award one worlds biggest fiction prizes losing case may mean year jail 51000 fine gordon wed 18 sep 2002 002901 0700 defending unliked speech hansons sept 11 message