Freedom Pastries

Iran continues to prove that it has learned its best tricks in terms of international politics, embattled divisive ideology, electoral politics, and domestic propaganda from the best of all masters: The American State.

Here, while continuing to enrich their "preemptive" nuclear capabilities, they've also taken the high-road somewhere else, using the model of Washingtonian nonsense. Instead of engaging in meaningful and open debate with non-supportive parties or even ideological enemies, they're renaming their cafeteria food:

TEHRAN, Iran - Iranians love Danish pastries, but when they look for the flaky dessert at the bakery they now have to ask for "Roses of the Prophet Muhammad."

Bakeries across the capital were covering up their ads for Danish pastries Thursday after the confectioners' union ordered the name change in retaliation for caricatures of the Muslim prophet published in a Danish newspaper.

"Given the insults by Danish newspapers against the prophet, as of now the name of Danish pastries will give way to 'Rose of Muhammad' pastries," the union said in its order.

"This is a punishment for those who started misusing freedom of expression to insult the sanctities of Islam," said Ahmad Mahmoudi, a cake shop owner in northern Tehran.

Man. That sounds familiar...

"This action today is a small, but symbolic effort to show the strong displeasure of many on Capitol Hill with the actions of our so-called ally, France," said Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, the chairman of the Committee on House Administration.


Ney, whose committee has authority over the House cafeterias, directed the change, after colleague Walter Jones, R-North Carolina, circulated a letter suggesting such a move. Jones said he was following the example of a local restaurant owner in his North Carolina district.

"I represent a district with multiple military bases that have deployed thousands of troops," Jones said in a statement. "As I've watched these men and women wave good-bye to their loved ones, I am reminded of the deep love they have for the freedom of this nation and their desire to fight for the freedom of those who are oppressed overseas. Watching France's self -serving politics of passive aggression in this effort has discouraged me more than I can say."

The name change was criticized by one young man in a House cafeteria.

"That's completely ludicrous to me," he said.

Bob Ney, of course, is in the middle of of the Abramoff scandals and faces possible indictment. But more disturbingly, the Political Cortex exposes where Iran may have learned this trick of culinary indictment. Bob Ney personally lobbied Sec. of State Colin Powell to significantly reduce sanctions on Iran so that his cronies could sell US airplane parts to the sworn-enemie and axis of evil member.

[What's that that our friends on the Right call people who cozy up to the enemy...??]

Oh well. I'm sure we all get to look forward to anti-pastry ribbon magnets on every Toyota truck in Tehran in the coming weeks.