Salvatore Scuotto is an Italian artist from Naples who is famous for the nativity scenes he creates. His latest masterpiece is a nativity scene featuring naked women and transvestites standing near the baby Jesus. This highly respectful work, evidence of Scuotto's great sensitivity towards Christians, is currently on display at Rome's San Giacomo church where it has outraged church members who, strangely enough, view the work as blasphemous.

In defending the nativity scene, Scuotto says,

"Such scenes are a part of reality. The real scandal is when figures such as Bin Laden or George Bush are used in nativity scenes."

So Salvatore Scuotto has scored a leftist "two—fer" with his latest work by bashing Bush and defecating on Christianity — how original! How cutting edge! How transgressive! In his mind he probably justifies the action by reasoning that real artists "push the envelope" by rattling conventional sensibilities.

Fair enough——I suggest to him a religious topic that will really rattle some sensibilities and "push the envelope" to its very limits: Mohammed's marriage to a nine—year—old girl.

Here's how the Koran describes that event:

[Scriptural Evidence] Volume 7, Book 62, Number 64: Sahih Bukhari [the most venerated and authentic Islamic source] Narrated 'Aisha: that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him for nine years.

So how about it, Sal? Care to exercise your artistic powers by creating and displaying a graphic work of art based on Mohammed having sex with his pre—pubescent wife? (You can even play it safe by leaving gratuitous transvestites out of the depiction.)

Oh, wait——I forgot! If Salvatore Scuotto produced and displayed a work of art depicting Mohammed having sex with his child—bride, a reality——at least within the context of the Koran—— it's quite likely that the Italian authorities would cave in to the resulting Muslim outrage by arresting him for "hate speech." Either that or, for his own good, he'd be placed in protective custody. Those are the best case scenarios. A fatwa—based  religious assasination would be the real downside. Just ask Theo Van Gogh, Sal.

It's so easy for artists to garner attention by desecrating things that are sacred to Christians. Christians usually protest such desecrations mildly, or not at all. And the Left is always there to cheer on and, if necessary, defend the act of desecration.

Salvatore Scuotto——iconoclast, trend—setter, art hero, and ultimately a disrespectful coward, knows those things well.