Adel Smith, a high-profile Muslim activist who brought the original law suit, hailed the decision.

"It is the first time a judge has ordered a trial for defamation of the Islamic faith," he told reporters.

I was not even aware that it was possible to defame islam any more so than already is the case, this courtesy of the purveyors and practitioners of the "religion of peace" themselves.

In her 2002 book "La Rabbia e l'Orgoglio" (The Rage and the Pride), written shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Fallaci sought to explain why Europe has decided to surrender to, as she puts it, "islamic invasion." Lorenzo Vidino's article for National Review elucidates the matter quite nicely.

Fallaci carefully examines the historic and political reasons that have led Europeans to vilify their own culture, consistently embrace anti-Americanism, and pander to every request from the increasingly powerful Muslim communities that populate the dying Old Continent. Her analysis does not leave much hope for the future of Europe, although she takes a far more optimistic position on her adoptive country, the United States...

Fallaci has her own interpretation of the massive Islamic immigration that is rapidly changing the face of European cities. She sees it as part of the expansionism that has characterized Islam since its birth. After reminding the reader how Islamic armies have aimed for centuries at the heart of Europe (a part of history that is not taught anymore in Europe, since it would offend the sensitivity of Muslim pupils), reaching France, Poland, and Vienna, she lays out her case, claiming that the current flood of immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa is part of a carefully planned strategy.

Fallaci is in her 70s, suffers from cancer and currently lives in New York which makes it unlikely that she would return to Italy to answer the charges.

In "The Force of Reason," Fallaci wrote that thousands of people had been killed over the last 20 years in the name of islam and that the islamic faith "sows hatred in the place of love and slavery in the place of freedom."

Now who could argue with that as being anything but absolutely correct.

Italian Justice Minister Roberto Castelli called the court's ruling an attack on freedom of expression, saying, "In Fallaci's book there is very strong criticism but not defamation." He went on further to say, "In Europe we are seeing the birth of a movement that is looking to silence those who don't follow a single mindset, within which it is forbidden to speak ill of Islam."

In "The Rage and the Pride," Fallaci stated, correctly in my view, that Western civilization and society is superior to islamic society. In fact, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said much the same thing, "We should be conscious of the superiority of our civilization, which consists of a value system that has given people widespread prosperity in those countries that embrace it, and guarantees respect for human rights and religion."

At a speech in 2002 at the American Enterprise Institute, Fallaci brilliantly expounded on the problem which islam poses.

The problem is that the solution does not depend upon the death of Osama bin Laden. Because the Osama bin Ladens are too many, by now: as cloned as the sheep of our research laboratories. In fact, the best trained and the more intelligent do not stay in the Muslim countries... They stay in our own countries, in our cities, our universities, our business companies. They have excellent bonds with our churches, our banks, our televisions, our radios, our newspapers, our publishers, our academic organizations, our unions, our political parties. Worse, they live in the heart of a society that hosts them without questioning their differences, with- out checking their bad intentions, without penalizing their sullen fanaticism.

If we continue to stay inert, they will become always more and more. They will demand always more and more, they will vex and boss us always more and more. Til the point of subduing us. Therefore, dealing with them is impossible. Attempting a dialogue, unthinkable. Showing indulgence, suicidal. And he or she who believes the contrary is a fool.

In the same speech she also had harsh words for the European Union.

...the ignorance and the lack of leadership that favors the Muslim invasion. Identical the fad of the Politically Correct that encourages it. To believe me, you only have to observe the financial club you proudly call European Union. A club that only serves to impose the rhetorical nonsense called common currency to pay fabulous and undeserved salaries (tax free) to the members of its inept and useless Parliament.

A club that shelters more than 15 million sons of Allah and God knows how many of their terrorists... A club that fornicates like a whore with the Arab countries and fills its pockets with their filthy petrodollars. The same petrodollars with which the Saudi Uncle Scrooges buy our ancient palaces, our banks, our commercial and industrial firms. A club, moreover, that dares to speak of cultural similarities with the Middle East. You chatterers, you mentally retarded! Where the hell is the cultural similarity with the Middle East, you cretins, you silly clowns?!? At Mecca? At Bethlehem, at Gaza, at Damascus, at Beirut?!? At Cairo, at Tripoli, at Nairobi, at Tehran, at Baghdad, at Kabul?!?

We need more women and men like Oriana Fallaci who speak the truth as to the grave danger which islam poses.

As Oriana Fallaci correctly says, "a civilization, a culture, cannot survive without passion, cannot be saved without passion. If the West does not wake up, if we do not refind passion, we are lost."

Islam is not a "religion of peace", there are no "moderate muslims" and they are not interested in "dialogue." There only goal is conquest.

We must stand firm. We must act with Clarity & Resolve.

Patrick at Clarity & Resolve has an excellent piece on this as well.

Our Italian friends at The Right Nation (il blog amerikano di ideazione.com) have more on Oriana.

IsraPundit also has more on Oriana.