A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Monday, September 8, 2014

The New York Post Can't Tell its Asquiths Apart

The New York Post has a piece by Amir Taheri called "Lesson of the 'Mad Mullah,' the original beheading jihadist."

It is referring to the Somali religious and resistance leader Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, who led a war against the British and eventually against the Ethiopians and Italians as well in the early 20th century, and who was dubbed by the British at the time "the Mad Mullah of Somaliland." As an early anti-Western Salafi, comparing him to contemporary movements is not necessarily far-fetched. But then I saw this:
Is President Obama repeating the mistake of Britain’s liberal Prime Minister Anthony Asquith in dealing with jihadists a century ago?
This has been up for a day and is still uncorrected. I don't know if the error was Taheri's or was introduced by an editor, but it suggests we Yanks can't tell our Asquiths from a hole in the ground.
Herbert, not Anthony

Anthony Asquith (1902-1968) was a British film director. It was his father, Herbert Asquith (1852-1928), who served as British Prime Minister 1908-1916.

Just in case they spot the error and fix it, here's a screencap for posterity:


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