Orianna Fallaci, the incendiary Italian journalist, died yesterday of cancer in Florence, Italy. She was one of the most influential and divisive figures in journalism in recent (well, since the Viet Nam era) times. She managed to interview most of the major figures of the day from Qaddafi to Kissinger to Khomeni (is there a K-sound thing going on here?), generally elicited from them a) a brilliant interview and b) a sense of relief when she departed.
In recent years, her star was dimmed by her militant anti-Islamicism (she was on trial in Italy for defaming Islam.... like OSB hasn't done enough on that front?) As someone who fears fundamentalism in ALL religions, I can understand her fears, if not her solitary focus on Islam.
I hope, in the long run, she will be remembered for her stellar brilliance, and not her recent obsessions.
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