PUTTING THE QURAN DESECRATION IN PERSPECTIVE (UPDATED):

Well, if had burned an American flag the issues would be clear. If he had put a crucifix in a glass of urine, it would have been art.

On the other hand, a book in a toilet, regardless of the book, can damage the toilet and cause property damage, so there may be a fairly simple cause of action on that basis.

Or if the Quran was not his own, well, then, Mr. Shmulevich is on his own.

The good news - with a name like that, tracking this case via Google should not be difficult.

UPDATE: For the legal implications of the case--whether Shmulevich is being properly charged--check out this post by Allahpundit, which goes into deep detail on the relative statutes.

Also see Little Green Footballs: Pace University Koran Case - Unbelievably Outrageous

Michelle Malkin asks: Which of these is a crime in America?

Malkin links to a New York Times editorial from September 1999 entitled The Museum's Courageous Stand, in defense of artist Chris Ofili's "The Holy Virgin Mary;"-- a depiction of a black Madonna adorned with elephant dung:

The Brooklyn Museum and its lawyer, Floyd Abrams, have found a fittingly aggressive way to make this point in the face of Mr. Giuliani's unremitting attack. Their suit argues that no one can be punished for exercising First Amendment rights.

Unless you express those rights about Islam.

Technorati Tag: Stanislav Shmulevich and Koran and Quran.