On June 10, the Wall Street Journal ran a story about Muslim women in France who have lost their virginity and have then elected to have their hymens surgically reattached; Muslim men expect their brides to be virgins and do not look kindly on those who are not. The next day, theNew York Times ran a similar story. It was followed the same day by an opinion piece about the two news stories written by Slate correspondent William Saletan.
On the home page of Slate’s website, Saletan’s column is flagged by a picture of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; below the photo is the inscription, “A Defense of Virginity-Restoration Surgery.”
Catholic League president Bill Donohue commented on what happened:
“Once again, in a story that has absolutely nothing to do with Roman Catholicism, we see a gratuitous attack on Catholics. Are there not suitable Muslim photos that Slate could use to draw attention to Saletan’s article? The fact that they didn’t choose Islamic iconography suggests not a lack of interest, but will: They don’t have the guts to offend Muslims.”
Contact Slate’s New York office at nyoffice@slate.com
