The Passion in Arabia

Drudge links to an AP article detailing that The Passion of the Christ is a big hit in the Middle East. And why not? To outsiders, Muslim beliefs about Jesus are confusing: They consider him a prophet, blame the Jews for persecuting him, but claim he wasn't actually crucified. But if there's one thing that can bring together Arab Christians and Muslims, it's surely a movie in which Jews can be hissed at.

Which isn't quite the same as saying The Passion is in fact anti-semitic (I don't think it is). But it's obviously being read that way by certain audiences in the Middle East. E.g.:

In Jordan, a leader of the hard-line Islamic Action Front says Muslims should read the Quran or pray instead of watching movies, but he doesn't mind "The Passion" being screened in his country.

"The Jews are the most upset with the movie because it reveals their crimes against the prophets, the reformers and whoever contradicts their opinions," Hamza Mansoor said.