The power of religion

摘要

On a sunday in early June Muhammad Qatta, a roadside coffee-seller in the Syrian city of Aleppo, refused to serve a would-be freeloader. Even the prophet himself would have to pay, he said. Some bearded rebel fighters overheard him. Crying blasphemy, they shot him dead. Muhammad was 15 years old. On the same day, across the Lebanese border in Beirut, 28-year-old Hashem Salman also met his maker. He had joined a vigil outside the Iranian embassy to protest against Iran's support for the Syrian regime. Burly men wearing yellow armbands attacked the small crowd with clubs and pistols. Yellow is the colour of Hizbullah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese party-cum-militia that has lately also entered the fray in Syria. Mr Salman took two bullets in his legs and one in the back.