This is way beyond parody, way beyond sarcasm. This is way beyond believable reality. They were shouting “Daesh” — i.e., “Islamic State” — and wearing Islamic clothing, while slitting a priest’s throat a la Qur’an 47:4 (“When you meet the unbelievers, strike the necks”) and the Telegraph tells us not once, but twice in the space of seven short paragraphs that his motive is unknown? Can you imagine being a reporter writing in Warsaw on September 1, 1939 that German soldiers were coming across the border in large numbers and killing Polish soldiers, and authorities were searching for their motive — while Polish authorities assured us that their open-borders policy would continue?

What did Fr. Jacques Hamel do? Did he draw Muhammad? How did he provoke the poor dears? Or maybe they’re coming for all non-Muslims, no matter how desperately the political and ecclesiastical leaders of Europe and North America try to placate them?

“Live / Normandy siege: knifemen ‘shouted Daesh and slit 84-year-old priest’s throat’ after taking nuns hostage in church before being shot dead,” by David Chazan and James Rothwell, Telegraph, July 26, 2016:

Police have shot dead two men who took a priest and several others hostage at knifepoint at a church in north-western France. The men shouted “Daesh” and cut the priest’s throat before being “neutralised,” police said. Le Figaro newspaper reported that the priest died after his throat was cut. The men’s motives are still unknown. Elite police units rushed to the church in the Normandy town of Saint-Etienne-du Rouvray after the men seized a number of people including a priest and two nuns. It remains unclear whether the hostage takers were killed in the police action. A police source told AFP that one of the hostages has been killed. Up to six people were being held by the assailants. The attackers’ motives are unknown and police have arrived at the scene, according to news website Normandie Actu. The interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, is travelling to the church. Police sealed off the church, while ambulances are on the scene. 11:56AM

Priest identified as 84-year-old Father Jacques Hamel The priest has been named as Father Jacques Hamel, 84, according to Vincent Neymon, a spokesman for the Bishops’ Conference of France….

“Priest, 86, is ‘beheaded’ by two ‘Islamic knifemen’ after taking nuns and worshippers hostage at French church before police shoot them both dead and search building for explosives,” by Peter Allen In France and Julian Robinson, MailOnline, July 26, 2016: