Woe unto the reporter who attempts to write about Islamic charities and the potential ties various groups might have to terrorism in the Islamic world. In a neglected story that could have some legs in the near future, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported a week ago that Cambridge University Press wants to destroy all unsold copies of the book Alms for Jihad: Charity and Terrorism in the Islamic World (2006), after a libel claim was filed in England by a Saudi banker. The key word in this situation is “England.” It’s easier to sue people for libel in England than in the United States. Much easier.

John F. Burns of The New York Times has a compelling story to tell about Saddam Hussein’s burial place. The article includes religious elements that one would expect in a story dealing with life and death — the fact that Saddam’s buried head faces Mecca, personal prayer beads, the words “God is Great” in his handwriting — but little is said of Saddam’s religious faith or lack thereof, which is a significant hole in the story.