Why is Buddy Jesus in Iraq?

I thought Dogma was a fairly terrible movie, so I’m loathe to even bring it up now, but what is Buddy Jesus doing in Iraq? He first appeared in Kevin Smith’s 1999 movie as one of the Catholic Church’s half-baked schemes to appeal to a younger, hipper demographic. And now, somehow, Buddy Jesus has found ...

I thought Dogma was a fairly terrible movie, so I'm loathe to even bring it up now, but what is Buddy Jesus doing in Iraq? He first appeared in Kevin Smith's 1999 movie as one of the Catholic Church's half-baked schemes to appeal to a younger, hipper demographic. And now, somehow, Buddy Jesus has found his way to Iraq. Residents of Sadr City are claiming that a picture of the grinning Jesus - which they apparently mistook for a caricature of a Shiite holy figure - was found in a house after a joint US-Iraqi raid in the area, along with a poorly photocopied "plan" to discredit Iraqi militias by "raping and kidnapping women." So is the picture (but not the ridiculous "plan") an inappropriate prank by U.S. forces, or a misinformed (and, ultimately, ironic) tactic by elements in Sadr City to enflame opinion against U.S. troops by charging them with mocking a holy Islamic figure? You decide.

I thought Dogma was a fairly terrible movie, so I’m loathe to even bring it up now, but what is Buddy Jesus doing in Iraq? He first appeared in Kevin Smith’s 1999 movie as one of the Catholic Church’s half-baked schemes to appeal to a younger, hipper demographic. And now, somehow, Buddy Jesus has found his way to Iraq. Residents of Sadr City are claiming that a picture of the grinning Jesus – which they apparently mistook for a caricature of a Shiite holy figure – was found in a house after a joint US-Iraqi raid in the area, along with a poorly photocopied “plan” to discredit Iraqi militias by “raping and kidnapping women.” So is the picture (but not the ridiculous “plan”) an inappropriate prank by U.S. forces, or a misinformed (and, ultimately, ironic) tactic by elements in Sadr City to enflame opinion against U.S. troops by charging them with mocking a holy Islamic figure? You decide.

Update: I should note that the proper term from Dogma is “Buddy Christ.” Poor memory is to blame. 1999 suddenly seems so long ago. 

Carolyn O'Hara is a senior editor at Foreign Policy.

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