South Park courtesy Comedy Central

Irreverent, relentless, surreal, the South Park cartoon show on Comedy Central has lampooned everyone regardless of race, color, creed, politics or religion.

While some with exclusive podiums and airwaves ridicule two prominent faiths in the U.S., even the most activist (proselytizing) atheists in the public arena carefully avoid the I and M words.

All but South Park (once upon a time).

The savaging cartoon show scripted an episode that included the I (Islam) subject, where some thought it was unusually (for South Park) tasteful (they never showed the face of a figure described with a M word), but to others it was unacceptably insulting and sacrilegious.  Well, as you might expect (and perhaps the show’s founders, Trey Parker and Matt Stone were hoping) the program generated much attention.

Naively, they didn’t expect the accompanying death threats.  Without rehashing the events, you likely  remember that there were many well-organized protesters (most only wanted the show not to air), but in the case of Virginian Zachary “May (the A word) kill Matt Stone and Trey Parker and burn them in Hell for all eternity” Chesser, some weren’t shy about pushing their faces and more direct (final) solutions through the media.

Yesterday, Chesser, now Abu Takhah Al-Amrikee as a (M word) revert, pleaded guilty in federal court to an impressive list of charges while admitting that he encouraged attacks on the creators of South Park regarding that irreligious episode. 

Chesser’s other crimes included providing material support to a terrorist organization (al-Shabaab of Somalia), communicating threats and soliciting crimes of violence.  There were other things, but you get the idea.

He faces a judge in four months where he could get 30 years.

Meanwhile, after they got their head handed to them (no pun) South Park is back to Christian-funpoking, along with the usual everything else-bashing.

Everything except for the I and M words.