Armed protestors outside AZ mosque for Mohammed cartoon contest

More than 200 protesters, some armed, berated Islam and its prophet Mohammed outside an Arizona mosque on Friday in a provocative protest that was denounced by counterprotesters shouting "Go home, Nazis," weeks after an anti-Muslim event in Texas came under attack by two gunmen.

The anti-Muslim event outside the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix was organized by an Iraq war veteran who posted photos of himself online wearing a T-shirt with a crude slogan denigrating Islam and waving the U.S. flag.

The protest organizer won't be there, apparently; he claims he's been forced to lam it due to threats against him and his family.  Whether you prefer irony or poetic justice to describe it, it's no surprise.  The social media debate is happening at the hashtag #NotMyAmerica, if you want to check in on that.

Most of this reporting and pictures is from yesterday early evening; no reports of continuing strife during the night or this morning from what I can learn.  So let's hope the testosterone-poisoned rednecks got it all out of their system without bloodshed.

Update: More from the Daily Mail.

Hillary Clinton in Houston next week to accept award

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee comes to Texas Southern University next Thursday, June 4, at mid-afternoon to receive the Barbara Jordan Gold Medallion from Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.  This adds to the former Secretary of State's Lone Star itinerary of fundraisers in Austin and Dallas.

Attendance is free but seating is "very limited", so RSVP quickly.  We'll keep a lookout for media availability but based on her recent history, I'm doubting it.

The image below isn't transferring very well from the hosting source so go here for more details (if it hurts your eyes as much as it does mine.  No, I don't mean it that way).

Update: There's a big-dollar fundraiser now scheduled for Thursday evening.

The two-hour reception costs $2,700 to attend, $27,000 to co-host and $50,000 to host, according to the invitation from Houston-based lawyer Arthur Schechter, who was appointed ambassador to the Bahamas by President Bill Clinton.