Tina Brown successfully trolled the Internet yet again this morning, with a Newsweek cover bearing angry, bearded protesters and a headline of “MUSLIM RAGE.” The article was written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, wife of historian and previous Newsweek troll-bait provider Niall Ferguson.
Sensing the opportunity to troll even harder, the magazine went searching for an outrage-inducing force multiplier:
That’s when the Twitterverse, especially Muslim users, decided enough was enough and hijacked the hashtag.
Among the reactions:
For its part, Newsweek defended the cover and its depiction of the protesters, telling Politico: “This week’s Newsweek cover accurately depicts the events of the past week as violent protests have erupted in the Middle East (including Morocco where the cover image was taken).”