A teenage girl in Birmingham has been arrested for posting a video on YouTube in which she allegedly burned a copy of the Koran. The police may be charging her with incitement to religious hatred.
I don't see at all how expressing disapproval, or even contempt, of a religion or belief constitutes incitement to religious hatred. To quote West Midlands police "West Midlands Police will investigate and monitor any crime reported by individuals who may have been targeted because of their disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender."
Which individual has been targeted here? It seems to me that the only person who has been targeted is the girl herself, presumably because of her religious disbelief.
To quote again from a previous post about freedom of expression “Article 10 applies not only to information or ideas that are favourable and inoffensive but also to those that offend, shock or disturb the State or a sector of the population.”
So come on coppers, come and get me.
'Dr' Zorro 8 Sept 2010:
ReplyDelete"I have no particular love for islam, or christianity. I view all religions with deep but equal contempt. But the reality is that Pastor Jones’ actions are likely at a stroke to undo much painstaking work by American and British servicemen to secure the hearts and minds of the, mostly muslim, people of Iraq and Afghanistan. It will make the soldier’s job harder and more dangerous."
But your totally selfish actions of spewing hate, under the guise of free speech, will cause no harm to the harmony between people in 'our' society Dr Hypocrate?!
I couldn't care less about what 'you' think of Islam, or any religion for that matter, that is 'your' business - but to go out of your way to 'delibrately' hurt other people, your own who want to follow their Christian faith, as well as Muslims, despite being totally ignorant of what you are talking about, why??!
And why do you think people care so much about whether you're an athiest or whatever? I,I,I! You give yourself too much weight, that's called arrogance!
Well, here is a prescription for you 'Doctor', it may do you a lot of good if you put your head right down on the 'bare' floor, as Muslims do, every now and then to remind yourself of who you really are! It may change your thoughts so that you can change your language to that spoken by human beings too!
This is my own personal blog and I write what I think. If you, or anyone else is offended by what I write you don't have to come hear & read it.
ReplyDeleteIf you could not care less what I think, why are you here ranting.
As for "harmony in society", do you mean like this;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_July_2005_London_bombings
Those who commited the 'crime' in your Wikipedia link did it because 'they' did not approve of, not Christianity the faith, but the west and it's ways. 'They' hold views that can be described 'exactly' by those very same adjectives you used to describe Islam, amongst others. And because of their arrogance, it got to their heavy on their shoulders heads that they have a right to react to 'their' own notions, hence, justifying to themselves that they can, must and will dispose with whatever doesn't meet with their approval ... and innocent lives became game regardless of their faiths, and so they went on killing sprees that universally kills regardless of any regard to the humanity or rights of their innocent victims. They chose to kill lots of Muslims everywhere in the world too.
ReplyDeleteTo them, I am a much bigger target than, say, yourself - because I do not conform to 'their' view of how I should live 'my' life as a Muslim and so they think they have the right to show me the 'right path', and so I am game to the point of murder too. The amazing thing is, Islam has no intermediaries like priests or similar because the ethos is on one's relationship directly with god, and hence, no one has the right to judge others or interfere in that relationship. In effect, those terrorists are going against the very ethos of what Islam stands for, ie, having the ultimate responsibility for one's own actions. Therefore, they are Not Muslims ... nor are they human beings, because responsibility comes from within! Hence, terrorists are just those who were criminalised by their own intolorence of others and judge them accordingly. They are individuals who are 'deluded' with the grandeur of their ownself and what that inflated egos dictats - they are basically small inside!
You want 'others' to abstain from reading the hurt you 'delibrately' spread, rather than 'you' taking responsibility for 'your' own actions. You are no different to those in your Wikipedia link ... though not a murder, but you go out to hurt ... same fabric!
Theirs went down in a meaningless ritual. I don't think your head will ever agree to go down to the floor! Maybe you should stand in front of a mirror instead, say I .. I .. I just to see how ugly that makes you look.
I wish you peace with yourself.
"You want 'others' to abstain from reading the hurt you 'delibrately' spread,"
ReplyDeleteActually I don't want any such thing. Whether or not people choose to come and read my obscure and little known little blog is entirely their choice. But they can't come here and tell me what I may or may not write. And if expressing my views causes people hurt then perhaps they are being oversensitive. As I said before, if you don't like what I write then fuck off and read something more agreeable to you elsewhere.
This is an 'open to the world forum' though, and hence the onus is on YOU to take the responsibility for what you present here, not your reader ... but that 'You' inside you will not register.
ReplyDeletePeace to those around you, your colleagues and your patients who dare to have different beliefs and views to those held by your 'You'!
Those who "dare" to hold and express different views are perfectly at liberty to do so and I have expressed no inclination to stop them or harass them in any way for so doing. That is their right which I would not seek to curtail even though their views may offend me. You are the one who seems to think that views others find offensive should be suppressed. You clearly have not got the point. The blasphemy law in this country was repealed in 2006 precisely to allow people to freely speak on this issue.
ReplyDeleteIt's you who don't get it.
ReplyDeleteAny freedom comes with responsibility. You want the freedom but shun the responsibility - just like a terrorist!
Empathy, compassion, courtsey and common decency is what makes us human!
Not for you, so, 'You', charge ahead, insult and belittle Christians, Muslims and anyone else you feel is worthy ... to satisfy your 'self' and to improve traffic to your site!
Small inside!
You keep using the word "responsibility". Responsibility for what exactly? What heinous deed have I committed? I have not insulted any individual, simply expressed my disagreement with belief systems, which you seem to think I should not be allowed to do.
ReplyDeleteIf allah or jehovah or any other deity is offended enough I am sure they are quite capable of silencing me, or they would be but for the fact that they are totally fictitious.
We are not going to get anywhere with this. I will continue to express my views, in a society where this is not only allowed but highly valued. You may disapprove all you like and rant away on behalf of your non existant sky fairy, but I don't intend to waste any more time on you and your closed minded views.
Dr zorro 16 Sept 2010
ReplyDelete"Remaining totally anonymous is something I value highly. It gives me an extraordinary level of freedom ... "
To which 'Anonymous' replied;
"Anonymity serves two people; a hero, or a coward.
And it is 'purpose' that deffrentiates between both."
Only no hero here! As for 'purpose', it's cheap sensationalism to get some site traffic, much like that man in question here (http://vulpesmax.blogspot.com/2010/09/book-burning_13.html), only he came up with an original, not here! - maybe the reason why you are how you 'brilliantly', for a change, describe yourself;
"I am in real life an obscure and unremarkable 'individual', and I would like it to stay that way. "
... and you will too!
I will leave it at that too