Enquiries by Tower Hamlets police are ongoing.… Read the rest
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Paula Kirby on the pile-up of censorship efforts 
Jan 17th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It is no longer just the religious who would inhibit our freedom of expression: increasingly, secular bodies are buying into this invidious idea too, all in the name of ‘tolerance’ or ‘community relations’ or ‘respect’.… Read the rest
QED
Jan 17th, 2012 5:14 pm | By Ophelia BensonWell at least I know exactly what I’m going to talk about at QED. Oh yes. Suddenly as of today there was only one possible topic.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Behold, theocracy in action
Jan 17th, 2012 4:00 pm | By Ophelia BensonAnn Marie Waters on last night at Queen Mary College.
This week I was due to give a talk to students at Queen Mary College, London on sharia law and human rights. Rather fittingly – and as if to prove my point – my human rights were quashed by a person demonstrating one of the effects of sharia law; the threat of violence for criticising religion.
Or to put it another way, both are instantiations of theocracy. Both are what you get when you have theocracy. You get god-centered everything, with humans expected to obey the imagined god slavishly and harsh punishments if someone thinks god is being defied.
… Read the restJust before I was due to start, a young man
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
How defamation law can be used to chill legitimate debate
Jan 17th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Criticising the motivations of public figures, or calling on them to be more candid about their motivations, should not be actionable.… Read the rest
Freedom of expression under threat by violent extremists
Jan 17th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ann Marie Waters asks, is it the role of speakers and students to face off against potentially violent Islamists in defence of our free speech?… Read the rest
Just a kind request
Jan 17th, 2012 11:56 am | By Ophelia BensonAnd then there’s Rhys. He had the contested Jesus and Mo image as his Facebook profile picture for a week, then took it down. He also received a lot of bullying.
… Read the restI uploaded the image to Facebook and set it as my profile picture for about a week. I then changed back to another photo and went on my usual life.
Until today. Someone who is a Muslim discovered the picture and found it offensive. He politely requested I remove the image -
“…just a kind request to either hide it or completely delete the picture…”
a request I declined because I do not follow Islamic scripture or rules. This quickly descended into a bit of a debate as
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
“If I hear that anything is said against the holy Prophet Muhammad”
Jan 17th, 2012 11:17 am | By Ophelia BensonYesterday evening, One Law for All Co-Spokesperson Anne Marie Waters was to speak at a meeting on Sharia Law and Human Rights at the University of London. Maryam continues:
… Read the restIt was cancelled by the atheist group organisers after police had to be called in due to Islamist threats. One Islamist filmed everyone at the meeting and announced he would hunt down those who said anything negative about Islam’s prophet. Outside the hall, he threatened to kill anyone who defamed the prophet. Reference was made to the Jesus and Mo cartoon saga at UCL.
The University’s security guard – a real gem –arrived first only to blame the speaker and organisers rather than those issuing death threats. He said: ‘If
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
He annoyed the religious sentiments of Muslims in the past
Jan 17th, 2012 10:58 am | By Ophelia BensonNow to look at each one in more detail, though not calmly.
Protests from “influential Muslim clerics” in India have prompted the organizers of a literary festival in Jaipur to take Salman Rushdie’s name off the list of speakers. He was scheduled to speak at three events during the five day festival.
The BBC explains in the way it invariably does.
Mr Rushdie sparked anger in the Muslim world with his book The Satanic Verses, which many regard as blasphemous.
No he didn’t. Mr Rushdie wrote a novel. Some people chose to become enraged about the novel and its author. He did not “spark” anything, nor did he do anything wrong. Many regard many things as blasphemous. If we take … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
1 shut up. 2 shut up. 3 shut up.
Jan 17th, 2012 10:35 am | By Ophelia BensonDamn. Things have gone crazy – so crazy that it’s hard to keep up. Just to give you the bare list -
will miss the opening day of the Jaipur literary festival, organisers say, after protests by influential Muslim clerics in India.
A talk on sharia and human rights
organised by the Atheism, Secularism and Humanism Society at Queen Mary, University London, had to be cancelled after threats of violence. The talk was due to be given by Anne Marie Waters of the One Law For All campaign, which campaigns against the use of Sharia in the UK.
Rhys Morgan was
… Read the restcalled into a meeting with his head of year at his sixth form college, about the Jesus
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Rhys Morgan threatened over Jesus and Mo
Jan 17th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
His sixth form college is considering expelling him if he doesn’t remove the cartoon from his profile.… Read the rest
New Humanist on disruption of sharia talk at U of London
Jan 17th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“He shouted ‘listen up all of you, I am recording this, I have your faces on film now, and I know where some of you live’.”
U of London: meeting on sharia disrupted by threats
Jan 17th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
One Islamist filmed everyone at the meeting and announced he would hunt down those who said anything negative about Islam’s prophet.… Read the rest
They will take more consideration
Jan 16th, 2012 4:35 pm | By Ophelia BensonThe UCL Union has a statement on its attempt to meddle with the UCLU Atheist, Secularist & Humanist Society’s Facebook page.
… Read the restUCLU (the representative body of UCL students) has a duty to foster and encourage freedom of expression among our members, ensure diversity of our membership is recognised[,] and pursue equal opportunities for our members.
Following a number of complaints from UCL students, UCLU requested that the UCLU Atheist, Secularist & Humanist Society (UCLU ASH) take down a cartoon from a Facebook event page advertising one of the society’s regular social events.
The society was asked to remove the image because UCLU aims to foster good relations between different groups of students and create a safe environment where all students
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Developments
Jan 16th, 2012 3:11 pm | By Ophelia BensonI hadn’t kept up with developments in the UCL/Jesus and Mo fuss until I got that email. There were developments.
The New Humanist reported that the Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society at UCL reported that progress had been made.
While debate raged online, however, both the UCL union and the atheist society have been working to resolve the matter, and the ASHS have this morning announced that progress has been made, with the union agreeing that they can not ask the society to take down the image. This is explained by the society’s president, Robbie Yellon, in a statement on their Facebook page:
Good, good. Except…wait. What’s that in the third paragraph of that statement?
… Read the restUnfortunately, the Union
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Never anything more than an informal request
Jan 16th, 2012 12:01 pm | By Ophelia BensonThis morning I received an email from the Secretary for the National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies (in the UK), Michael Paynter, saying he’d seen that I’ve commented on the “take the image of Mo from Jesus and Mo off your Facebook page please” fuss at UCL (the wording is mine) and that he wanted to provide some context because the media coverage has been distorted. I’ve heard from other people who received much the same email (or possibly exactly the same), so I feel free to quote from it.
… Read the restUCL Union (UCLU) did make a request for the University College London’s Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society (UCLUASHS) to remove an image of the prophet Muhammed after
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
“Angry Brides” game targets Indian dowry demands
Jan 16th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The parody of “Angry Birds” throws a spotlight on dowry demands and harassment.… Read the rest
BBC on growing use of Sharia by UK Muslims
Jan 16th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
IKWRO is campaigning to bring an end to the practice. “The councils are dominated by men, who are making judgements in favour of men,” said Diana Nammi.… Read the rest
The Guardian is defending sharia again
Jan 16th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It’s disturbing that ‘leading’ barristers and newspapers can say Sharia is compatible with human rights whilst it amputates, stones to death, imposes veiling, and kills apostates.… Read the rest
Top Muslim Brotherhood woman on women’s rights
Jan 16th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“When a woman marches to defend her rights, this affronts her dignity.”… Read the rest
