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New religious hate laws planned
Inciting religious hatred will become a crime under plans due to be unveiled by Home Secretary David Blunkett. The government tried to get the offence passed by Parliament in the wake of the US terror attacks in 2001 but was forced to drop the plans. In a speech in London, Mr Blunkett is set to revive the proposals. Appearing on BBC Radio 4âs Today he insisted that the legislation would not curb peopleâs right to express their view of other peopleâs religions. "The issue is not whether you have an argument or discussion or whether you are criticising someoneâs religion. Itâs whether you incite hatred on the basis of it," he said. There is already an offence of inciting racial hatred but this does not offer protection if someone is being targeted because of their religion...The government is worried in particular about discrimination against Muslims...He[Blunkett] is keen to stress that the government does not want to create a single common culture but instead values Britainâs diversity. ...Comedians such as Rowan Atkinson raised fears the law change could have outlawed jokes about religion. The Blackadder star suggested Monty Pythonâs Life of Brian would not have been made if the law had been in force. At the time, Mr Blunkett said much of the criticism of the plans had been "nonsense", adding that jokes would not fall foul of the proposed measures. Last month, the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia think tank warned that persistent and untackled Islamophobia in the UK could lead to "time-bombs" of backlash and bitterness. Sheesh...coming to our neighborhood soon? I suspect both skerry and GWB would like this "harmless" legislation to protect the religion of peace from "extremists"...Alice through the Looking Glass... Posted by: rex 2004-07-07 |
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