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LISTEN HERE
Defamation of Mohammed – https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/comment/2018/10/26/q-have-european-judges-just-banned-defamation-of-the-prophet-muhammad-a-no
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/foreign-policy/europe/the-day-free-speech-died-in-europe/
Sinead O’Connor – https://www.spectator.com.au/2018/10/ten-things-sinead-oconnor-will-learn-from-her-new-religion/
Pittsburgh Massacre
Charlotte Chapel – Red Dead Redemption 2
Brazilian President.
Northern Ireland – and taking the Church to Court
The Chief Mammie – https://www.facebook.com/BeReasonableScotland/videos/vb.34292308613
Corporate parenting – http://www.corporateparenting.org.uk/corporate-parenting/difinition/
Quote of the week – Sir Robert Menzies said that “democracy is more than a machine; it is a spirit. It is based upon the Christian conception that there is in every human soul a spark of the divine.” For Menzies, democracy could work only if we remember that “with all their inequalities of mind and body, the souls of men stand equal in the sight of God”.
From John Anderson’s brilliant article in the Australian – former deputy PM of Australia. – https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/we-cant-let-the-aggressive-secularists-drive-out-religion/news-story/98492c4117c5d2fc1d55a1864268d257?utm_source=The%20Australian&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=TodaySHeadlines
This is an interview I did with him – https://theweeflea.com/2018/07/05/john-anderson-interview-where-is-the-west-heading/
Are all these bigs by sound/video or are some by text?
This is a podcast so it is something you listen to….the links are largely to articles so text.
I agree that Theos are wrong. There is nothing to stop courts, including the ECHR, deciding that any comment about Mohammed meets their desire to punish the person/people who have made it. Theos says:
“This was a case that involved a tension between the state’s duty to uphold Mrs ES’ right to freedom of expression (guaranteed by Article 10 of the Convention) and its duty to ensure others could peacefully exercise their rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (guaranteed by Article 9). “
Any statement about Mohammed might be deemed to involve that tension.
“The Austrian courts found that people can make offensive attacks on religion, but should avoid making statements that undermine the rights of others or cause major offence to a religious group without contributing to a serious debate of public interest.”
Firstly, note that the comment is deemed to be an attack. Any court can decide that what you have said is an attack.
Secondly, note that the attack is deemed to be ‘offensive’. Offensive to whom? Who decides when an ‘attack’ is ‘offensive’? Ultimately, the ECHR, of course!
So you can make ‘offensive attacks’ just as long as the ECHR, allows you to do so. Which is probably never.
“Her statements were not found to contribute to a serious debate, since they were not ‘facts’ but ‘derogatory value judgments’ without a sufficient evidence base. (The courts involved themselves in a rather bizarre attempt to assess whether there was enough evidence to determine the historicity of the claims).”
There is nothing to stop the ECHR deciding that any comment does not ‘contribute to a serious debate’.
Not facts? Is this the ECHR attempting to label anything it does not like as ‘fake news’? Is the ECHR claiming that Mohammed did not have sex with a pre-pubescent child?
In addition why does Theos say that the Freedom Party is ‘right wing’? What has the political leanings of the Freedom Party got to do with the case? I find the desire of Theos to label the Freedom Party as ‘right wing’ somewhat suspicious, not because it is incorrect but because it is irrelevant to the case.
As for ‘Chief Mammie’ it sounds rather Stalinist. The kind of title that Stalin would have claimed for himself although he would have used the term ‘Chief Daddy’. An extract from Wikipedia:
“The Soviet press constantly praised Stalin, describing him as “Great”, “Beloved”, “Bold”, “Wise”, “Inspirer”, and “Genius”. It portrayed him as a caring yet strong father figure, with the Soviet populace as his “children”.[Interactions between Stalin and children became a key element of the personality cult. Stalin often engaged in publicized gift giving exchanges with Soviet children from a range of different ethnic backgrounds. Beginning in 1935, the phrase, “Thank You Dear Comrade Stalin for a Happy Childhood!” appeared above doorways at nurseries, orphanages, and schools; children also chanted this slogan at festivals.”
Can we soon expect to see signs saying, “Thank You Dear Nicola for a Happy Childhood!”