Re: [OT] Blasphemy laws in Britain

Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

Britain used to have blasphemy laws, mostly to protect Christianity
against abuse, but the last conviction under those laws was registered
in the 1970s. The blasphemy laws were finally abolished altogether in
2008. However, increasing demands from Muslims mean that we are seeing
an emergence of new blasphemy laws. This video looks at how these new
rules are emerging.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZjkbVuWU_0 [11 minutes]

The discussion of the conspiracy to get the fatwa issued against Rushdie
had a lot of information I was unfamiliar with. It's shocking that
Rushdie was criticized by government ministers and that opposition M.P.s
contributed to scapegoating him for their own political gain. Even
opposition politicians who defended Rushdie quickly turned on him.

The videographer credits television comedian Rowan Atkinson for lobbying
to get the censorious hate speech bill -- modern anti-blasphemy
legislation replacing the recently repealed blasphemy legislation --
toned down slightly.

But did this truly originate in 1988 with opposition to his book or was
this a long-standing issue in UK society? He didn't convince me that
this was the origin.

The anti-blaspheming violence in the UK has been almost entirely Muslim
against Muslim. Huh. Censorship doesn't reign in violence. Who knew?

I wonder if prosecuting violent offenders opposing the free exercise of
religion by others, throwing the book at them, might reign in violence.