Charlie Hebdo
Wed, 2015-01-07 16:41
#1
Charlie Hebdo
Now that there's been an attack on all of us - and there has, I take personal umbrage. If I were to post an anti-Islamic terrorist nutter polemic on here, what might be the editor's response? By the way I loathe all religions, I believe them to be a cancer on mankind.
Yes, what happened at Charlie Hebdo was dreadful, but why did the editor of that satirist newspaper allow a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed if they knew that it would inflame passions? Do you remember what happened in Denmark ten or so years ago, after a Danish newspaper printed a caricature of Prophet Mohammed? Two employees at a Lurpak butter factory were beaten up and a hate campaign against all things Danish was established.
This is truly a case of it is better to let sleeping dogs lie.
It's a caricature, poking fun at ourselves. What we have here is a bunch of control freaks not fealing secure in their beliefs. In some insideous way they chose this path to validate their belief.
We must not give in to these threats.
What happened in Paris was a terrible thing because people were murdered and murder is evil but, personally, I view Mohammed as just one more thing that I can't write about. Murderous muslim fanatics stop me from writing about Mohammed and UK law stops me from writing about other things; my freedom of speech is already limited and all Muslim fanatics do is limit it a little bit more.
Oh look, a link. I wonder where it leads.
JoHn
How would you feel if someone drew a picture of Jesus wearing a Dunce's cap, well-wisher?
Well, I'm not a Christian and personally, I don't believe in any almighty supreme being that can't fight its own battles or that gets annoyed by what puny mortals think. If it is truly wrong for Jesus or Mohammed to be mocked then I'm sure that Jesus or Mohammed will deal with the perpetrators themselves without the need for human help.
What annoys me is just the double standard of having "freedom of speech" only as long as its politically correct; that its okay to put a dunces cap on jesus but not okay to make a joke about a dumb blonde (unless your being ironic); why is it okay to offend one group and not another. I'm all for offending Muslims aslong as they have the equal right to offend homosexuals. There isn't an EQUAL RIGHT TO OFFEND; some groups are considered a legitimate target, like religious groups and some groups are protected, like women.
Have the right to offend, sure but have the right to offend everyone; not just those that the middle class, left -wing atheist establishment don't like. Don't get me wrong, I am left wing but I believe in giving right wing people the same freedoms I have.
I'm all for freedom of speech as long as its genuine and absolute; allow people to mock Mohammed by all means but then also allow muslim fanatics to say what ever they believe how ever offensive it is; the equal right to offend, that's genuine freedom of speech. If your going to offend people, give them the right to offend you.
Oh look, a link. I wonder where it leads.
JoHn
Hi Drumset, So we cower in fear or the Muslim nutters might kill us?
I imagine we can probably criticise and even make fun of Islamic nutcase terrorist fanatics, but I must admit that to mock or question Mohammed does seem a rather dangerous thing to do in these dangerous times when Islamic extremism seems to be overflowing, and indeed dominating large swathes of the Islamic, and even the non Islamic world. Democracy is not winning in the middle east, or even in the muslim world at the moment. Syria and Iraq are currently failed states in which legitimate or even illegitimate government has so far failed to prevent mass bloodshed and the domination of tererorists over large areas. Democracy and freedoms of speech and virtually everything else seem to be on the run. What is happening to the Libyan revolution, the Egyptian revolution and no doubt others? Perhaps Pakistan will now begin to fight back against Taliban intolerance now that shoolkids have become their murderous targets. Even Turkey, a supposedly modern secular state doesn't seem to want to join any coalition against the obscene 'Islamic State'.
All free thinkers have plenty of good reasons to be afraid of the way the world is going at the moment.
Well wisher I do agree with you that we do not and can probably never live in a world of free speech. You are correct that their are many opinions which might be censored in practice by political correctness on a variety of subjects. Criticising women, saying anything sympathetic in any way towards or about paedophiles or stars who might have over done their sexual lusts at any time in the past might well provoke a wave of censorship or revulsion. Defending rapists, comparing anything with the legal shortcomings of the Hillsborough disaster reports, discussing the subject of immigration without making it quite clear there is no racism of any kind; all these kind of subjects can get any of us in deep water. Hopefully in a free society we should be able to feel that we can at least say what we think or feel,even if it may be politically incorrect, without being stifled. People don't have to agree with everything we may say, but we should at least be able to say it without fear of punishment. There are many places in the world where that is just not possible, and mere words can result in imprisonment, brutality, and/or death.
There is no such thing as one hundred per cent free speech. What you personally consider legitimate free speech may be offensive racism for someone else.
If you really want to bring in free speech and insult people or their beliefs in the name of free speech, you have to be prepared to be insulted for yourself and for your own beliefs. It is a two-way street.