Free speech or inciting hatred?

[redken1]

In the wake of the recent evil acts of cold blooded murder in Paris, UK politicians, the media and other commentators have come out publicly and defended the right of journalists to mock/ridicule all religions, thus igniting a national debate on where the lines should be drawn on free speech. To avoid any misinterpretation of the content of this post, before I pose the following question I wish to make it clear that I am not defending anyone or trying to justify anything. Why is it apparently acceptable in the name of free speech for a magazine/paper to publish antireligious material, yet it is a criminal offence under The 'Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006' for a football fan to chant antireligious songs?
RIP all the victims of the atrocity in Paris, my thoughts are with their loved ones.

[Kevinb]

These 'people' if you can use this word when describing them are not religious just fanatical murderers. anti religious is against a group whilst being racial tends to be against a person/nationality. Yes there needs to be boundaries drawn but if it becomes too politically correct no one would ever write a book, appear on television or speak in public.
Seeing today the police have them surrounded but there may be hostages which is worrying. Lets hope they can kill this filth without anyone else being hurt/murdered

[Stuntsunlimited]

Sadly the sensibilities of our Islamic brethren is child like to the point of retarded a bit like all religions. I will say it. Quite happy the art of satire is still alive and well, that particular paper Islam wasn't its only piss take victim. I'm going to go out on a limb here, but did the west arm and train these people? Haven't we bombed their countries for years? Caused and created tensions in the middle east. Theres a lot that goes on that you don't see, its all fuelled by greed of the west. I'm disgusted by whats happened, but to a greater degree more disgusted at what has led up to it!.

[Swanny]

Religion is bad news.

It's just a control method that has been used for thousands of years. Do as this book says or a mighty god will do nasty things to you.
I don't believe in gods

[Toph]

Isn't religion all about who has the best imaginary friend?

Religion sucks imho.. end of.

[Trev]

Isn't religion all about who has the best imaginary friend?

If that's the case then Homer Simpson got it right when he went down on one knee, clasped his hands together, looked up to the sky above and made this emotional plea.... 'I'm not normally a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman!'

[redken1]

Some excellent and valid points and I respect all the views, but to be honest I wasn’t really trying to initiate a debate on the pros and cons of religion. My question was aimed at the conflicting interpretations of the 'Racial and Religious Hatred’ act and the lack of clarity regarding enforcement. Allow me to elaborate. If for example, an away football fan at a Spurs game chants anti-Semitic slogans aimed at the Home fans an offence will be deemed to have been committed and in all likelihood, that person will be charged in accordance with the said act. In contrast however, we have lawmakers and media commentators coming out today and publicly stating that in the name of free speech it is acceptable for publications to mock and ridicule any/all religions. Surely if a football fan is deemed to be inciting religious hatred in the eyes of the law by chanting anti religious slogans in a public stadium holding a few thousand, then why is it that images and text of a similar nature published with the potential to reach a global readership is not deemed in the same way?

[DC]

Nothing surprising whatsoever at all here in the stance of the media , the law makers or the political leaders . If little Johhny Jenkins sitting bored at his desk happens to post something derogatory on Twitter or Facebook about " lesbians " , " gays " ," blacks " , he would most likely be given his marching orders and in all probability , prosecuted for propagating discrimination and inciting hatred . and rightly so . Such behaviour is absolutely abhorrent and shouldn't be tolerated . There would certainly be no defence for him under the guise of freedom of speech . The media would be all over him and he'd receive a proper hammering , whilst the general populous would raise their pitchforks and demand the hanging he so rightly deserves . In actuality Johhny Jenkins is most likely some spotty , essentially harmless little oik , who's not that popular and wants his mates to think he's funny by making some joke that he hasn't given much thought to at all , and the consequences of which will barely muster a ripple in the grand scheme of things.
Isn't it peculiar however , that The " Civilized " West can rampage around the Middle East " illegally " , creating absolute and utter Hell on Earth and bombing civilian populations in the name of what....................??? and we barely raise an eyebrow . Our attention more keenly fixed on the goings on on in The Queen Vic or The Big Brother House .
Quite possibly , the reasons most of us seem to allow actions such as these to just slide on by is that the media and political leaders are constantly and incessantly telling us about the common enemy , the threat of terror and that they'll do " Whatever it Takes " to protect us . The theatre before us has been so carefully and strategically orchestrated , that they've managed to dress the Muslims to fit the bill .
Ten years ago there was the Danish cartoon incident and now this French nightmare and fundamentally the publications that have been gracing the streets of Europe over the last decade or so are not dissimilar to publications that were being distributed in WWII Germany before the Nazis rounded up the inhabitants of the Polish Ghettos to ship them off to the labour and death camps .
The political leaders are using the media as a tool in exactly the same way today , to incite hatred in the name of freedom of speech because it gives credence to THEIR " Agenda " .

[wiltshire builders]

Great post Ken and I was thinking along the same lines.

Obviously the outcome of this whole thing is horrendous but the people at Charlie Hebdo have to take some responsibility for the outcome.
You cannot constantly provoke someone and not expect a reaction.
I have a couple of Muslim friends and they are the first to admit that they are, socially, years behind western countries.
But the fact remains what Charlie Hebdo were doing was systematically bullying millions of people due to their personal beliefs.
Mock the extremist, mock the concept of religion but when you deliberately try to offend people for the sake of it then you're going too far.

These are potentially volatile times and the last thing we need are smug journalists fanning the flames and trying to create more hatred on both sides.

I don't think anybody could've predicted this outcome but to think that there wouldn't be some kind of reaction would be foolish.
This was racial abuse on a massive scale and it is unacceptable.
People are dying every day and like Stunts said we never hear about it.

Religion can be a wonderful thing. It's how people use it that screws everything up.

[WR6133]

If Charlie Hebdo should take responsibility for this massacre and if little spotty Johnny espousing crap on facebook should be prosecuted for foolish statements then why do we allow Islamic groups to protest on our streets? They hold signs far more offensive that demand or condone mass murder (of us) based on the religious views of others. I find that highly offensive, yet I tolerate it due to freedom of speech but were I to take a rifle to a group of those protestors and start brassing them up I doubt anyone would argue for my defence.

Simple solution if they dislike freedom of speech..... Sunni's move to Saudi Arabia where deviation from Islam equals beheading. Shia/Shiite move to Iran where deviation from Islam equals hanging.

I think we need to lose this sheltered, softly, softly attitude that makes us as a society find ways to excuse these people. Our apathetic attitude toward ourselves is leading to a slow suicide of our culture.

We should mourn the people that died at Charlie Hebdo while spitting at anyone that attempts to excuse their massacre. If you do not draw a line at some point and stand by it with savage conviction then eventually when they come for you there will be nobody left to stand with you.