Public meeting against new blasphemy law

by john 3: 16 Mon May 25, 2009 20:15

i wonder does this ridiculous Blashemy Law have it's roots in the 'Combating Defamation of Religions', a UN General Assembly motion? the Organization of Islamic Conference sponsored this law, which will have international application, few months ago. it passed 85–50 with 42 abstentions. this UN proposal is not as benign as it may appear.

some Muslim governments abuse laws against defamation or contempt of religions to prosecute and imprison journalists, bloggers, academics students and peaceful political dissidents. Iran, Christians, Jews & Bahai are imprisoned under "conversion laws".

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy_laws_of_the_Isla..._Iran

in Pakistan, Christians are specifically targeted, as well as Ahmadi-Muslims. the Pakistani Catholic bishops' Justice and Peace Commission stated that since 1988, some 650 people had been falsely accused and arrested under the blasphemy law. 20 people accused of the same offense had been killed.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy_law_in_Pakistan

this proposed Blasphemy Law will be a dictatorship-stick to beat Christians who challenge Muslims, using Biblical texts; humanists for questioning the Christian faith & many other libertarians of all stripes.
the proposal of it is not to protect religions etc., it is to distract us from the mess that the government has made of the economy. it's kind of a 2.0 Franco-ist fascism.

disclosure: i am an evangelical Christian

by Fred Johnston Wed May 27, 2009 14:07

I must say there's irony here. I often find Ian O'Doherty's Irish Independent column gratuitously offensive in its attitude to minorities and even other races and on more than one occasion I have written to the newspaper about this. No reply, of course. Ironic, then, that he should be anywhere near this platform.

by Mark G Wed May 27, 2009 14:23

I emailed this group several weeks ago to join and they never got back to me. I'm grateful as I would have resigned after having seen that they are sharing a platform with the odious Ian O'Doherty. This man is a propagandist with no concern for the truth.

At this stage Atheist Ireland seem to be more interested in 'celebrity' speakers and horrendous journalists. They should be ignored as they clearly are about as progressive as the Catholic Church themselves. Its time for a public meeting on the blasphemy law to build a broad and progressive campaign, this one isn't it.

by pat c Wed May 27, 2009 15:01

I share your feelings about O'Doherty but I dont think the people behind the group are useless. Perhaps a tad inept if they didn't get back to you.

Michael Nugent and Dick Spicer have put a lot of time and effort into combatting the RCC down through the years (even when it was neither popular nor profitable to do so).

by Mark G Wed May 27, 2009 15:08

The focus on celebrities and 'journalists' of the caliber of Ian O'Doherty means that this group will be useless in beating this law, I stand by this. While past actions can be commended we must build to the future and this group with their current frame of mind should be ignored

by juno &the paycock Wed May 27, 2009 17:39

From afar I suppose the minister thought it would be a good idea to make expressions of hate against faith groups a crime. He was probably thinking more about the kind of people who would like to put an advert on Dublin Bus declaring Jesus was a blood sucking vampire who came back from the dead or equally unkind & provocative things about the prophet PBUH Muhumad or some other such like widely and highly revered character at the centre of a faith group. Despite the fact that to date nobody in Ireland has appeared to have shown the depth of tastelessness to publish such cartoons or adverts.

But, his law as it stands would also mean insulting the founding figures of any religious group whose members enjoyed and regularly resorted to legal action would become a criminal act rather than legitimate social tool.

& in the world today there is one such group which fights legal campaigns to prove it is a religion and not a money making scam which destroys lives and ought be illegalised.

& that group is allowed to recruit and scam in Ireland.

The Church of Scientology is the one reason why this law should not be allowed enter the statute books. Every law no matter how well-intentioned has its flaw, that is the crystaline nature of jurisprudence. Just as a vegan may think "eating nothing with eyes" covers all aspects of dietary ethical inter-special purity until they confront a cute little bunny rabbit nine days into myxomatosis when its eyes have been eaten out - for a meat eating human it's still edible & it would seem then for a vegan it is too..,

The first people to use Ahern's law will be the followers of L Ron Hubbard.
& Ahern would have made it completely "fair game" for them to do so.
Then it would merely be a question of who could afford better lawyers.

by - Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:34

The 2009 (previously 2006) Defamation Bill will this summer be subject to Guillotine, this
includes Mr Ahern's current Blasphemy criminalisation.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0626/1....html

by Athiest. Fri Jun 26, 2009 13:24

I regard ALL religions as a load of superstitious tosh.

If I say "I believe that your beliefs are Tosh" to some religious fanatic this will justify him getting the law on me!

Or worse.

This proves that we need the European Union!

Left on our own we would still be a cleric ridden country fearful of the power of adherents to religious superstitions.

Like the Mercy Nuns in the past.
.

by blasphemer Fri Jun 26, 2009 18:19

The Blasphemy amendment to the 2006 defamation Bill is likely to pass by July 10th 2009,
it is one of 17 guillotined debates which reduces time to argue amendment. Yesterday
Housing Amendments were reduced by FF/Green to a total of 1 minute 20 seconds
for each amendment- thats cos the Greens value democracy to the point of annhiliating
it in support of a government who wish to decide what comprises a blasphemic insult.

by Pete from Galway. Fri Jun 26, 2009 20:49

"- thats cos the Greens value democracy to the point of annhiliating
it in support of a government who wish to decide what comprises a blasphemic insult."

Not to worry.

The world has moved on.

This bill is a joke invented to divert attention from the dire state of the economy.

"When In Trouble at Home........ Start a War abroad."

Old adage but true.

The minute the Bill is passed it will be forgotten utterly and forever.
.