Muslims 'must accept' free speech (reject, beliefs, homosexuality, America)

[michel]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4752804.stm

Muslims 'must accept' free speech

People must tolerate things they do not like, says Sir Trevor

Muslims must accept that freedom of speech is central to Britishness and should be preserved even if it offends people, says Sir Trevor Phillips.

The chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) said we should "allow people to offend each other".

And he suggested that Muslims who wanted a system of Islamic Shariah law should leave the UK.

His comments follow angry protests against cartoons satirising the Muslim prophet Muhammad.

'Absurd or unpopular'

Sir Trevor told ITV1's Jonathan Dimbleby programme: "What some minorities have to accept is that there are certain central things we all agree about, which are about the way we treat each other.

"That we have an attachment to democracy, that we sort things out by voting not by violence and intimidation, that we tolerate things that we don't like."

And that commitment to freedom of expression should also allow Muslim preachers to make comments about homosexuality that are offensive to broad segments of the British population, he said.

There were several large protests held in London over the cartoons



"One point of Britishness is that people can say what they like about the way we should live, however absurd, however unpopular it is," said Sir Trevor.

He also rejected the idea of Shariah law in Muslim communities in the UK. "We have one set of laws. They are decided on by one group of people, members of Parliament, and that's the end of the story. "Anybody who lives here has to accept that's the way we do it. If you want to have laws decided in another way, you have to live somewhere else," he said.

[Jaiket]

I thought peaceful assembly and protest was the basis of free speech.

[Fluffy]

I thought peaceful assembly and protest was the basis of free speech.

It is. But a protest has an aim in mind and in this case, the aim was to restrict free speech. There is a difference between saying "I hate those cartoons" and "I hate those cartoons and expect you to do something about it". You can say both, its just the latter is totally futile so I reckon Trevor is advising people that they might as well stick with the first and avoid the frustration.

[Judgement Day]

Originally Posted by Fluffy

It is. But a protest has an aim in mind and in this case, the aim was to restrict free speech.

I believe the aim wasn't to restrict free speech, or at least that wasnt their intention, rather to explain they are wrong about their opinions regarding Muhammad and refusing the insult. Isnt that part of free speech too?

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by Judgement Day

I believe the aim wasn't to restrict free speech, or at least that wasnt their intention, rather to explain they are wrong about their opinions regarding Muhammad and refusing the insult. Isnt that part of free speech too?

To the extent that you are accurate in your belief, the protest was fully appropriate - and clearly different from the earlier protests threatening barbaric violence against defenders of the freedom of the press.

[sky87]

i agree with judgement day, why is it so hard to be able to respect others' beliefs? why is there a sudden need to attack others' religions and insult them? think about it, why is that we can't say the "n" word to african americans? why is it that we don't judge by colour? why is it that doing are so tolerant towards' others religions, for example the jews, and what about tolerance towards cultures, age, etc; etc; All of this prevents discrimination and allows people to live with each other happily disregarding their differences. Yet suddenly we should have the "freedom" to print controversial cartoons of the prophet muhammad (pbuh) ??? i thought we lived in a discrimination free society! a place where others respected others' beliefs, but maybe i should rethink that.

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by sky87

i agree with judgement day, why is it so hard to be able to respect others' beliefs?

You mean like the belief that those who insist on freedom of the press should be beheaded?

[sky87]

what the? no! why don't you go back and read what he said, and come back to my post! why are you minsinterpreting my statements? and i don't agree with violent protests, i was talking about the peaceful protests, and those in my opinion are correct

[TashaN]

Originally Posted by Jayhawker Soule

You mean like the belief that those who insist on freedom of the press should be beheaded?

No, it's like people being jailed for saying their opnion about the holocaust.

What a hypocrit !!!

[Ormiston]

Originally Posted by The Truth

No, it's like people being jailed for saying their opnion about the holocaust.

What a hypocrit !!!

Are we talking about two different countries here?