Reading uni and the blasphemous pineapple

[9Westy9]

On Wednesday the 3rd of October (2 days ago) Reading university was holding it's freshers fair. One society there, the AHS, decided to put a pineapple on their stand and call it Muhammad. They were then threatened that either the pineapple goes or the society goes. In the end the society were forced from the fair because they refused to remove the pineapple. (full article below)

Reading University's Atheist Society 'Thrown Out Of Fair Over Blasphemous Mohammed Pineapple'
Reading University Union ejects atheist society over 'blasphemous' pineapple
University atheist society ordered out of freshers' fair for displaying 'blasphemous' pineapple called Mohammed

Do you think that the society should have been removed or do you think that the student union over reacted?

 

[Valjean]

What? Unsettling ideas being brought up in a university? Proposals to examine same?
Scandalous!

I wonder what would have happened had they named it Jesus or Buddha?

 

[9Westy9]

I have just been informed by a friend on the committee that the huffington post article isn't very accurate so I'll post two extra links in the OP

 

[9Westy9]

I wonder what would have happened had they named it Jesus or Buddha?

Probably nothing at all.

 

[Noaidi]

I see that you are from Reading, Westy.
This was all your doing, wasn't it? Come on, admit it. You were the ringleader in this outrageous piece of fruit-based blasphemy, weren't you?

 

[9Westy9]

I see that you are from Reading, Westy.
This was all your doing, wasn't it? Come on, admit it. You were the ringleader in this outrageous piece of fruit-based blasphemy, weren't you?

ssssh. I'm trying to keep a low profile here

 

[Sunstone]

The tendency of some people attending university to indulge in willful and wanton thinking should be opposed by all decent people everywhere.

 

[HonestJoe]

Sounds to me like they thought up an intentionally controversial (maybe intentionally insulting) marketing gimmick which blew up in their faces.

Whether it was the right thing to do depends on the exact circumstances, but the SU was entitled to ask the group to remove the display and, when they refused, to remove them from the fair. The individual members of the group do indeed have free speech but the organisation also has a responsibility to follow the rules it’s signed up to, especially at a general SU event like the fresher's fair.

Incidentally, I wouldn't trust any of those sources to give an accurate impression of the events. The Huff Post is too distant (all it's information is third-hand at best), the Daily Mail is a lying rag (which lifted half it's story from the Huff Post anyway) and Students Rights organisation are unsurprisingly biased.

 

[9Westy9]

Sounds to me like they thought up an intentionally controversial (maybe intentionally insulting) marketing gimmick which blew up in their faces.

Well it was a freshers fayre where the entire point is to get as many members as possible

Whether it was the right thing to do depends on the exact circumstances, but the SU was entitled to ask the group to remove the display and, when they refused, to remove them from the fair. The individual members of the group do indeed have free speech but the organisation also has a responsibility to follow the rules it’s signed up to, especially at a general SU event like the fresher's fair.

Good point. As for the "whether it was the right thing to do" I personally feel it wasn't based on the fact that the pineapple was there to bring attention to an issue that the society felt strongly about, free speech. Also it was there to promote their upcoming event (A marketing gimmick if you want to call it that)

The Reading University Atheist, Humanist and Secularist Society (RAHS) took part in the fair on Wednesday, in order to promote their upcoming debate "Should we respect religion?".

The society displayed a pineapple bearing the name Mohammed on their stall, to "encourage discussion about blasphemy, religion, and liberty".

"We wanted to celebrate the fact that we live in a country in which free speech is protected, and where it is lawful to call a pineapple by whatever name one chooses," a society spokesperson said.

Incidentally, I wouldn't trust any of those sources to give an accurate impression of the events. The Huff Post is too distant (all it's information is third-hand at best), the Daily Mail is a lying rag (which lifted half it's story from the Huff Post anyway) and Students Rights organisation are unsurprisingly biased.

The daily mail offered quotes from RUSU so unless they intentionally misquoted (which isn't beyond them) then I think we can assume that the report is accurate. I would get other sources but these three are the only ones to cover this so far (as far as I'm aware)

 

[Kerr]

On Wednesday the 3rd of October (2 days ago) Reading university was holding it's freshers fair. One society there, the AHS, decided to put a pineapple on their stand and call it Muhammad. They were then threatened that either the pineapple goes or the society goes. In the end the society were forced from the fair because they refused to remove the pineapple. (full article below)

Reading University's Atheist Society 'Thrown Out Of Fair Over Blasphemous Mohammed Pineapple'
Reading University Union ejects atheist society over 'blasphemous' pineapple
University atheist society ordered out of freshers' fair for displaying 'blasphemous' pineapple called Mohammed

Do you think that the society should have been removed or do you think that the student union over reacted?

I think they should have had more pineapples and named them after other prophets of other religions so Muhammad wouldnt feel alone. And I if that causes problems, I suggest they put up an atheist pineapple as well.

EDIT:

To clarify what I mean, I think sometimes religious criticism gets a bit dumbed down to "Muhammad this" or "Muhammad that" and its getting a little boring. If they on the other hand had more pineapples then it would be less "Muhammady". Maybe I am just tired of Muhammad stuff like this .

 

[HonestJoe]

Well it was a freshers fayre where the entire point is to get as many members as possible

Yes, which is why I think it's an important distinction between them trying to make a serious point and them being intentionally controversial and insulting to attract attention. If it's the latter, as I suspect, they can't suddenly turn to a defence of making a serious point.

The daily mail offered quotes from RUSU so unless they intentionally misquoted (which isn't beyond them) then I think we can assume that the report is accurate.

The quotes are third hand too, lifted from your third source.

It's standard practice thought the media these days to simply plagiarise other reports because it's so much quicker and easier than doing any real journalism. The problem is that makes it so much easier for incomplete or false information to propagate and be taken as fact.

I would be cautious from assuming any of this reporting is entirely accurate or complete. Based on the dates on the links, the Students Rights article is the primary source and they are clearly biased.


I would get other sources but these three are the only ones to cover this so far (as far as I'm aware)[/quote]