Blogs > Liberty and Power > Why Incitement to Religious Hatred Should Not Be a Crime

Aug 22, 2005

Why Incitement to Religious Hatred Should Not Be a Crime




This session the British government is pushing through Parliament a bill to make incitement to religious hatred a crime. Similar legislation is already in effect in the state of Victoria in Australia. An Australian Muslim, Amir Butler, argues that Victoria's laws against incitement to religious hatred have sown division, and undermined freedom of speech, thought and conscience. He illustrates his case with telling examples from the Australian experience. You can read it here. It’s well worth reading.


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Jose Nevarez - 3/31/2009

Awesome

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Jonathan Dresner - 8/22/2005

Probably, yeah. Unless you were prepared to defend that position in court.


Gary McGath - 8/22/2005

If "incitement to religious hatred" becomes a crime, then wouldn't it be a crime to say that Al Qaeda's interpretation of Islam is a vicious, murderous doctrine?


Jonathan Dresner - 8/22/2005

The vision of a theological debate conducted by judicial rules makes my skin crawl for all kinds of reasons....