Observe and Report
In Great Britiain, burning a copy of the Koran in your own backyard is apparently a crime now. Such a serious crime, in fact, that the newspapers will even report it to the police once they find out about it.
For God's sake, don't let Sen. Lindsey Graham know about this:
Something very odd happened at the weekend. A 40-year-old member of the far-right British National Party (BNP) was arrested for burning a copy of the Koran in his own back garden. Yes, it is apparently now a crime to express your disdain for a certain religious faith in the privacy of your own home. But that’s not the end of it. What makes this case especially odd is that the man in question - Sion Owens - was reported to the police by a broadsheet newspaper that claims to be liberal: the Observer. Since when has it been the job of the respectable, left-leaning press to grass people up to the cops for alleged speech crimes?
[...]
Owens, a senior member of the BNP who lives in south Wales, does seem to be an odd individual. Going into his garden, placing a Koran in a metal Quality Street box, dousing it with flammable liquid and then setting it alight while a colleague filmed him - it was a stupid and childish act. However, it was done in a private garden. So regardless of the fact that it was videoed, this was a form of private expression, and therefore none of the state’s business.
The Observer clearly didn’t think so. When the film of the Koran-burning incident was leaked to the paper, it decided to inform the police ‘immediately’; it sent them the offending video. It also got the Home Office to chide Owens. ‘The government absolutely condemns the burning of the Koran. It is fundamentally offensive to the values of our pluralist and tolerant society’, a Home Office spokesman said. The Observer seems almost boastful about its actions. ‘A video clip of the act, leaked to the Observer and passed immediately to South Wales police, provoked fierce criticism from the government’, it said in Sunday’s paper.
Owens, the paper proudly informs us, was ‘arrested following an investigation by the Observer’. The Crown Prosecution Service is now withdrawing the case against Owens, thankfully, but the chief prosecutor says an investigation is ongoing and ‘almost certainly other proceedings will ensue’.
While Britain cowers to radical Islam, across the Channel they're standing up to it. Specifically, by making it a criminal offense to wear a piece of cloth over your face.
Personally, I'd love to live in a world where you are free to wear what you want and criticize a religion, free from the heavy hand of the state. Is that too much to ask? On second thought, don't answer that.
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Comments :
Apr '11
Re: Observe and Report
Freedom of speech is very selective. Burn a Bible and you won't hear a peep. Rightfully so, and I am Christian. Islam is essentially 800 years behind Christianity. Try burning a Bible in 1250 and see what happens. Selective freedom of speech is based on fear, just as it was 800 years ago. What's unfortunate is that we humans don't learn from history, and are very likely to repeat it.
Mar '11
Re: Observe and Report
I've always found the British to be totally ridiculous. Consider it a prejudice. The Brits were good for three things only; Winston Churchill, Tony Blair, and Monty Python. Maybe Mark Steyn to. Oh, and definitely Harrison Birtwistle.
But their accents and increasingly bad sense of humor just make it impossible for me to take them seriously. Apparently radical Muslims have similar feelings towards them, and are making a joke out of their political correctness now. This just further reinforces my view of how ridiculous our brethren across the atlantic are.
EDIT: Oh, and Margaret Thatcher, but that's the last one!. Anyone who died over one hundred years ago doesn't count.
Edited on Apr 15, 2011 at 3:08pmJul '10
Re: Observe and Report
Abdiel, You'd better edit Yer comment and add Margaret Thatcher before Queen Claire comes across it.
Jun '10
Re: Observe and Report
If you're going to burn a Koran with your left hand, you'd better be a Planned Parenthood abortionist, simultaneously aborting an "unwanted" baby with your right hand. Progressives will be so confused about whether you're good or bad, that they'll leave you alone. They'll want to arrest you, but also want to give you money. It'll confuse them, and they'll go away.
Mar '11
Re: Observe and Report
Added it in before your comment came through ;P. Win.
Jul '10
Re: Observe and Report
Many have observed the affinity between Islam and the secular left. The enemy of their enemy is their friend. The left thinks once it has defeated Judeo-Christianity, individual freedom, the nation-state and the other constituent elements of the West, it will then be free to turn to bringing Islam to heel. It won't work out that way.
Edited on Apr 15, 2011 at 3:28pmJul '10
Re: Observe and Report
Abdiel: I've always found the British to be totally ridiculous. Consider it a prejudice. The Brits were good for three things only; Winston Churchill, Tony Blair, and Monty Python. Maybe Mark Steyn to. Oh, and definitely Harrison Birtwistle.
But their accents and increasingly bad sense of humor just make it impossible for me to take them seriously. Apparently radical Muslims have similar feelings towards them, and are making a joke out of their political correctness now. This just further reinforces my view of how ridiculous our brethren across the atlantic are.
EDIT: Oh, and Margaret Thatcher, but that's the last one!. Anyone who died over one hundred years ago doesn't count. · Apr 15 at 3:03pm
Edited on Apr 15 at 03:08 pm
You left out the marvelous Daniel Hannan, an MP with a blog at the Telegraph and an interview with some guy named Robinson here.
Mar '11
Re: Observe and Report
This story will become interesting if we find out what impact the Observer's action has on their circulation.
"Try burning a Bible in 1250 and see what happens." Has this moral relativist considered the proposition that most of the bad characteristics of Christianity during the Middle Ages were learned from Islam? During that period Christianity was engaged in a desperate fight just to survive Islamic jihad and aquired diseases such as intollerance, obscurantism, authortarianism, antisemitism and an obsession with Satan and witchcraft from their enemy.
Aug '10
Re: Observe and Report
In case you don't know,the BNP is a vile organisation; most definitely not civil or centre-right.What they might do with the Koran is perhaps a reasonable freedom of speech issue but I would be nauseated if I thought they had any sneaking regarders in this parish.
Mar '11
Re: Observe and Report
Likewise, I agree with this sentiment.
Edited on Apr 15, 2011 at 5:48pmOct '10
Re: Observe and Report
you shouldn't be burning a koran... unless you want to go to war with Muslims in your own country.
Dec '10
Re: Observe and Report
Passive aggressive much?
Dec '10
Re: Observe and Report
Just a side note, but I seem to remember a story about a similar incident in England a while back where a bible was left out in a museum for folks to "add their own comments". It soon had to be taken down due to the vile and nasty comments the average resident was writing in. Wonder if the cops would be called out to investigate?? I want to say the incident was covered in Shire network news podcast? Damien, does that ring a bell at all? In any case, the obvious hypocrasy of the media is only rivaled by the level of cowardace.
BTW, loved your comments on SNN. Good to see you here!
Dec '10
Re: Observe and Report
How sad it is that this is the first thought that comes to mind. I dont think thats true at all for the average American muslim at least. Maybe Im being naive...
Sorta goes back to a basic liberal idea; "The victim group I vehemently protect has to be protected, especially from itself. Without my suprerior moral guidance they would revent to the animal state I, as a liberal, know they really are."
Jan '11
Re: Observe and Report
Hi,
This is my first comment on Ricochet and I love it here.
Can we be clear that the BNP is not far-right it is a left wing party that attracts disaffected Labour supporters (think Democrats but with Stalinist tendencies). That said any book burning is an affront to me, your own critique should be sufficient and only serves to paint so-called right wingers as boorish thugs who would burn anything if it offends them.
In the UK, we are hamstrung by all sorts of real left wingers in all areas of politics and media so that it is very difficult to combat in a rational way which is why I've gravitated to US sites like this, Pajamas Media and many others.
Nov '10
Re: Observe and Report
Abdiel
Likewise, I agree with this sentiment.
I don't think anyone here is in favor of the BNP at all, or has any warm or positive feelings for this guy. Nevertheless, it astonishes us that one could face criminal prosecution for burning an inert piece of personal property safely in one's own back yard. It is impolite, and for that reason it should not be done, but the idea that it is somehow illegal is very disturbing.
Nov '10
Re: Observe and Report
Craig Wallace: Hi,
This is my first comment on Ricochet and I love it here.
Can we be clear that the BNP is not far-right it is a left wing party that attracts disaffected Labour supporters (think Democrats but with Stalinist tendencies). That said any book burning is an affront to me, your own critique should be sufficient and only serves to paint so-called right wingers as boorish thugs who would burn anything if it offends them.
In the UK, we are hamstrung by all sorts of real left wingers in all areas of politics and media so that it is very difficult to combat in a rational way which is why I've gravitated to US sites like this, Pajamas Media and many others. · Apr 16 at 2:33pm
Welcome. You seem to have added this comment near the end of a fairly quiet thread or I am sure that you would have received more greetings than this. It is good to have you.