The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Section 18C: the controversy that just won’t go away. > Comments

Section 18C: the controversy that just won’t go away. : Comments

By John de Meyrick, published 5/10/2015

Contrary to the Act, the common law has always regarded conduct such as 'to offend, insult, humiliate' (but not 'intimidate') to be within everyone’s right of free speech.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. All
And the controversy should never go away.

The government has again shown its true colours on freedom of speech - banning entry to an anti-abortionist - and our freedom to speak will slip back even further with Left leaning Malcolm Turnbull, who is already criticizing Tony Abbott, -the man who didn't have the courage to knock 18c in the head as he promised - of "upsetting" Muslims.
Posted by ttbn, Monday, 5 October 2015 11:44:01 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Rescinding 18c would also work in the favour of supposedly "moderate" Muslims and ex-Muslims. The system as it is is unusable, as I said in another post this speaks to a deep crisis in Anglo Saxon Liberalism in that it cannot function properly in a multi ethnic society.
Hizb Ut Tahrir just ignore 18c anyway because they don't accept secular laws full stop and Anti-Liberal groups such as the UPF are laughing in the face of the current anti discrimination regime while daring authorities to crack down on them.
18c cannot be enforced without abandoning Liberal freedoms, it is actually a choice between the two now and the crisis in Liberalism will be it's downfall, not external "hate speech".
Posted by Jay Of Melbourne, Monday, 5 October 2015 12:15:59 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Jay & ttbn, spot on, the concern about Malcontent Turnbull is not just anger, he has already gone way to the left. He will be the best PM the left has ever had, all there wildest dreams come true.

My deep concern is what he will do to the economy, unleashing the banksters onto Australian owned businesses so that it will be easier for foreign owned multinationals to take over.
Posted by imacentristmoderate, Monday, 5 October 2015 2:53:47 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Jay,

It's good to see you parenthesising the word moderate. There is only one Islam; and the word of Allah, as passed on to Muhammed (well that's what old Mo said happened) cannot be changed. So, it's hard to see how true, 'good' Muslims can be moderate, unless they are not 'good' Muslims, in which case, surely they would give it up? There is no point in saying: "That is not the way of Islam (terror and murder)"; or "Islam is the religion of peace", because it IS the way of Islam, and it is NOT the religion of peace. It's all in the Koran, which, I believe, is not widely read by your average Muslim: they leave it to the imams to tell them about it, and who knows what they are told or, more importantly, not told. It seems to be like the old days when Catholic congregations didn't know Latin, and the priest could tell them what he wanted to tell them, until the Church came out of the dark ages, unlike Islam.
Posted by ttbn, Monday, 5 October 2015 2:56:58 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
CFI [Center for Inquiry] Marks International Blasphemy Rights Day 2015
This Wednesday was International Blasphemy Rights Day, established by CFI to defend the right to free expression, which is now brutally under threat around the world. In countries such as Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others, criticism of religion and dissent from tradition or majority beliefs can lead to marginalization, persecution, and even incarceration, violence, or death. Leading the struggle for free expression—especially when the right to criticize or satirize religion is challenged—has become a core part of CFI’s worldwide mission.

We’re marking this year’s International Blasphemy Rights Day (IRBD) on several fronts. First is the relaunch of the newly redesigned website of the Campaign for Free Expression. There, you can keep up to date on the many cases of persecution we’re tracking and working to solve, learn more about the brave individuals fighting for their freedom, and find ways that you can be a part of the solution.
One way you can help right now is to heed the call of our latest action alert, urging the U.S. Congress to adopt H.Res. 290, which calls for the repeal of blasphemy laws worldwide and calls upon the White House and the State Department to emphasize free expression rights in its relations with other countries. Take action now.
At CFI–Transnational headquarters in Amherst, New York, the day was commemorated with a special presentation by Muhammad Syed, founder and president of Ex-Muslims of America, on the pervasiveness of blasphemy laws and their grim social effects. CFI–Los Angeles celebrated the day with performer Baba Brinkman and his “Rap Guide to Religion,” described as “part rap concert, part comedy, part TED Talk.”

Just before IRBD, CFI representatives delivered statements to the UN Human Rights Council on the spree of violence against secularist writers and activists in Bangladesh, as well as violence and judicial discrimination against women.

continued
Posted by david f, Monday, 5 October 2015 3:02:36 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
continued

Videos of both of these statements are available here, as is the complete video of a special presentation by Michael De Dora, CFI’s chief UN representative, on the topic of IRBD and blasphemy rights, presented at the latest CFI Leadership Conference. (Also see Michael quoted in a piece at Religion News Service on IRBD.)

And as we highlighted in the last edition of Cause & Effect, blasphemy rights are the focus of a special new issue of our magazine Free Inquiry, which features a collection of provocative articles and essays, including the first U.S. print publication of the winning “draw Muhammad” cartoon from the controversial conference in Garland, Texas, earlier this year. CFI’s Tom Flynn, editor of Free Inquiry, was the guest for a substantive interview about the special issue on WBFO radio and was featured on WIVB Channel 4 news
Posted by david f, Monday, 5 October 2015 3:06:20 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy