Jack Straw condemns European press
The BBC reports Jack Straw’s reaction to the furore:
There is freedom of speech, we all respect that.
But there is not any obligation to insult or to be gratuitously inflammatory.
I believe that the republication of these cartoons has been insulting, it has been insensitive, it has been disrespectful and it has been wrong.
There are taboos in every religion. It is not the case that there is open season in respect of all aspects of Christian rites and rituals in the name of free speech.
Nor is it the case that there is open season in respect of rights and rituals of the Jewish religion, the Hindu religion, the Sikh religion.
It should not be the case in respect of the Islamic religion either.
We have to be very careful about showing the proper respect in this situation.
The game of jackstraws is given the following etymology in my Encarta onboard dictionary:
A year or more ago, I heard this prat mention the name of Mohammed and put the words ‘may peace be upon him’ after the name. What an absolute wanker! He is the sort, along with Bliar, who says that the British people are ‘hoping and praying’ about this or that or the other. It’s OK to assume that we’re all hoping that a given situation (a hostage taking, a transport disisater) is not as bad as early reports indicate, because in the main we’re all decent people and would, of course, hope for the best outcome for our fellow human beings; but praying? How presumptuous!
What he’s saying here, of course, is that the British press should not print these toons. OK, so that’s one precedent set. When’s the next one? And the one after that? The increase in Muslim influence is insidious. And it’s being helped by the likes of Trojan horses in the higher echelons of British politics.
I see it as his actually imposing a censorship by cheering the British medias mature and respectful handling of this matter – you people should have your self a little revolution!
Funnily enough, Jack Straw is a jew supporting the rights of Muslims to be offended. Having seen what passes for humour in some of the Egyptian Newspapers, regarding their neighbours in Israel, this seems more than a bit stupid.
Steve
What everyone is missing here, including Jack Straw, is that there is a distinction between religion and race. You can’t help what race you are, and most people, including me, think that you have the same rights whatever race you are. Race should be completely “transparent” in our society. You should respect people’s rights, whatever their racial background.
But, if you’re an atheist like me, then religion is superstitious nonsense. Hence the following, uncomplicated argument: All religion is superstitious nonsense. Islam is a religion, therefore Islam is superstitious nonsense.
In a society with free speech, all three clauses in that argument would be acceptable (if contraversial). But in our society, I don’t think you’d find many people prepared to stick their necks out and say “…therefore Islam is superstitious nonsense” even if they went on to say “and so therefore is Judeism, Christianity and so on”.
I have no more respect for someone that believes in a monotheistic deity than I have for someone who believes that Noddy is the Prime Minister. Of course I respect their right to hold such ludicrous beliefs, and am always open to persuasion. But I resent being told by anyone – including Jack Straw – that I *must* respect religious belief holders.
I believe that this whole fucking government is sucking up to muslims. What about us Christians. We don’t want to offend them? bullshit. When is this government going to realise that this is England and fight for our rights and defend our people?
Jack Straw is following an old and thoroughly dishonourable tradition…
APPEASEMENT
In reply to Steve:
Jack Straw is not Jewish.
Irrelevant and unimportant, maybe, but “Jack Straw is Jewish” is an irritating urban myth that uninformed people should stop repeating.
This is absolute BS and the entire world is going for it. Fear the wrath of the muslim world now. This is a form of demonstration??!! These (not all, but MOST) are militant-clerical leaders that are just adding petro to the fire. The muslim nation is of one mind and one action. I support demonstration, but calling for kidnappings and killings of innocent foreigners? C’mon. Islam isn’t the beaten child you think that they are. This is Old Testament, why on earth do you think the rest of the Islamic Nations can’t get along? It’s all about the promise – Isaac and Ismael….if we give into Islam idealists now the war is forever lost. You might just start building the “Conjoined” temples in Israel right now.
Dave S, I just couldn’t agree with you more mate!
As the media like to keep the fear thing fired up and how christians look on muslims with suspicion, well I look on all religious people with the same suspicion. I just can’t get my head round why people believe in such nonsense. Perhaps if these religious, or gang members is just as apt a term for them, really screw it all up for us, then perhaps in another 10,000 years we’ll have a species worshipping the ancient scriptures of Rupert the bear, as told in the ancient annual.
Freedom of the press is essential. We are not all governed by Islamic rules, or are we? This is yet another sad day for Britain thanks to Mr. Straw.
Steve. Jess beat me to it. Jack Straw is not Jewish. Whilst revelling in my atheism, please can we knock any impression of anti-semitism (or anti anythingism) on the head. This is a great site, don’t ruin it.
We also have to face up to Christian extremists (and other faiths too if B’Liar gets his way) getting into education. If that happens, and it’s even got people like Neil Kinnock worried, we might as well put our heads between our legs and kiss our arses goodbye.
Anyone know where we can collect together to arrange a decent protest?
Jack Straw says something stupid. Ah..where have I heard THAT before?
Oh, but “John” (why no full name?), er, where I’m sitting right now ISN’T “England”. More than one country involved here, old bean! And there are many English who adhere to the supernaturalism known commonly as “Islam”.
Also, the preponderance of supernaturalists of different creeds in the current Government is, indeed, extremely worrying. Partially because they are trying to increase the influence of (publically-funded) theism in society, but mainly since they make ludicrous claims of moral authority based on some invisible, unprovable, (yet strangely dogmatic) deity.
I get the impression that you’re not quite as among friends as you thought…
Here:
http://trouserquand.blogspot.com/2006/02/if-jack-straw-had-flag-id-burn-it.html
I demenad an apology from Jack Straw for his craven betrayal of the principles of free speech.
Maybe you should do something similar
Mmm, a muslim with a bomb attached to his body. Where could a cartoonist possibly have found his inspiration? Dillusion people.
Why does Jack Straw think religion (rather than its human followers) is entitled to any kind of respect ?
Are worshippers of the tooth fairy, entitled to such respect ? I don’t think so.
Appeasament is not dishonorable. It’s actually an intelligent political strategy if performed correctly. What Straw said not only makes sense, it is also the sort of soothing diplomacy needed at this time. A Danish paper or a German paper poking fun at Islam’s core tenets is not courageous – it’s just childish. And why only Islam? Why not go after some of the sacred tenets of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, etc.? If there were a billion followers of the tooth fairy, thousands of whom are ready to murder in her name, for a variety of sociopolitical reasons – we probably should work on building bridges between us – non-toothies – and the millions of toothies who are willing to go about their lives in peace. Sure, perhaps we should be free to light a match whenever we want to, but would it be smart to do it when there’s a gas leak in the building?
jack Straw is wilfully blind to the fact that we treat Christianity with far less respect than Islam, because our approach to Islam is based on fear of violent outrage being expressed when offended. The fact that the BBC, entirely rightly, broadcast Jerry Springer The Opera – and the fact that it ran in theatres – shows the lie to Jack Straw’s words. But then he lied to get us into Iraq and Afghanistan, he can hardly be expected to tell us the truth now.
Why is it so hard to at least find these images online now? I want to see them. I am supposed to live in a free speech, uncensored country so why does a search on even the mighty Google find nothing so far today, except a few image thumbnails which lead to broken links?
Keep looking 18 (or try posting in the secular_newsline at Yahoo groups – I know a few guys there have them).
The really inflamatory three (that the Danes didn’t do) are around too – and are far funnier in my opinion; but I’m sick that way. The best of the 10 is the one with the line of suicide bombers being turned away in heavan because they ran out of virgins.
That’s the only one I thought was actually funny when I first saw them.
Spineless Jack Straw does not speak for the majority of British people, who value freedom of speech and freedom of the press. In a roundabout way, he is promoting media censorship over religious sensitivities – so much for secular government!
Well, Jack Straw, we don’t appreciate the press being censored for fear of their lives. Offensiveness is not grounds for censorship, and religion is just an idea (or I prefer “fairy tale”), which gives it no more or less protection from debate (including satire and ridicule) than any other idea gets.
If people choose to believe in something completely ridiculous, they deserve all the ridicule they get! So what if a bunch of brainwashed suckers get rather pissed off when you insult their fairy tale? Name one reason (other than a potential death threat) I should give a fuck what they think?
I could claim that I believe in the Tooth Fairy, and get extremely upset (or even threaten to kill people) if anyone claimed she didn’t exist, or that she was a stupid donkey-fucking whore … but does that make the Tooth Fairy any more real, or mean that others should respect and not ridicule my belief? Hardly!
You can’t prove that the tooth fairy DOESN’T exist – the burden of proof is always on the one making the claim. If you claim God (or “Allah”) is real – PROVE IT! If some guy called Muhammad convinced himself without any proof (at least, no repeatable demonstration that he was kind enough to document for future generations), and you all believe everything he says without one SINGLE bit of hard proof, well, that’s your problem!
So you have faith… so what? It’s like proudly proclaiming that you have disengaged your critical reasoning abilities and thrown logic to the wind. We need faith about as much as we need syphilis… and the parallels between the two are pretty close!
Religion has had it’s day and been shown beyond any reasonable doubt (as in, to the same degree of “beyond reasonable doubt” that we ascribe to the Tooth Fairy in order to know she isn’t real) to be nothing short of superstitious bunkum. That a bunch of people still choose to believe the bunk is THEIR fucking problem, and they rightly deserve ridicule.
So, fuck off Jack Straw, and all the other slimy, condescending members of parliament – you are not MY government, and you do not speak for the British people, who LOVE to take the piss out of religious nutters whenever the opportunity arises!
One of the writers on http://www.tightladies.com/blog2/blog2.htm made an excellent point pertaining to the boundries of free speech versus the respect for religious beliefs.
the reaction of many muslims have proven the cartoons corect,the historical evedence is such that the proof is the only respect most muslims give is to there own and they would rather kill the rest or inslave those who dont convert