Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right National Front, has been criminally charged with inciting racial hatred in the latest example of the rollback on basic free speech rights in France and other European nations. I have been a critic of the crackdown on free speech in France, including the hypocrisy of the government in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo massacre. In this case, Le Pen compared Muslim street prayers to a Nazi-like occupation, a statement that should be clearly protected as political speech in France. Instead, she will be pulled before a tribunal in another example of how free speech is being eviscerated by anti-discrimination and hate speech laws.
We have previously discussed the alarming rollback on free speech rights in the West, particularly in France (here and here and here and here and here and here) and England ( here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here). Much of this trend is tied to the expansion of hate speech and non-discrimination laws. We have seen comedians targets with such court orders under this expanding and worrisome trend. (here and here).
In this case, Le Pen made the comment during her campaign to take over leadership of the party from her father in December 2010. She complained that there were “10 to 15” places in France where Muslims worshipped in the streets outside mosques when they were full: “I’m sorry, but for those who like talking a lot about World War II, if it comes to talking about the occupation, we can talk about it, because that (Muslims praying on the street) is the occupation of territory. . . It is an occupation of part of the territory, suburbs where religious law is applied. Sure, there are no armoured vehicles, no soldiers, but it is an occupation nonetheless and it weighs on residents.”
Rather than simply answer such arguments with argument, critics sought charges for inciting racial hatred. Notably, the investigation ended without charged but a complaint by an association led to a judicial inquiry which was opened in January 2012.
The FN is clearly anti-immigrant but so are a sizable number of Europeans. This is a debate that is occurring around the world, including in the United States. To use criminal law to chill or punish speech is a denial of the very right that defines Western Civilization. I hold no brief for Le Pen, but her trial is a threat to the free speech of all French and illustrates the absolute hypocrisy of the French government joining the rally in support of free speech after the Paris shootings. If you truly want to “Stand With Charlie,” you can start by standing with free speech.
Source: Yahoo
When free speech is gone, liberty is gone. France is spiraling into chaos.
Rather than simply answer such arguments with argument, critics sought charges for inciting racial hatred. Notably, the investigation ended without charged but a complaint by an association led to a judicial inquiry which was opened in January 2012.
The lack of any charges for left wingers criticizing whites shows that the entire practice is an attempt to criminalize the left’s political opponents. The left is revealing their totalitarian goals in the places they control politically. Decent Americans should pay attention.
She needs to invoke precedents from the Nuremburg Trials. We need to discuss those trials and what they were meant to accomplish. Then we need to discuss the International Treaty on Human Rights. Meanwhile kick France out of NATO. The frogs are not to be trusted. The Vichy mentality has prevailed. Do any of you folks know what Vichy France was, and when?
Free speech today is all archived on giant servers somewhere to use against the speaker whenever needed. When racists are in power, those who defended diversity will be treated as pariahs. When open-minded folks are in power, racists will be treated as pariahs. So it’s equal opportunity free speech. We just don’t know the exact time and place when we will be persecuted for something we said.
steve, The irony of you trolling all my comments on different threads, calling me a troll does is hilarious. You are shooting from the hip today, not doing the background work to get up to speed, and being a troll. And, to not have the intellectual honesty to simply stipulate the left is fawning all over this Pope is more than a bit curious. I offer information, try and find reasonable agreement, and you post cartoonish videos. Who’s the troll??
Sorry the post above is incomplete.
IIRC Le Pen’s father spoke in bigoted terms about Jews, a deplorable practice for which I have no sympathy.
More than a dozen EU nations plus Canada have long criminalized certain speech and thought. In particular, some persons are in prison today in these nations for the thought-crime of “denying” the Western definition of the so-called “holocaust.” (Not sure whether Le Pen’s father committed this particular thought crime.)
I suggest TPTB (in particular Western banking powers) may simply be punishing the daughter for perceived sins of the father.
Reblogged this on pundit from another planet.
which I deplore and have no sympathy . More than a dozen EU nations plus Canada have long criminalized certain speech and thought. In particular, some persons are in prison today in these nations for the thought-crime of “denying” the Western definition of the so-called “holocaust.” (Not sure whether Le Pen’s father committed this particular thought crime.)
I suggest TPTB (in particular Western banking powers) may simply be punishing the daughter for perceived sins of the father.
Steve, If you can’t stipulate that Obama, the left, and the liberal MSM are falling all over themselves kissing the Pope’s ring and ass then we have nothing to talk about. Bring your ‘A’ game.
Nick, sometimes you remind me of the Black Knight at the toll bridge in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKhEw7nD9C4
I have no quarrel with you, Good Sir Knight.
Nick, the Left is praising the Pope? Ho, ho, ho! I’ve got news for ya. A third of California is Catholic as a direct result of the missionary agenda over the past half-milenium, and the Pope is about to canonize one of those barbarian friars today, You think the Left praises the Pope? He’s as much a career politician as that lamb from Wisconsin who declared God told him to call off his campaign.
Let that broke beotch speak. Otherwise, others won’t have the right. It’s better to know what she and her cancer-ridden ilk are thinking by letting them goose step. It’s when they yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater that it’s time to act.
Dave, I just said on the Mizzou thread that free speech allows people to “vilify” others. That in a Communist country you cannot say what you think. My point regarding the Pope v Davis is not about free speech. AGAIN, she should have resigned. I said it the day it happened. My point is about the hypocrisy of the MSM. I don’t agree w/ many of your thoughts but I truly admire you are not hypocritical. The left in this country are stepping on their tongues praising the Pope and they vilify a woman w/ the same views. Vilify away, there is no one stronger on the 1st Amendment than me. It’s the hypocrisy I loathe. You are not hypocritical. Kudos.
Nick:
What Andrea said. And vilification is part of free speech, especially when someone purposefully imposes their warped morality upon others over common law. Boo-hoo. Just like you vilify the Left, whatever that is.
And certainly the pope shouldn’t be honored. He’s the leader of a “state” rife with child rape, the imposition of immorality (e.g. condemning condom use in regions saturated with HIV), and worshiping the human invention of a particular deity written by men who didn’t know where the Sun goes at night or that microorganisms, not a pissed-off celestial tyrant, causes plagues.
But people can believe what they want. Just keep it out my life and out of my government (faith is a private expression, not one to be supported by legislation of any sort).
Andrea, facts don’t matter to some folks.
andrea, I’m on record of saying she should have resigned. But, the fact that she simply held those views were as much a part of her being vilified by the MSM. The Pope holds the same views as Davis and he is being worshiped by the MSM.
The left just sees Muslims as useful allies in the task of destroying non-leftist whites and what remains of the “inherently evil” Western Civilization. The postmodern cultural marxist left is really globalist like every billionaire in the West except Trump.
Nick, the woman in KY is a public officer who refused to perform her job and interfered with the fundamental constitutional right of consenting adults to marry one another. She could have resigned from her job and taken a different one that didn’t interfere with her religious beliefs.
Interesting take, Dave. The Pope has the same views on gay marriage as the Davis woman in Kentucky. He gets honored, she gets jailed.
I defend the right of all people to offend me. And in turn they should defend my right to offend the same.
Religion is abhorrent and its myriad believers are blinded by ancient nonsense interpreted by present-day charlatans. Anyone who pretends to know the mind or intent of some deity (itself an evolving concept) is full of it.
Now let’s watch this taxpayer-funded prayer meeting on the White House lawn.
It’s all part of the Progressive Package. We have “scientists” in the US trying to have nonbeliever Global Warming scientists prosecuted under RICO. THERE WILL BE NO DISSENT. Stalin, Mao, set the template.