Recently, after the speech of Vice President J.D. Vance in Munich, various European leaders went public to express their shock and disbelief that they would be accused of rolling back on free speech. For many of us, it was a laughable display of denial, particularly from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In a country that has eviscerated free speech, Starmer told Bret Baier that the UK “guards” free speech and “we don’t believe in censoring speech.” Now, the government is continuing this month with its effort to regulate and criminalize speech. The effort to crack down on “Islamophobia” could create a type of blasphemy standard if it encompasses criticism of the faith or its practices.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has announced that the government will be further cracking down on hate speech with a new working group tasked with defining ‘Islamophobia’. The free speech community is raising the alarm that the effort is likely to further broaden the government controls over speech.
It was announced last week that Rayner’s working group would be chaired by former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve KC, who has himself admitted that defining Islamophobia while safeguarding free speech is ‘extremely difficult.’ Notably, Grieve wrote the foreword to the 2018 All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) report on Islamophobia, which advanced a definition that many critics argue is far too broad.
The APPG included criticism of Islamic beliefs and practices as examples of Islamophobia. It has been condemned for treating criticism of the faith as a type of hate speech.
For years, I have been writing about the decline of free speech in the United Kingdom and the steady stream of arrests, including in my book, The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.
A man was convicted for sending a tweet while drunk referring to dead soldiers. Another was arrested for an anti-police t-shirt. Another was arrested for calling the Irish boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend a “leprechaun.” Yet another was arrested for singing “Kung Fu Fighting.” A teenager was arrested for protesting outside of a Scientology center with a sign calling the religion a “cult.”Last year, Nicholas Brock, 52, was convicted of a thought crime in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The neo-Nazi was given a four-year sentence for what the court called his “toxic ideology” based on the contents of the home he shared with his mother in Maidenhead, Berkshire. Judge Peter Lodder QC dismissed free speech or free thought concerns with a truly Orwellian statement: “I do not sentence you for your political views, but the extremity of those views informs the assessment of dangerousness.”
Lodder lambasted Brock for holding Nazi and other hateful values:
“[i]t is clear that you are a right-wing extremist, your enthusiasm for this repulsive and toxic ideology is demonstrated by the graphic and racist iconography which you have studied and appeared to share with others…”
The fear is that an expanded hate speech law that includes criticism of Islamophobia will operate like a British blasphemy law. In 2008, the common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel were abolished in England. This new effort could constructively restore such prosecutions as they relate to Islam.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.
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The Euros only grudgingly adopted the free speech mantle. Their monarchical fanboyism colored their view of the individual right to say what you feel. Couple that with the lack of citizen gun rights and you have exactly what you had in 1633 when Galileo was imprisoned for writing a book about the heliocentric nature of the solar system. “And yet it moves.”
You will go to prison if you do not right think!
Left think is more accurate.
islamophobia – when muslims are afraid the rest of us will realize they are the religion of murder, rape, and slavery against any non muslim.
The Muslim Brotherhood presents itself as a widely supported advocate and legitimate representative of the Islamic community. But the ultimate aim, though never stated openly, is to create then implant and expand an ultra-orthodox Muslim block inside Western Europe Starmer and the Uk are participating in their own destruction. The Brotherhood knows the violent Al Qaeda approach won’t work in the UK or US. So they are infiltrating every aspect of society.
Islam is an evil false religion which will play a huge role in the coming advent of the anti-Christ
F allah cy
the beast and the false prophet.. some islamic people expect the 12th imam to show up.. the false prophet. spoiler, they both go into the lake of fire reserved for the devil and his angels
How much longer until the UK collapses? muzzard muppets will lead UK society into sharia fascism!!
If the good people of England Don’t step up and soon throw these bums out of power, they can kiss their historic and once great country goodbye. Islam is growing rapidly and will wrap their tight coils around the nation and eventually use force to take over. To think that once a long time ago, America was borne of England
Well, look how close we, ourselves, came to falling under the tyranny of Globalism over the last few years. “ETERNAL vigilance,” as the man once said –
They will not step up. The next thing will be arresting people in other countries for saying something against the Brits. They have already attempted this both in the UK and France and Australia. They want a GLOBAL Police Force. I hope they come for me first because I am READY to make the news
and when brittian does collapse, no refuge here in the US. They made their bed, they can lay in it. Enjoy libs !
When they do they will be the first Muslim nuclear nation.
There was an election in Romania and ‘the wrong party’ won the most votes so the European leaders shut down the election and want to arrest the opposition, calling them ‘far right rioters.’
Islamophobia is a made up word that has no meaning. A phobia is an unnatural fear of something. It is not unnatural to fear a people who practice an ideology the encourages them to kill you.
BTeboe—As I posted earlier but it disappeared: You make an excellent point! An excellent observation!
Good analysis. Islamophobia is sort of like Naziphobia.
Well British got what they voted for…next will be shariah law
#9. I’d say they are already waste deep into Anglophotia.
An appropriate term would be Islamofastidium: a distaste or disdain for Islam.
The reason the conservatives lost in Canada is because of Trump’s attacks on them. I agree with reciprocal tariffs, but Canada isn’t the biggest problem and Trump, who I support, made a huge mistake by going after them so early.
The reason a communist won in Canada is because Canadians are parasitic communists.
Next, they’ll turn the Yukon over to China.
Oh my! What will become of Sgt. Preston?
What are you talking about? What communist won? Canada has not had an election since 2021. It will have an election some time this year.
Bobby, this was a liberal party leadership election. The federal election is in October. Poilievre could easily win that one.
Carney may call for an early federal election.
What is this “Canada” of which you speak?
There has been no election in Canada for conservatives to lose. The liberals had a party caucus to replace Castreau with a WEF toady from Goldman Sachs who holds three passports. That’s all.
Huh? What do you mean the Conservatives lost in Canada? What are you talking about? The election hasn’t even been called yet! How can they already have lost? It’ll be some time this year, probably in the next 2-3 months, and we shall see who wins.
All hail the liberal Prime Minister “designate” of Canada: Mark Carney.
Seriously, I’m thrilled. He sounds like he won’t tolerate B.S. from the Trump White 🍁
I mean to say “… no b.s. from the Trump White House.” 🍁
O Canada!
C
What happened to Canada. Canadians suffered very high per capita losses in WWII. They are still bad asses in hockey (my kid who plays can attest to that). But otherwise, Canada has turned into a land of wusses.
Spoken like a true low IQ marxist fool
#74. Disentangle with the rest of the world and become self sustaining needing nothing as a nation. They’ll fight wars they’ve already lost.
It’s a hard road ahead. Some commenter have little farms and are self sustaining themselves. They know it.
What is this Islamoreject idea? 9/11 and constant malcontents. Folks, the West doesn’t agree with Allah nor does think it’s anything more than a regional folklore. The old idea of birds of a feather might encourage Islam to stay in their own region. The West is happy with that and you’ll never be bothered. Islam has its own timeline…
Take in refugees on a temporary basis from now on. Sociology and experience tells us about culture supplantation. It’s all so barbaric.
#74. For women wanting to escape Islam the door is open most likely.
Wars are no longer to be fought in the way of the past. Technological advances, real time satellite imagery and hypersonic missiles with warheads that can’t be stopped. The golden dome, defensive launch platforms in space, lasers, drones… above surface ships are floating coffins, mobile infantry and equipment are scattered targets. Those that have not been paying attention are not going to survive.
Peace is a better choice.
The Global Religious Landscape
The geographic distribution of religious groups varies considerably.
[Tab through the pages at bottom for individual religious group details]
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-exec/
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK)
Religion (2021)
46.5% Christianity
37.8% no religion
6.0% Islam
1.6% Hinduism
0.8% Sikhism
0.4% Buddhism
0.4% Judaism
0.6% other
5.9% not stated
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom#cite_note-Census2021/22-6
[For a comparison] U.S. religious groups
[Link] pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/
The United Kingdom is made up of England Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland, and Wales.
Please correct Wikipedia
#74. Yes Bill of rights is important but people need affordable utilities. I’ve mentioned the FED CEO OF TVA at 10 million annual salary. The cake goes to Patricia K. Poppe of PG&E at 17 million per year plus stock perks. Calif can’t afford utilities and entire towns burn down and deaths due to negligence. This woman owns stock. Do you think rates will go up for dividends.
I’m tired of free speech when food, shelter, utilities, insurances is in orbit!
“The cake goes to Patricia K. Poppe of PG&E at 17 million per year plus stock perks.”
– Anon
__________
No wonder my PCG tanked. There’s a female communist affirmative action case destroying the once-great widow-and-orphan stock. It has historically been the case that you can’t damage a sleepy utility. Well, that woman sure showed everybody!
#74. Look up Paradise, California. A household utilities can be 1000 per month in the inferno central calif. People go to “cooling centers” or they could die. The least that should be done are room, portable air conditioners. Poppe just sent a love letter to to consumers. She’s not hitting on full wattage. 2 bulbs short of a lamp…
The UK will have turned into a de facto caliphate if it criminalizes any criticism of Islam. Not only is the right to voice an opinion, no matter how unpopular, a basic human right, but criticizing the excesses of any ideology is the only means by which abuse can be checked.
As the UK defends Islam from criticism, meanwhile in Syria, militant jihadis have slaughtered hundreds of minority Alawite, who are an offshoot of Shia with unorthodox beliefs in Islam, as well as Christians.
Once again, the Religion of Peace is murdering people because of their religion.
The 1st Amendment is imperative.
The 5th Amendment is the essential driver.
________________________________________________
5th Amendment
No person shall…be deprived of…property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“[Private property is] that dominion which one man claims and exercises over the external things of the world, in exclusion of every other individual.”
– James Madison
____________________
“In this sense, the theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property.”
– Karl Marx
“The Freedom We Have Enjoyed is the Child of the Cult of Competency”
“Thus the freedom we have enjoyed in America is not the fruit of fortuitous accident, of great natural resources, or of mere isolation from the tangled skein of European politics. It is the direct result of purposeful thinking and hard work. It is the child of the cult of competency—intellectual competency, physical competency, moral competency—which Benjamin Franklin—the father this University—and the other men who founded this nation, so eminently typified. As Tocqueville observed: ‘The assembly which accepted the task of composing the Constitution was small; but George Washington was its President and it contained the choicest talents and the noblest hearts which had ever appeared in the new world.’
“The cult of competency was forged in the crucible of persecution and tyranny. We have taken it for granted. We have never seen it put to the test it is undergoing today. Now in the midst of world catastrophe, we are coming to realize anew that there is something in life greater than knowledge and bigger than security; something which, with all our organized learning, we have not fully captured in books, that something which in the past has caused men to sacrifice all to attain some part of it. Some call it liberty, some freedom. Maybe its best designation is that it is the dignity of the individual in the sight of God and man. Some define it in terms of faith, and others as human brotherhood. But of one thing I am certain. It is the priceless ingredient of life. Whatever it is, it is of both the heart and mind; not a complex quality to baffle science, but a simple thing to assuage men’s souls. It is the quality of being a man. With that concept Aristotle spurred Athenian youth; and it was that, no doubt, which illuminated Socrates’ mind as he talked the Great Simplicities to his students under a fig tree in far distant days in ancient Greece. Its quest has filled the ages ever since. Its attainment in a fuller sense is the only thing that will make tomorrow worth the living. Its achievement is a ringing challenge to you young men and women of the class of 1943—the latest novitiates of the cult of competency.”
– The Cult of Competency Address Delivered by Henning W. Prentis, Jr., Mid-Year Convocation, University of Pennsylvania, February, 1943
https://ergo-sum.net/literature/CultOfCompetency.pdf
The Tories made empty promises and the people discovered the Tories were a party of lying eunuchs.
So they took revenge by voting for Bolsheviks, not aware of the danger they were placing themselves and their descendants and their history and their country in.
Of course the Bolsheviks rule as Bolsheviks with their usual mailed fist totalitarianism.
And of course there is no free speech in the UK.
They need a Trump and Musk but there is, as yet, no sign of such in Europe.
I only hope they are not too late for us.
They have a Trump – Nigel Farage – the leader of Reform UK which will likely win the Next UK election
John, So I hope. Farage is great but I am not convinced that he is Trump great. I do hope he becomes PM. He will face a much worse mess than we have in this country
x
The Tories made empty promises and the people discovered the Tories were a party of lying eunuchs. So they took revenge by voting for Bolsheviks,
No, they didn’t. Labour did not significantly increase its vote over the debacle under Corbyn. Almost no one who voted Tory last time voted Labor this time, out of disappointment with the Tories’ failure to actually be conservatives. All of those voters went to Reform this time, and that is why Labour won. Farage, by deciding to contest the election, handed the victory over to Starmer.