Posted: Mar 29, 2019 10:00 am
Fenrir wrote:Most of the media criticism (it seems to me) is anti-muslim, not anti-islam. That they can say the one while meaning the other with little push-back is an indication of how debate has been distorted in favour of dog-whistle xenophobia imo.
G'day Fenrir, soooo
The Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 (c. 1) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which creates an offence in England and Wales of inciting hatred against a person on the grounds of their religion...
The bill contains wording to amend the Public Order Act 1986:
Section 29A Meaning of "religious hatred"
In this Part "religious hatred" means hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief.
Section 29B:
(1) A person who uses threatening words or behaviour, or displays any written material which is threatening, is guilty of an offence if he intends thereby to stir up religious hatred.
So in fact overt hate speech directed at Islam is not illegal AFAIKT, but against Muslims, now that's a different kettle of fish. Confusing religion and race is a problem here I think too, in that if Islam is an immutable genetic features it of course cannot be separated from Muslims. Much as I'm reluctant to draw a pearl from religion - hate the sin, not the sinner, and you're in the clear as far as the law goes it seems. Not talking about Brunei of course.