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Six British Men Arrested After Quran Burning

Question for our British friends: Is burning a national flag or the Union Jack allowed, or is that also punishable? How about other books?
 
Beerina said:
Six British Men Arrested After Quran Burning
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From the article…
If found guilty of religious hatred…they could face up to seven years in prison, a fine or both.​

Once again, a sharp reminder that there is a very, very, very good reason that we kicked these cretins out of our country when we founded it. And that in the two centuries since then, they still haven't caught up to where we where back then.
 
Leaving aside the juvenile and simplistic manner in which you phrase the above post, it should be worth noting that this law is left over from a Labour Government led by a man who appeared to have an unhealthy obsession with preserving religion, and had nothing to do with the British Empire of the 18th Century. Also, you are right, you have a tremendous constitution for the most part. Just don't forget where the US Bill of Rights was lifted from.
 
Bob Blaylock said:
From the article…
If found guilty of religious hatred…they could face up to seven years in prison, a fine or both.​

Once again, a sharp reminder that there is a very, very, very good reason that we kicked these cretins out of our country when we founded it. And that in the two centuries since then, they still haven't caught up to where we where back then.
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Don't worry we're sinking closer to your level all the time.
 
Bob Blaylock said:
From the article…
If found guilty of religious hatred…they could face up to seven years in prison, a fine or both.​

Once again, a sharp reminder that there is a very, very, very good reason that we kicked these cretins out of our country when we founded it. And that in the two centuries since then, they still haven't caught up to where we where back then.
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And here I thought Britons founded the US.
 
This could actually be a useful prosecution towards getting that law repealed.
 
Bob Blaylock said:
From the article…
If found guilty of religious hatred…they could face up to seven years in prison, a fine or both.
​
Once again, a sharp reminder that there is a very, very, very good reason that we kicked these cretins out of our country when we founded it. And that in the two centuries since then, they still haven't caught up to where we where back then.
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Aww, bless, a grasp of US history almost as poor as his grasp of UK laws.

Where to start?

Firstly, as has been pointed out to Wildcat and others on previous threads (but they tend to change the subject), freedom of speech is guaranteed in the UK and Europe generally by the EHCR. There are, however, restrictions where such speech is intended to cause religious, sexual, or racial hatred/crime.

Now I know you guys don't think we should protect our minorities that way, but there you go. When right-wing nutters have managed to bump-off five or ten million people, we tend to get a bit sensitive to these things.

Secondly, may I remind the honorable Mr. Blaylock that his country of fine upstanding citizens had to go to a major civil war in order to guarantee the emancipation of the slaves, notwithstanding aforementioned "cretins" having somehow managed to achieve abolition with the Acts of 1807 and 1833. These, incidentally, applied to the entire Empire. Remind me when the "Land of the Free" managed to slip in with the Emancipation Act?

Where next? I don't know - whether the US War of Independence is actually more properly termed "The First American Civil War"? A review of the US treatment of ethnic monorities? White-on-black prejudicie and crime in the 20th century?

Mr. Blaylock, I refer you to the Biblical advice regarding motes in eyes.
 
Puppycow said:
Question for our British friends: Is burning a national flag or the Union Jack allowed, or is that also punishable? How about other books?
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You misunderstand the law(s) in question. None of the UK flags or any books are "protected" by law; instead it is acts which are likely to cause religious or ethnic hatred/crime. So I can burn a Koran out the back door today if I want (I don't). Doing it in front of the Central Mosque, however, is likely to result in a fairly quick (and well justified) trip to Govan Police Station followed by a period of time as a guest of HMG.
 
So if, for example, I owned a company which produced and sold hardcore pornography, would I be able to advertise said company on public billboards in the US using explicit, uncensored imagery?

If not, why not?
 
WildCat said:
The US actually doesn't have a drinking age... states set them. Of course, if those states want highway funds they make it 21.
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What a bizarre law. No drinking until 21.

At any rate, you really think a lower drinking age is a fair trade-off for the ability of government to restrict any kind of speech they'd like by simply passing a new law?
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Irrelevant. You have bizarre laws too. Get off your high horse.

Motive should have squat to do with it.
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That goes for the USA also though doesnt it. What is the motive of shouting fire in a theater?
 
Puppycow said:
Question for our British friends: Is burning a national flag or the Union Jack allowed, or is that also punishable?
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Would generaly be allowed if only because technicaly we've never got around to formaly recognising it as a national flag.

How about other books?
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Depends where you do it. I'm not aware of much in the way of test cases but burning say the Magna Carta appears to be legal in most parts of the country.
 
Architect said:
You misunderstand the law(s) in question. None of the UK flags or any books are "protected" by law; instead it is acts which are likely to cause religious or ethnic hatred/crime. So I can burn a Koran out the back door today if I want (I don't). Doing it in front of the Central Mosque, however, is likely to result in a fairly quick (and well justified) trip to Govan Police Station followed by a period of time as a guest of HMG.
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Should the "artwork" Piss Christ be illegal?

Should Blasphemy be illegal?

Should burning Korans be illegal?

Should burning a flag be illegal?

No, no, no and no. (And that it inspires the offended parties to violence should be irrelevant). That someone is outraged by something (whether art, or burning a "sacred" object, or by the heliocentric theory or whatever) shouldn't mean it has to be banned - protecting hurt feelings may get politicians votes but is not the mark of an advanced democracy.

The only excuse for banning something is if it directly incites violence against a person/group. I don't see how Koran burning does that. So we should ere on the side of permitting citizens to do it.


(ps - in answer to previous posts, the USA isn't right 100% of the time, for instance the UK does a better job on some gay rights - marriage for example, but in general the US does a very good job and a written constitution does tend to fend off "questionable" laws like this one).
 
funk de fino said:
Whats the answer?



INTENT. Think about it.
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So they might say, "I INTEND to burn a Koran BECAUSE it will piss people off BECAUSE killing people because your god says so is a bad thing, and I want to mock it in this way."

Government should do its job and protect them.
 
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