Norway ends blasphemy law after Hebdo attack

[didymus]

The Local:

Norway ends blasphemy law after Hebdo attack

**Norway has scrapped its longstanding blasphemy law, meaning it is now legal to mock the beliefs of others, in a direct response to January’s brutal attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

**
The proposal to rush through the change was made in February by Conservative MP Anders B. Werp and Progress Party MP Jan Arild Ellingsen, who argued that the law “underpins a perception that religious expressions and symbols are entitled to a special protection”.

  “This is very unfortunate signal to send, and it is time that society  clearly stands up for freedom of speech,” the two wrote in their  proposal. 
   
  Norway’s parliament first voted to scrap the blasphemy law back in  2009, against strong opposition from the Christian Democrat party. But  the move has yet to come into force because the country’s new penal code  remains delayed by problems updating the computer systems used by  police and prosecutors.

Further down the article states that no one has been prosecuted under this law for 80+ years but it’s better that it’s no longer on the books.

 

[Darryl1958]

That is really good news.

It is getting close to forty years now since the government of Iran put a hit on Salmon Rushdie for his ‘blasphemy’. Like the criminal organization that that theocratic government is, like ISIS, they have no respect for any other countries jurisdiction or laws.

There were no consequences for the ayatollah for doing this, and things have regressed from there, where Islamist theocrats have demanded that everybody follow their sensibilities on pain of death.
Appeasement has not worked. It is good that Norway has decided to go on the offensive, middle fingers firmly lifted in the air.

 

[padrepio_2012]

That is really good news.

It is getting close to forty years now since the government of Iran put a hit on Salmon Rushdie for his ‘blasphemy’. Like the criminal organization that that theocratic government is, like ISIS, they have no respect for any other countries jurisdiction or laws.

There were no consequences for the ayatollah for doing this, and things have regressed from there, where Islamist theocrats have demanded that everybody follow their sensibilities on pain of death.
Appeasement has not worked. It is good that Norway has decided to go on the offensive, middle fingers firmly lifted in the air.

Hardly what I would consider a “really good thing.” On the contraire, this is a REALLY BAD thing. This law means that anyone of ANY religion (not just Islam) can now be persecuted and mocked for their beliefs. It’s an infringement on the rights of religious freedom and I fear many other nations will start to follow suit… Hardly a good thing at all. Of course, I suppose this means one could mock an atheist as well, no? Since atheism is practically a religion now

 

[Murmurs]

Hardly what I would consider a “really good thing.” On the contraire, this is a REALLY BAD thing. This law means that anyone of ANY religion (not just Islam) can now be persecuted and mocked for their beliefs. It’s an infringement on the rights of religious freedom and I fear many other nations will start to follow suit… Hardly a good thing at all. Of course, I suppose this means one could mock an atheist as well, no? Since atheism is practically a religion now

There’s a big, big, BIG difference between criticising a religion, or saying you disagree with a teaching, etc etc, and even mocking beliefs, on the one hand…and persecution on the other.

This is admittedly a personal opinion, but I’m perfectly happy for Catholic teachings to be criticised (because they can be defended if necessary) and mocked (because who cares? God can take care of himself, and from an outside perspective the theology of the Eucharist is, let’s be honest, a bit weird, to say nothing of various pious practices and beliefs many of us, including me, do gain spiritual benefit from).

Making it legal to make fun of a religion is very different from making it legal to beat people up because they follow it, which is not what has just happened in Norway.

 

[Path_Finder]

There’s a big, big, BIG difference between criticising a religion, or saying you disagree with a teaching, etc etc, and even mocking beliefs, on the one hand…and persecution on the other.

This is admittedly a personal opinion, but I’m perfectly happy for Catholic teachings to be criticised (because they can be defended if necessary) and mocked (because who cares? God can take care of himself, and from an outside perspective the theology of the Eucharist is, let’s be honest, a bit weird, to say nothing of various pious practices and beliefs many of us, including me, do gain spiritual benefit from).

Making it legal to make fun of a religion is very different from making it legal to beat people up because they follow it, which is not what has just happened in Norway.

Good points. Also, apparently, this has been one of those laws that has not really been enforced for ages.

 

[friardchips]

That is really good news.

It is getting close to forty years now since the government of Iran put a hit on Salmon Rushdie for his ‘blasphemy’. Like the criminal organization that that theocratic government is, like ISIS, they have no respect for any other countries jurisdiction or laws.

There were no consequences for the ayatollah for doing this, and things have regressed from there, where Islamist theocrats have demanded that everybody follow their sensibilities on pain of death.
Appeasement has not worked. It is good that Norway has decided to go on the offensive, middle fingers firmly lifted in the air.

If the government has repealed this law then they also, under the freedom of speech understanding, should also make it legal for people to verbally attack and mock their government or anything that involves personal sensibilities, and instead, allow out and out prejudice (doesn’t sound right, does it?).

Although I think theocracies can lead to intolerance, and so are inherently dictatorial, the other extreme is a lack of care for one’s neighbour - which is where the West might be heading if it is not, well, careful! I would not have repealed this law because of Charlie Hebdo, to be honest; but rather, because thousands of Christians are being and have been persecuted in the Middle East and Africa, added words to the law making it more sensitive and open to free speech in order to not only allow free speech but guard against hatred and intolerance that works the other way (from the opposite perspective). We don’t want to live in theocracies but neither do we want to live in a world of chaos with no rules protecting the rights of the vulnerable.

 

[Darryl1958]

If the government has repealed this law then they also, under the freedom of speech understanding, should also make it legal for people to verbally attack and mock their government or anything that involves personal sensibilities, and instead, allow out and out prejudice (doesn’t sound right, does it?).

I don’t know how it is done in Norway, but in Canada it is government that is usually the biggest target of mockery and derision. This is fully legal, as is mocking Justin Bieber, the Queen of England, Geroge Bush, and more and more, even Barrack Obama.

Although I think theocracies can lead to intolerance, and so are inherently dictatorial, the other extreme is a lack of care for one’s neighbour - which is where the West might be heading if it is not, well, careful!

I don see that as being true at all of my own society actually. On a personal level, people are very caring about their neighbours.

I would not have repealed this law because of Charlie Hebdo, to be honest; but rather, because thousands of Christians are being and have been persecuted in the Middle East and Africa, added words to the law making it more sensitive and open to free speech in order to not only allow free speech but guard against hatred and intolerance that works the other way (from the opposite perspective). We don’t want to live in theocracies but neither do we want to live in a world of chaos with no rules protecting the rights of the vulnerable.

 

[7_Sorrows]

That is really good news.

It is getting close to forty years now since the government of Iran put a hit on Salmon Rushdie for his ‘blasphemy’. Like the criminal organization that that theocratic government is, like ISIS, they have no respect for any other countries jurisdiction or laws.

There were no consequences for the ayatollah for doing this, and things have regressed from there, where Islamist theocrats have demanded that everybody follow their sensibilities on pain of death.
Appeasement has not worked. It is good that Norway has decided to go on the offensive, middle fingers firmly lifted in the air.

I agree. This should be good news.