OFFICIAL - MUSLIMS DON'T HAVE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
We British have an old saying, "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it."
We demonstrated this recently, when a Danish newspaper printed cartoons that Muslims found offensive. Muslims complained loudly about it, but we defended the cartoonists' freedom of expression.
Even if we hadn't seen the cartoons, we were lining up to defend the right to freedom of expression. We were concerned about the Muslim's intolerance of this freedom. Some Muslims were even arrested for using their own freedom of expression to demonstrate against the cartoons. Muslims were castigated for daring to demonstrate against the cartoonist's right to freedom of expression.
Then, when the Pope made some disparaging remarks about Islam, Muslims complained about it. Again, we were there, defending the Pope's right to freedom of expression. Again, we were concerned at the Muslims lack of respect for this freedom, and again, we demonised them for complaining about the Pope's comments.
And yet again, when John Reid addressed a group of Muslims and was heckled from the audience, we were concerned that he was being denied freedom of expression. The man who was using his own freedom of expression to criticise the Government's actions was led away, and was subsequently criticised for daring to express his views.
Incidentally, on the same day, a LibDem MP made comments that a Jewish group didn't like. They complained, and the guilty MP was given a dressing down. You musn't say things that offend Jews, otherwise you'll be labelled anti-semitic. No question of freedom of expression there.
And now Jack Straw says that he doesn't think it is good for Muslim women to wear a veil. Muslims complained at his comments, but this time, the debate wasn't around Jack Straw's right to freedom of expression. This time, the question was asked in a poll: "Should the veil be banned?" And 97% of respondents said, "Yes".
So when 97% of people think that how a certain group of people dress should be controlled, where is the Muslim's freedom of expression?
There is another old saying, "If it happens once, it's an accident. If it happens twice, it's a coincidence. If it happens three times, there's something going on."
Well in the past few months, we have three examples of we British defending people's right to freedom of expression when they say something that offends Muslims, and at the same time, we have three examples of Muslim's being demonised for using their own right to freedom of expression to complain about something they found offensive.
And now, we have 97% of people wish to deny Muslim's the right to dress the way they wish.
So where, then, is the British quality of tolerance and defence of freedom of expression?
In our rush to demonise the Muslims, we are losing those qualities, bit by bit, inch by inch. And it isn't the Muslims who are changing us – it's our own intolerance that is doing it.
