Irish Populism Starts Stirring? Dublin Conference Airs Unease Over Hate Speech Bill
The conference was an important light in a country that is fast emerging as one of the last remaining total liberal holdouts.
The conference was an important light in a country that is fast emerging as one of the last remaining total liberal holdouts.
It might seem overblown to call this appeals hearing the Trial of the Century. It’s not. The ability of people in every society of the West to speak freely about what they believe is true is on trial.
Following a Quran burning in January of this year, a Turkish court has issued an arrest warrant for Danish anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan who has been burning copies of the Islamic holy book for years, often sparking riots.
Following the stunt, Sweden’s embassy in Iraq was stormed by a mob of protesters; governments of Jordan, Morocco, Kuwait, and the UAE recalled their ambassadors from Stockholm; and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (ICO) called for Quran burning to be banned globally.
U.S. anti-discrimination laws face a serious challenge after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a website designer is not compelled to create works that conflict with her religious beliefs on same-sex marriage.
Should Germany follow through with its censorship policies, a legal clash will be inevitable. But for now, the right to pray and gather peacefully has been affirmed.
After months of court battles, anti-Islam protestors have burned yet another copy of the Quran in Stockholm, adding yet more tensions to Sweden’s bid to seek NATO approval from Turkey, whose Foreign Minister condemned the burning.
The ban follows instructions given directly by Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who on Tuesday, May 9th, expressly requested that any demonstration originating from “the ultra-Right or the extreme Right be banned.”
The roots of oppressive censorship are one and the same. Europe’s ‘hate speech’ laws are a secular equivalent to blasphemy laws—both hinder people from living and speaking freely.
“It is necessary to consider whether [it’s] consistent with the freedom of expression,” President Novák stated, questioning the law’s applicability.
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