Archive for the ‘Freedom of Expression’ Category

Wafa Sultan – Arab Muslim, author, psychiatrist and critic of Islam, gave her witness testimony in the ‘hate speech’ show-trial of Duch Freedom party leader Geert Wilders last week, ahead of the resumption of the main trial in October.

Here she speaks (in English) to the Dutch current affairs programme ‘Een Vandaag’ about the case.

We’re big fans of Wafa. Watch the video to see why.

Syriac Christians face persecutio in Turkey - but the patter is repeated to one degree or another in all Muslim countries

LONDON – The Bishop of Chichester, the Rt. Rev. John Hind, says Christians in the Middle East are facing “extreme deprivation”.

He continued, “In Iraq, Christians have suffered extreme deprivation, sometimes due to sheer religious hatred, sometimes just caught in the cross-fire, sometimes because, amazingly and quite wrongly, they are regarded as representatives of a western faith.

“So we cannot disown our own particular responsibility and the pressure on Christians in some parts of the world.”

The bishop noted that not all forms of persecution were violent or even illegal. Read the rest of this entry »

We invite you to play Guess The Religion™ as the powers-that-be in Sweden are curiously withholding the names of those charged – a privilege usually reserved these days for one particular, protected class:

Two men, aged 19 and 21, have been arrested in connection with an arson attack at the home in southern Sweden of artist Lars Vilks.

The 21-year-old was arrested late on Saturday at his home in Landskrona, 40 kilometres from the house where Vilks lives. He is being held on suspicion of aggravated attempted arson. Read the rest of this entry »

Amy Owen (L), who was penalised for refusing to wear Muslim dress to a school mosque visit, pictured with her mother

A Catholic schoolgirl has been branded a ‘truant’ by her teachers after she refused to dress as a Muslim for a school field trip to a mosque. Staff had ordered 14-year-old Amy Owen and her classmates to dress in headscarf, wear trousers or leggings and keep her arms covered for the compulsory visit to the mosque after it was arranged to promote ‘community cohesion.’

Parents at the 1,100 pupil Ellesmere Port Catholic High School in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire were also told they were each required to make a £3 contribution towards the trip for all Year Nine students. Michelle Davies’ daughter Amy Owen was ordered to wear a headscarf and trousers or leggings for a school trip to a mosque
But when Amy refused to dress in Muslim attire for the visit to Al Rahma Mosque in Toxteth, Liverpool, staff warned her about rules and said refusal would mean non attendance which would then be marked down as an ‘unauthorised absence.’ Read the rest of this entry »

A Swedish artist who created an international furore by depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog was assaulted as he delivered a university lecture.

Lars Vilks says he was head-butted by an audience member as he spoke about the limits of artistic freedom.

The cartoonist’s glasses were broken, but he was not injured.

Mr Vilks has been threatened on numerous occasions, but the assault at Uppsala University was the first time he has been physically attacked.
The artist said a group of about 15 people had been shouting and trying to interrupt the lecture, which was attended by about 250 people. Read the rest of this entry »