Fast Track to EUtopia

OSCE conference: Don’t make terrorism an issue of religion (AFP).

CORDOBA: The Organisation for Security and Cooperation [in Europe] began winding down a two-day conference on anti-Semitism and intolerance in this southern Spanish city on Thursday by insisting terrorism must not be identified with a religion, ethnic group or culture.

"International events and political questions never justify racism, xenophobia or discrimination, towards Muslims, Christians or the faithful of other religions," participants concluded.

A discordant note emerged, however, when the US-based Simon Wiesenthal Centre which seeks to uphold Jewish rights and preserve the memory of the Holocaust, regretted that the OSCE was broadening its remit beyond anti-Semitism.

"A discordant note emerged" when a Jewish group spoke up at a conference on anti-Semitism that avoided mentioning Jews. Hokay.

Also this week: Britain introduces a bill banning "racial and religious hatred."

Ministers insist the new law would not affect "criticism, commentary or ridicule of faiths." The Racial and Religious Hatred Bill would create a new offence of incitement to religious hatred and would apply to comments made in public or in the media, as well as through written material.

The aim is to protect people from incitement to hatred against them because of their faith. The maximum penalty for anybody convicted of the new offence would be seven years imprisonment.

The government says the legislation is a response to the concerns of faith groups, particularly Muslims. The Muslim Council of Britain has welcomed the move, arguing that the courts have already extended such protection to Sikh and Jewish people.

Keith Porteous Wood, of the National Secular Society, also said the legislation would curtail free expression. Similar laws in Australia had stirred up tensions between different religious groups, he argued.

Actually, it's been used to imprison a Pakistani Christian for criticizing Islam -- a man who'd fled to Australia due to persecution by Muslims in his home country.

This just in: Islam Q&A weighs in on defamation of the Prophet:

Question Reference Number: 14305
Title: It is essential to respond to those who defame the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Defaming the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is a kind of kufr. If that is done by a Muslim then it is apostasy on his part, and the authorities have to defend the cause of Allaah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by executing the one who defamed him.

If the person who defames him is a non-Muslim living under a treaty with the Muslim state [ed. note: a dhimmi], then this is a violation of the treaty and he must be executed, but that should be left to the authorities.

Somehow, it's just not too hard to see where this is going.