Don't joke about religion - seriously

[Hermit]

Excellent first post, Dmack.

Your story is further evidence (as if that was needed) that the Holy Cow Syndrome is not merely reflected by governments; it permeates pretty much all of even so called secular societies.

[Pappa]

Xamonas Chegwé says '... had he (Harry Taylor) posted those images on Facebook... nothing was likely to happen.

Readers may recall that, in 2007, a British school teacher working in Sudan, Gillian Gibbons, named a classroom teddy bear 'Muhammad', and that, for having committed this 'criminal offence' she was promptly arrested and put on trial by the Sudanese authorities. At the time, and in protest, I changed the photo on, my then, Facebook account to one of John Cleese during the 'Life of Brian stoning scene'. I also changed my Facebook 'tag line' to say that I was renaming myself Yaweh Zeus Wotan Mohammad Tooth Fairy Jesus Christ Almighty (or words to that effect). A few hours later that evening, to emphasise the point further, vis-à-vis the dangerous consequence of religious bigotry, I changed the photo to one of the twin towers being attacked on '9/11'. The next day, I went to sign in to my Facebook account only to find that I had been banned for, it was later put to me in an extremely curt email, my having 'harassed' other users of Facebook (presumably, the terrorist community/Sudanese government). No further discussion or debate was entertained by Facebook. They refused all further correspondence - I was banned and that was, they said, 'final' (quite ironic, given the context, I thought/think). So while Harry Taylor could have, I'm sure, done all manner of things with any Facebook account he may have, I suspect that ridiculing religion by suggesting that there may be a connection between its more enthusiastically ignorant advocates and appalling bigotry/criminality, isn't one of them.

Bloody hell.

I'm surprised I didn't get a ban for posting this on FB then....



Welcome to the forum Dmak.

[Pappa]

The shocking thing about this case is that the person was charged with "causing religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress". This is the same as ordinary "intentional harassment, alarm or distress" but with the specifics of being on the basis of religion. The maximum penalties of which are:

Up to 6 months imprisonment and/or a fine or on conviction on indictment for up to 2 years imprisonment and/or a fine (under section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997) or up to 6 months imprisonment and/or a fine or on conviction on indictment for up to 7 years imprisonment and/or a fine (under section 4 of the same act). Section 2 refers to ordinary harassment, section 4 is concerned with fear of violence.

The person in the OP also had an ASBO served against them (which can prohibit them from doing almost anything a court can imagine, illegal or otherwise).

The definition of harassment in UK law is a little worrying too:

"(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he:

        (a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or
        (b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting,

    within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby."

Lets forget the threatening bit for a minute and just concentrate on the abusive or insulting bit. It makes it illegal to act in a way that you reasonably suspect will be found to be abusive or insulting.

There are a number of defenses though...

(a) The defendant had no reason to believe that there was any person within hearing or sight who was likely to be alarmed or distressed by his action.
(b) The defendant was in a dwelling and had no reason to believe that his behaviour would be seen or heard by any person outside any dwelling.
(c) The conduct was reasonable.

In UK law, reasonable and similar things are always defined as "reasonable to a jury".

So, I wonder if it is reasonable to attack a street preacher's beliefs, openly.... if the preacher claimed they felt, harassed, alarmed or distressed by your actions, you could end up in court.

[Trolldor]

Unless you said you were confronted, offended and hurt by their preaching.

[charlou]

Unless you said you were confronted, offended and hurt by their preaching.

We need action like this. If only to highlight the fucking ludicrousness of the lot of it.

[Ameri Boi]

Xamonas Chegwé says '... had he (Harry Taylor) posted those images on Facebook... nothing was likely to happen.

Readers may recall that, in 2007, a British school teacher working in Sudan, Gillian Gibbons, named a classroom teddy bear 'Muhammad', and that, for having committed this 'criminal offence' she was promptly arrested and put on trial by the Sudanese authorities. At the time, and in protest, I changed the photo on, my then, Facebook account to one of John Cleese during the 'Life of Brian stoning scene'. I also changed my Facebook 'tag line' to say that I was renaming myself Yaweh Zeus Wotan Mohammad Tooth Fairy Jesus Christ Almighty (or words to that effect). A few hours later that evening, to emphasise the point further, vis-à-vis the dangerous consequence of religious bigotry, I changed the photo to one of the twin towers being attacked on '9/11'. The next day, I went to sign in to my Facebook account only to find that I had been banned for, it was later put to me in an extremely curt email, my having 'harassed' other users of Facebook (presumably, the terrorist community/Sudanese government). No further discussion or debate was entertained by Facebook. They refused all further correspondence - I was banned and that was, they said, 'final' (quite ironic, given the context, I thought/think). So while Harry Taylor could have, I'm sure, done all manner of things with any Facebook account he may have, I suspect that ridiculing religion by suggesting that there may be a connection between its more enthusiastically ignorant advocates and appalling bigotry/criminality, isn't one of them.

Bloody hell.

I'm surprised I didn't get a ban for posting this on FB then....



Welcome to the forum Dmak.

Thats a massive cock for such a small body, I'm surprised he hasn't fainted

[Ameri Boi]

One image showed a pig excreting sausages with insults to Islam, and others linked Muslims to attacks on airports.

Wow, noone made a bacon joke yet

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Xamonas Chegwé says '... had he (Harry Taylor) posted those images on Facebook... nothing was likely to happen.

Readers may recall that, in 2007, a British school teacher working in Sudan, Gillian Gibbons, named a classroom teddy bear 'Muhammad', and that, for having committed this 'criminal offence' she was promptly arrested and put on trial by the Sudanese authorities. At the time, and in protest, I changed the photo on, my then, Facebook account to one of John Cleese during the 'Life of Brian stoning scene'. I also changed my Facebook 'tag line' to say that I was renaming myself Yaweh Zeus Wotan Mohammad Tooth Fairy Jesus Christ Almighty (or words to that effect). A few hours later that evening, to emphasise the point further, vis-à-vis the dangerous consequence of religious bigotry, I changed the photo to one of the twin towers being attacked on '9/11'. The next day, I went to sign in to my Facebook account only to find that I had been banned for, it was later put to me in an extremely curt email, my having 'harassed' other users of Facebook (presumably, the terrorist community/Sudanese government). No further discussion or debate was entertained by Facebook. They refused all further correspondence - I was banned and that was, they said, 'final' (quite ironic, given the context, I thought/think). So while Harry Taylor could have, I'm sure, done all manner of things with any Facebook account he may have, I suspect that ridiculing religion by suggesting that there may be a connection between its more enthusiastically ignorant advocates and appalling bigotry/criminality, isn't one of them.

I think the problem there was the change of your name. The people at Facebook get a bit twitchy about people misrepresenting themselves in certain ways. Try adding "Dr." to the start of your FB name and see what happens - you are asked to provide the institution that awarded the doctorate - I know - I tried it!

If you just post images in your news feed, you can get away with most things except porn/extreme violence/etc.

[The Dawktor]

This chap will do it again and he WILL go to gaol! What a Charlie!

[Mysturji]

Excellent first post, Dmack.

Your story is further evidence (as if that was needed) that the Holy Cow Syndrome is not merely reflected by governments; it permeates pretty much all of even so called secular societies.

You spelled it wrong.

[owtth]

Next time he should just plant leaflets that expound on a number of the wackier religions; satanism, scientology, wikka, FSM, etc.

[Pappa]

Next time he should just plant leaflets that expound on a number of the wackier religions; satanism, scientology, wikka, FSM, etc.

That is a very good idea.