London School of Economics Passes Anti-Blasphemy Law

by Henry Jackson Society
January 31, 2012 at 4:45 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/2802/london-school-of-economics-blasphemy

The London School of Economics [LSE] Student Union has passed a mtion effectivly making it impossible for students on campus to criticize Islam.

The LSE has arecently been embroiled in another scandal on campus - notably the shutting down of a union-affiliated "Atheist, Humanist and Secularist Society" for the posting of a cartoon entitled "Jesus and Mo." The cartoon depicts Jesus and the Prophet Muhammed having a drink together in a pub and is a regular cartoon shared within the atheist community.

In response to the cartoon being posted, students at the London School of Economics forced through motions denouncing "Islamophobia" which defined the act as "a form of racism expressed through the hatred or fear of Islam, Muslims, or Islamic culture, and the stereotyping, demonisation or harassment of Muslims, including but not limited to portraying Muslims as barbarians or terrorists, or attacking the Qur'an as a manual of hatred." Critics have argued that the loose terminology -- i.e. Islamic culture -- makes parody or criticism of Islam impossible.

Secularists and atheists on campus noted that the motion was put through directly as a result of the Jesus and Mo cartoon, calling the motion a "blasphemy law" which would stop criticism and parody of Islam and other religions as a result - a key feature of secular society. The motions passed with only a 6% turnout from the student body.

The union also voted to disenfranchise hundreds of LSE students by revoking the right to vote online. A move which Student Rights has called "Putin-esque."

Raheem Kassam, director of campus-watchdog Student Rights said: "This is an extremely worrying day for the London School of Economics. Shutting out people from voting online, effectively leaving the Union in the hands of political extremists who turn out day-in day-out, and passing what is a flimsy motion on Islamophobia means that freedom of speech, expression and effective representation is being curtailed on campus by those with a distinct political agenda."

Contact: Raheem Kassam, director, Student Rights - 07872833322, raheem.kassam@studentrights.org.uk

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Comment on this item

7 Reader Comments

Philly R.N. • Feb 3, 2012 at 10:19

Imagine the country that pioneered secular law and sacrosanct freedom of speech and religion having a university pass a vague rule that limits free, protected speech.

Islam is going to just have to get used to being criticized, like all religions. In the end, you'll realize it was good for the faith, good for the humans who exercise it. God gave us brains; he expects us to use them.

I'd expect nothing less from the university that gave Ghadafi's son a degree. Money talks, and apparently it can buy off the best of what Britain once was.

I think Winston Churchill would be disappointed to see what the country he gave everything for has become. Churchill fought fascism and totalitarianism only to see his progeny have the freedom to choose it on British soil.

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C.K. • Feb 3, 2012 at 04:34

Well, that's the way things go today. You can urinate on a crucifix and it's called "artistic expression; " you can burn your national flag and its called " freedom of political views;" you can murder and rape and its called " having had a difficult childhood;" you can call Jews pigs and its called " freedom of speech;" you can bomb and kill civilians and you're a " freedom fighter; " you can do about anything to anybody and somebody will always find the right excuse - but don't touch Islam , cause that's a no-no.

Yes - it's indeed a sick, sick world that we live in now.

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Elizabeth M.C. • Feb 2, 2012 at 21:17

Is this some kind of joke? People take exception about that which disrespects Mohammad, but Jesus is fair game? Apparently, this is more about fear of Islamists than about respect of religion.

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JBut • Feb 2, 2012 at 10:49

It's incredible that a place of higher learning could stoop to such a stupid level and ban criticism, even mockery of any ideology, including religion. It's interesting that Jesus has been ridiculed and mocked in Western society for a long time, along with popes, bishops, the Bible, Christianity etc., but no move has been made to ban that. But now Islam is brought into the mix, and ripe with much to ridicule and find offense about, and now this new silencing of free speech, which Islamists have been fighting for all over the world and are close to getting passed in the UN even.

But why cannot Islam alone be criticized? This article doesn't mention Jesus or Christianity, or, for that matter, any other chosen belief system. Are we to believe that only Islam is not allowed to be criticized or have its hateful teachings questioned (since the Quran actually does blaspheme Jesus, Christianity and Judaism, the Muslims maybe a little shy of including themselves in any silencing of blasphemy against others)? Will it be not allowed to even read, without comment, the hate-filled verses of the Quran and hadith against women, non-Muslims, homosexuals, and those who leave Islam or criticize it? Hmmm.

The LSE's administration should strike this down immediately and then open it to normal voting, or just forget it altogether. This school should be a place for all ideas and for the criticism, even ridiculing of them. Christians and/or Muslims can post cartoons of atheists or fundamentalistic scientists. That could be fun.

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Martin • Feb 1, 2012 at 18:30

This is the beginning of the programme of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to outlaw criticism of Islam worldwide. In December 2011 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to combat intolerance, discrimination and violence on the grounds of religion or belief, declaring these actions a violation of human rights. The resolution was prepared by the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which had won majority approval in UN rights bodies in Geneva and at the UN General Assembly for annual resolutions on "combating defamation of religions" since 1998. Many people might think that sounds like a good resolution, but when you understand true agenda of the OIC you realise it is not just about combating intolerance. In fact, the OIC really wants Muslims to be exempt from criticism.

The OIC is the largest head of state organization in the world after the United Nations (UN) itself and comprises 56 Muslim countries plus the Palestinians. It claims to be the "collective voice of the Muslim world." In 1990, the OIC membership adopted the "Cairo Declaration," which officially exempted all Muslim countries from compliance with the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights and replaced it with Islamic law (Shariah).   One of the fundamental laws of Islam deals with "slander," which is defined in Shariah as saying "anything concerning a person [a Muslim] that he would dislike."

At the OIC's Third Extraordinary Session, held in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in December 2005, the organization adopted a "Ten-Year Programme of Action to Meet the Challenges Facing the Muslim Ummah in the 21st Century."   A key agenda item of that meeting was "the need to counter Islamophobia" by seeking to have the UN "…adopt an international resolution to counter Islamophobia, and call upon all States to enact laws to counter it, including deterrent punishments."

The end of freedom of speech and the beginning of Islamic tyranny?

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Audrey Kadis • Jan 31, 2012 at 19:36

I don't understand why the motion didn't include baring criticism of Christian religion and culture. If the cartoon denigrated Jesus, doesn't Christianity deserve equal protection? Come to think of it, since Jesus was a Jew, any insults to Jews or Jewish culture should also be included in the ban. The next step would be to bar denigration of cultural norms relating to men, since both Jesus and Muhammed were men. We should outlaw jokes about football and sports cars since both are closely linked with male stereotypes.

What ever happened to free speech? If the London School of Economics is willing to bar free speech, how can genuine academic discourse take place?

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Anon • Jan 31, 2012 at 16:28

How can it be a form of racism even though its logically impossible for Islam to be a race? Islam is neither a race or a religion; it is a system that completely governs every aspect of life, and that is 100% fact!

If you study Sharia and the history of Islam, you can come to no other conclusion that Islamophobia is a meaningless PC buzzword designed as a trump card to play whenever Muslims are being criticised by those who know too much about what Islam actually is.

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