Posted on 02/01/2006 7:00:39 AM PST by Kurt_Hectic
Norway needs anti-blasphemy regulations to protect minorities against derisive and hateful expression, says lawyer Abid Q Raja.
"The point is not to restrict freedom of speech but to give it direction so that weak groups do not feel insulted or mocked. If we do nothing the differences within Norwegian society will increase in the future," Raja told newspaper Dagsavisen.
Raja's statement comes after the new wave of controversy surrounding caricatures of the prophet Mohammed, first published in Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten last September and now recently in the Norwegian Christian weekly Magazinet.
Raja said he perceives the caricatures as a clear insult of Muslims and their faith.
"I would like a new blasphemy regulation that defines limits for what type of offensive expression shall be allowed towards society's minorities," Raja said.
Professor of Public Law Eivind Smith at the University of Oslo is skeptical but believes it is high time to discuss views of blasphemy.
Norwegian law already forbids threats and insults to person on the background of their skin color, nationality, outlook on life or sexual preference. Smith believes it is important than any future tightening of the law favors human rights rather than religion.
"The point is to protect people against insult. God should be able to take care of himself," Smith told Dagsavisen.
Related stories: Danish Mohammed cartoons circulate - 01.02.2006
Don't they have separation of Mosque and state?./.......
Hey, if Raja doesn't like Norway, he should move - home.
Raja is on the tv-debates all the time - a real loud-mouth...
Not to be too technical, but wouldn't 'Raja' be Indian?
Gee, I wonder what penalty they want for blasphemy...
ditto
How about.... no.
Next order of business!
The only "discussion" I want to see about the so-called "blasphemy law" is one where the subject is how quickly these muslims who want these kinds of laws are going to return to the backward countries from which they came.
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ingnorance is Strength
Sorry, there's no room for a "blasphemy regulation" in any free country. Individual organizations can certainly establish their own standards - for example, Christian broadcasters shouldn't be forced to carry Howard Stern - but having the government determine what is blasphemy and how to control it is insane. Besides, you know there is only one group that would be protected, in practice: Muslims, who would foam at the mouth about any mention of them or their religion and file a million complaints.
They, on the other hand, will still consider themselves perfectly free to refer to Jews as swine, Christians as dogs, etc. Believe me, nobody is going to dare to enforce the hypothetical blasphemy law against Muslims.
But that's okay, once sharia comes to Norway, it will be a moot point anyway.
Ignorance, that is...
LOL. figures I'd typo that one.
They are taking this thing way too serious Maybe a hobby or joining a real Church would shock them into reality.
What laws protect Christians and Jews in Saudi Arabia?
Precisely
Sounds like it. But in Hindi I would think it would be spelled "rajah". Hey, what do I know, I'm just a lowly history major. God knows, Raja sure ain't Norwegian.
Blasphemy? Islam isn't even a real religion.
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