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**vTLWqa1l** · 12-01-2007, 07:50 PM

Never mind 15 days, the incitement to hatred laws in the UK carry up to 7(?) years in prison. Let's hope the requirements for constituting such an offence don't become as low here as they have in Sudan!

They cannot. The Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 came into force on 1 October 2007. (By a schedule, the Act amends the Public Order Act 1986.) The 2006 Act does indeed carry a maximum penalty on conviction of 7 years in prison. It extends to hatred of those with no belief and so covers atheists. An offence under the Act can be committed by a corporation, not just individuals. In contrast to what we hear of the Sudanese law, the 2006 Act requires that the offending behaviour must be 'threatening' and the hatred must be 'intended'. A prosecution may only be brought with the consent of the Attorney General. Furthermore, there is, in section 29J of the schedule to the Act, 'Protection of freedom of expression'. Section 29J reads:

Nothing in this Part shall be read or given effect in a way which prohibits or restricts discussion, critcism or expression of antipathy, dislike, ridicule, insult or abuse of particular religions or the beliefs or practices of their adherents, or of any other belief system or the beliefs or practices of their adherents, or proselytising or urging adherents of a different religion or belief system to cease practising their religion or belief system. I think that one of the causes of conflict between Islam and the West is that in the Islamic world (north Africa, Middle East, etc) there is a deeply-held view of 'respect' which does not exist in the West. After the Danish cartoons affair, one leading Muslim cleric said on the radio, 'we are entitled to respect': in the West, you are not, as section 29J makes clear, and you have to accept the rough and tumble of a multiplicity of ideas, some of which may cause deep offence.

12-01-2007, 07:50 PM	#6
vTLWqa1l Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 528 Senior Member	Never mind 15 days, the incitement to hatred laws in the UK carry up to 7(?) years in prison. Let's hope the requirements for constituting such an offence don't become as low here as they have in Sudan! They cannot. The Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 came into force on 1 October 2007. (By a schedule, the Act amends the Public Order Act 1986.) The 2006 Act does indeed carry a maximum penalty on conviction of 7 years in prison. It extends to hatred of those with no belief and so covers atheists. An offence under the Act can be committed by a corporation, not just individuals. In contrast to what we hear of the Sudanese law, the 2006 Act requires that the offending behaviour must be 'threatening' and the hatred must be 'intended'. A prosecution may only be brought with the consent of the Attorney General. Furthermore, there is, in section 29J of the schedule to the Act, 'Protection of freedom of expression'. Section 29J reads: Nothing in this Part shall be read or given effect in a way which prohibits or restricts discussion, critcism or expression of antipathy, dislike, ridicule, insult or abuse of particular religions or the beliefs or practices of their adherents, or of any other belief system or the beliefs or practices of their adherents, or proselytising or urging adherents of a different religion or belief system to cease practising their religion or belief system. I think that one of the causes of conflict between Islam and the West is that in the Islamic world (north Africa, Middle East, etc) there is a deeply-held view of 'respect' which does not exist in the West. After the Danish cartoons affair, one leading Muslim cleric said on the radio, 'we are entitled to respect': in the West, you are not, as section 29J makes clear, and you have to accept the rough and tumble of a multiplicity of ideas, some of which may cause deep offence.
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