[brraverishhh]

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/bl...-e-dyer/383306

With little fanfare, the EU adopted new legislation this week that makes “certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia” criminal offenses — and allows individual EU nations to prosecute the citizens of other nations for those offenses. And no, it’s not European anti-Americanism that’s being targeted by the xenophobia provisions. Advocates of free speech in Europe are quite clear that what the new law will criminalize is analytical, factual, or hortatory discussion of Islam and Sharia by non-Muslims.
Their conclusion is bolstered by recent events. Geert Wilders of the Netherlands is only the most famous of several Europeans who have faced criminal charges for speaking critically of Islam. Another is Austrian journalist and activist Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, whose trial for “hate speech” opened in Vienna on November 23. Take a moment to read publicized transcripts of the proceedings; it is worth understanding that Sabaditsch-Wolff is being tried, literally, for quoting both the Koran and an authoritative work on Sunni law, and expressing criticism of the social institutions condoned in those religious texts.
She is not a cartoonist lampooning Muhammad, something most Westerners would recognize as less than respectful even if they didn’t all agree that it was “offensive.” Sabaditsch-Wolff quotes the texts of Islam seriously and accurately; she objects to their implications, but she doesn’t poke fun at them. However, as Ned May observes at Andrew Breitbart’s Big Peace:It has been well-established in a number of jurisdictions — including several in the West — that a non-Muslim who quotes the Koran accurately can still be convicted of “hate speech”. This aligns with the definition of Islamic slander (also to be found in [Sunni law document] Reliance) which considers anything that insults Islam, whether true or false, to be defamation.The author at the pseudonymous Daphne Anson blog (top link) wonders what will happen if Turkey is finally admitted to the EU, given the newly approved framework allowing cross-border prosecutions in Europe. But I am inclined to wonder how the other nations will react to being in the same union with Austria and the Netherlands, which have already shown a willingness to prosecute free speech as a hate crime. The charges against Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff are centered on questions like these, brought up one after another on the first day of her trial:10:53: The judge inquires if we are talking about Islamic extremism, or of Islam as such?
Elisabeth explains that we are talking Islam as such, as defined by its scripture, and quotes Erdogan that there is no moderate Islam anyway.The intellectual basis for her certainty (or the judge’s, for that matter) is not the issue here, nor should it be. The issue is that she is being prosecuted for forensic, critical investigation of Islam: for advancing opinions we hear argued nightly on American TV talk shows. The most basic of intellectual freedoms — attributing facts to sources and expressing opinions about them — is in the process of being criminalized in parts of the EU. Free-speech advocates fear that the new Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia will spread this trend toward criminalization across borders throughout Europe. They are justified in their concern.

[Paul Bunyan]

If it wasn't for me and my -from time to time- highly insensitive posts (frog stories etc) IsraelForum would have been just the same without even noticing with a-n-d-a-k01 still up and running towards the next level of censorship. It is that slippery. I just hope the crew knows.

[TorryJens]

No I don't think so. I don't think anyone ever got yelled at for quoting the Koran here. Maybe for being a racist . Be that as it may.

[Ifroham4]

By example a perfect thought out/hard to tear down alternative read of the Koran can already put one in a ban position which is our level of being jailed;
http://www.israelforum.com/board/sho...21&postcount=2

Finally it did not happen to me. Mostly I got what I wanted but the amount of posts that cost me to convince -you know who- to resign certainly shows that the outcome could have been both ways. Now I'm not here to complain about the past. Just saying that every new post that is granted the full nine yards of Freedom of Speech is worth every post ever made before.

The battle is the same everywhere you go. You already get into trouble when trying not to offend someone.

[Raj_Copi_Jin]

Alright. I live in Europe and have an anti-islamic website. I publish lot of anti-islamic articles with very fool language. Does it mean I might be jailed? Looks like i will end up living in Israel (through asylum-seek process)

[Lt_Apple]

I already see some headlines. Young guy converts to islam. Parents try to talk him out of it. Parents sued by Islamic Organization for using quotes from the Koran.
Alright. I live in Europe and have an anti-islamic website. I publish lot of anti-islamic articles with very fool language. Does it mean I might be jailed? I would go for the absurd equation that we are all mujahedeen/members of the resistance.
But you Cellis, with your website and all, you are worse! You must be an intellectual terrorist...

[S.T.D.]

It's like a joke! I found my server down today!

[LottiFurmann]

It's like a joke! I found my server down today!

Obviously the Jews did it.