Reply to: Remembrance Day Respect vs Liberty Poll - which is more dangerous to society?

[d000hg]

But the poppy burners consider "the West" to be synonymous with Christianity, so it would be illegal.

But they're wrong. So if you do something with the intention of it being an illegal act, but it turns out you're just annoying people for non-illegal reasons, now what?!

[Old Greg]

That doesn't make it illegal to burn the Qur'an (or the Bible or the Torah or any other religious text).

What it does is make it illegal to do something which inspires racial and religious hatred. So, if you burned the Qur'an in an attempt to inspire religious hatred, then that would be illegal.

In the same way, burning poppies in an attempt to inspire hatred of Christians or white people would be illegal. Burning poppies to inspire hatred of "the West" wouldn't be illegal because that's neither a race or a religion.

IIRC, the law was introduced because there was a gap in existing legislation. You could be prosecuted for inspiring racial hatred against (e.g.) Arabs because they were legally classed as a race, but not against Jews because they were defined as a religion rather than a race.

No, Jews, Sikhs and Romany Gypsies are specifically included as ethnic groups even though they may not be 'racially' distinct.

The problem that the ill-advised religious hatred legislation attempts to address is the far right's move from being anti-black, anti-Jewish and anti-Asian to picking on Muslims as a cover for their racism.

[NotAllThere]

...In the same way, burning poppies in an attempt to inspire hatred of Christians or white people would be illegal. Burning poppies to inspire hatred of "the West" wouldn't be illegal because that's neither a race or a religion...

But the poppy burners consider "the West" to be synonymous with Christianity, so it would be illegal.

[TheFaQQer]

Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That doesn't make it illegal to burn the Qur'an (or the Bible or the Torah or any other religious text).

What it does is make it illegal to do something which inspires racial and religious hatred. So, if you burned the Qur'an in an attempt to inspire religious hatred, then that would be illegal.

In the same way, burning poppies in an attempt to inspire hatred of Christians or white people would be illegal. Burning poppies to inspire hatred of "the West" wouldn't be illegal because that's neither a race or a religion.

IIRC, the law was introduced because there was a gap in existing legislation. You could be prosecuted for inspiring racial hatred against (e.g.) Arabs because they were legally classed as a race, but not against Jews because they were defined as a religion rather than a race.

[Mich the Tester]

Quite an odd piece of legislation as I believe it would make most religious texts illegal.

Virtually all the major religions have the belief that their religion is the only one and followers of other religions or non believers are "hated" (that is the questionable bit). I am surprised that the BNP have not yet gone to court with this.

Give them a chance; they have to complete their elementary adult literacy course first.

[Arturo Bassick]

Bloody hell.

Quite an odd piece of legislation as I believe it would make most religious texts illegal.

Virtually all the major religions have the belief that their religion is the only one and followers of other religions or non believers are "hated" (that is the questionable bit). I am surprised that the BNP have not yet gone to court with this.

[MarillionFan]

Bloody hell.

Prove it. I've heard it's a nice place.

[Mich the Tester]

Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bloody hell.

[SimonMac]

I don't think there are any laws in Britain explicitly forbidding the burning of a Koran. Maybe incitement to riot or breach of the peace, depending on circumstances, but in your own garden, nobody can stop you.

Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Mich the Tester]

If it a legitimate form of protest then I will defend their right to burn poppies, as long as they let me burn the Quran if I chose to.

I don't think there are any laws in Britain explicitly forbidding the burning of a Koran. Maybe incitement to riot or breach of the peace, depending on circumstances, but in your own garden, nobody can stop you.

[russell]

That's what I meant. I didn't mean us CUK members, elite fighting force that we would undoubtedly make

Come on, russell's a contractor and he's clearly not in the top 25% of anything, except the bottom third.

Says the guy who believes the earth is 5000 years old and talks to a big man in the sky

[SimonMac]

If it a legitimate form of protest then I will defend their right to burn poppies, as long as they let me burn the Quran if I chose to.

[d000hg]

Not 'we', but indeed the Allies did win the freedom of the Germans.

That's what I meant. I didn't mean us CUK members, elite fighting force that we would undoubtedly make

As an IT contractor, presumably educated to degree level or having professional qualifications at that level, you are probably among the most intelligent 25% of people in whatever country you are in. Frightening thought, or not?

Come on, russell's a contractor and he's clearly not in the top 25% of anything, except the bottom third.

[DodgyAgent]

I don't get the poppy thing at all, it's all history are we to linger in the past miseries every year? Couldn't care less if someone burns them or not, it's all ballocks.

So your parents put you up for adoption then

[Mich the Tester]

Yep. Airhead journalists are fascinated by Twitter and therefore conclude that the rest of us are similarly afflicted. The Metro in London is a particularly bad offender.

As an IT contractor, presumably educated to degree level or having professional qualifications at that level, you are probably among the most intelligent 25% of people in whatever country you are in. Frightening thought, or not?