Iceland makes blasphemy legal

tay

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Iceland's parliament has abolished its blasphemy laws, despite opposition from some of the country's churches.


A bill was put forward by the minority Pirate Party, which campaigns for internet and data freedom.


It came after the deadly attack the same month against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris.


The bill said it was "essential in a free society that the public can express themselves without fear of punishment".


As three members of the Pirate Party stood before parliament on Thursday, each said: "Je Suis Charlie", an expression used globally to express solidarity with the Charlie Hebdo victims.





After the ruling, the party wrote on its blog (in Icelandic): "Iceland's parliament has now established the important message that freedom will not give in to bloody attacks."


The blasphemy law had been in place since 1940, and anyone found guilty could have been sentenced to a fine or three months in prison.


The Iceland Monitor website said that the Church of Iceland supported the change, and quoted them as saying that "any legislative powers limiting freedom of expression in this way is at variance with modern-day attitudes towards human rights".


The Catholic Church of Iceland, the Pentecostal Church and the Church of Iceland's eastern province opposed the changes.


The Catholic Church wrote in comments submitted after the bill was proposed: "Should freedom of expression go so far as to mean that the identity of a person of faith can be freely insulted, then personal freedom - as individuals or groups - is undermined."


The Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association said that the new law included provisions to ensure that people could still be prosecuted for hate speech.


The Pirate movement was formed in Sweden in 2006 and has since spread to more than 60 countries.


None has seen as much success as the Icelandic branch, which says it is an "international political force fighting for genuine transparency and accountability in government".


In the 2013 election, it gained three MPs for the first time, and polls now say it is the most popular party in Iceland, with the support of 32.4% of the country.


In 2013, its members drafted a law calling for whistleblower Edward Snowden to be granted Icelandic citizenship.






Iceland makes blasphemy legal - BBC News
 

grainfedpraiboy

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Mar 15, 2009
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Iceland is one of the first countries in the world to make blasphemy legal (maybe the only one). Even Canada still has blasphemy laws and not only regularly enforces them but thanks to the efforts of Islam and their supporters and sympathisers, like most western countries is actually expanding them.

Thank Christ one country finally broke through the glass ceiling of religious intolerance and crawled into the 21st century.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Mar 18, 2013
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Iceland is one of the first countries in the world to make blasphemy legal (maybe the only one). Even Canada still has blasphemy laws and not only regularly enforces them but thanks to the efforts of Islam and their supporters and sympathisers, like most western countries is actually expanding them.

Thank Christ one country finally broke through the glass ceiling of religious intolerance and crawled into the 21st century.
You forgot the U.S. Our First Amendment makes blasphemy legal.
 

captain morgan

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Mar 28, 2009
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Iceland is one of the first countries in the world to make blasphemy legal (maybe the only one). Even Canada still has blasphemy laws and not only regularly enforces them but thanks to the efforts of Islam and their supporters and sympathisers, like most western countries is actually expanding them.

Thank Christ one country finally broke through the glass ceiling of religious intolerance and crawled into the 21st century.

I wonder if Iceland has Human Rights Tribunals?... That oughta kill any opportunity to offend anyone via blasphemy.

Ain't feel-good rights grand?
 

Tecumsehsbones

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I wonder if Iceland has Human Rights Tribunals?... That oughta kill any opportunity to offend anyone via blasphemy.

Ain't feel-good rights grand?
In a strange way, feel-good rights are important. From the UDHR, a totally aspirational, non-binding resolution, we are seeing countries slowly give force to the human rights in the UDHR.

Tiny acorns, great oaks, and all that jazz.
 

captain morgan

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Mar 28, 2009
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In a strange way, feel-good rights are important. From the UDHR, a totally aspirational, non-binding resolution, we are seeing countries slowly give force to the human rights in the UDHR.

Tiny acorns, great oaks, and all that jazz.

In principle, I am in total agreement, however, as we have witnessed in Canada, the door is wide open to abuse... A number of people/groups that have hurt feelings over commentary that is in opposition to the philosophy of select groups, abuse the opportunity to the use the HRC (Canada) to act as their attack dog.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Mar 18, 2013
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In principle, I am in total agreement, however, as we have witnessed in Canada, the door is wide open to abuse... A number of people/groups that have hurt feelings over commentary that is in opposition to the philosophy of select groups, abuse the opportunity to the use the HRC (Canada) to act as their attack dog.
Pendulums and sh*t, dude. It ain't never pretty. But ultimately, I think it's better than not.
 

taxslave

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Nov 25, 2008
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Trouble is what you and I view as a perfect world is diametrically opposed to that view held by islamist terrorists. ANd our homegrown ecoterrorists. And much of the left although they might agree on principals they have a much different view when it gets to the details.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Mar 18, 2013
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Trouble is what you and I view as a perfect world is diametrically opposed to that view held by islamist terrorists. ANd our homegrown ecoterrorists. And much of the left although they might agree on principals they have a much different view when it gets to the details.
Yeah, let's go kill 'em!

All without taxes.