The real harm
Maryam rejects Naz Shah’s attempt to invent a crime of “emotional harm.”
Notice that Shah says the bill is to “protect emotional harm.” She says it throughout her speech, too. She means protect from emotional harm…by sentencing people to 10 years in prison for damaging statues (and, apparently, for “blasphemous” cartoons).
What a revolting plan.
“Emotional harm”. What could possibly go wrong?
And don’t they already have laws against vandalism anyways?
Yes, but I doubt that vandalism gets a 10 year sentence.
I just do not understand the way that Muslims approach Muhammed. Note, Ms. Shah uses a blessing each time she says his name or title, and they state how much it harms them to see Muhammed attacked or disrespected.
Now, Ms. Benson, I am sorry, but I am a Christian, and I just cannot get equally worked up about someone doing the same for Jesus, nor do I have to pause in my writing or speech and include something like “Peace Be Upon Him.” It just never occurs to me. I just accept that many people do not hold Jesus in the same regard that I and others do, and I move on. I cannot bless Jesus any more than he is already blessed, so it would seem that PBUH is utterly redundant. It would be an unfair restriction on thought and speech to expect or put into law some kind of penalty for making fun of Jesus or God. And yet, although I do not comment here about religious topics (I recognize I am commenting among non-theistic and non-religious people, and I do not want to get into meaningless and pointless arguments), it is fair to say that I try to center my entire life around Jesus, and I am drawn to do so by grace. But to demand others hold to such an understanding is absolutely counterproductive.
Andrew, that is the way people should approach it. If everyone were like that, we atheists would have few reasons to care what they believed, other than our commitment to truth. Some of my friends are that way, but most of my friends who are Christian (even very liberal, even Universalist Unitarian) get very bent out of joint if you don’t believe in Jesus. I don’t really want to have conversations with believers about religion because it tends to lead to friendships that are strained or even shattered. Whereas my only current Muslim friend? He has your attitude.