Hmm. Meral Hussein Ece – she’s a LibDem peer. She’s not very liberal. She had this to say last week on Stephen Tall’s post about Maajid at LibDem Voice:
I condemn anyone issuing death threats, and of course this should be reported to the Police. Im all for a mature ‘debate’ on any religion, but using a cartoon is unhelpful and trivial. This cartoon is part of a cartoon strip which depicts the Prophet Mohammed in bed with Jesus drinking beer. Clearly offensive to even the most moderate Muslims, and even many Christians who will be aware of this. I believe in living and let living, and would not want to offend Jews, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, or any other of the major faiths in the UK. Why would anyone want to do that? Given there is a significant rise of Muslim children in our schools who have turned to Childline complaining of Islamphobic bullying (being called a terrorist in their schools is now common), and a significant rise in Islamophobic attacks, do we really want to go out of our way to offend people? How does that foster good community relations? Mature debate, yes, but crude cartoons, do not take this debate anywhere. It’s open season right now for Muslims in the UK, just as its was for Jews in the 1930s/40s. As a Liberal Democrat who believes in respecting others, regardless of their race and faith, forgive me if I don’t jump up and down in glee over this, particularly when the ‘Archbishop’ blogger informs us that many consider ‘Islam a vile faith’ I wonder if you would have reprinted this about any other religion?
She’s wrong that it’s “clearly offensive to even the most moderate Muslims,” for a start. What makes people think they know things like that? That’s a claim that Jesus and Mo is “clearly offensive” to all Muslims, and how could she possibly know that? There are certainly some Muslims who are “ethnic” or background or cultural Muslims, who don’t actually buy any of the religion itself. Why would they find Jesus and Mo “clearly offensive”?
And she doesn’t believe in respecting others. She doesn’t believe in respecting people who have no problem with cartoons that satirize religion.
And she’s a dang peer. Honestly.
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)