» blasphemy

blasphemy

...now browsing by tag

 
Anonymous astrology atheists bible blasphemy Catholic Church child abuse christmas Christopher Hitchens comedy conspiracy cover up creationism end times evolution exorcism Facebook faith healing France Fred Phelps God Hates Fags Haiti homosexuality Ireland Islam Koran military mormons Muhammad Muslim pedophile priests Pope Benedict XVI rape Richard Dawkins Sam Harris school Scientology sex abuse sexual abuse South Park Supreme Court The Vatican video Westboro Baptist Church witchcraft
 

Pakistani Teen In Jail For Blasphemy In School Exam

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Police have arrested a Pakistani teenager accused of writing insulting comments about Muslim prophet Mohammed in a school exam, a senior police official said.

Police arrested 17-year-old Sami Ullah in Karachi after receiving a complaint from the local board of education, said Karachi police official Qudrat Shah Lodhi.

Lodhi declined to say what Ullah wrote in his high school exam for fear of violating Pakistan’s blasphemy laws himself.

The controversial laws say whoever defiles the name of the prophet shall be punished by death or imprisoned for life.

The laws came into sharp focus late last year when liberal Pakistani politician Salman Taseer was gunned down after leading a public campaign to change them

Taseer said the laws were being misused to persecute minorities.

Ullah — the latest Pakistani to be accused of blasphemy — is a Muslim, according to police.

He wrote the alleged blasphemous comments when taking a school exam in April 2010, police said.

It’s not clear why it took months for the board of education’s complaint against Ullah to reach police.

Ullah has apologized for his comments and begged the court for leniency, police said.

Source: CNN

Posted in Islam | No Responses »

New Blasphemous Art Exhibition Opens In Dublin

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

A new art exhibition titled Blasphemous opened (appropriately) on Good Friday in the Irish Museum of Contemporary Art (IMOCA) in Lad Lane, off Baggott Street, Dublin 2. It’s the second art exhibition to highlight and challenge the new Irish blasphemy law, which became active on 1st January 2010.

Since then, the Irish Justice Minister has responded to the campaign against the law by saying that he will propose a referendum, later this year, to remove the reference to blasphemy from the Irish Constitution, thus enabling the blasphemy law to be repealed.

This makes the new exhibition in IMOCA not just a challenge to the blasphemy law, but also a celebration of artistic freedom, and freedom of expression generally. The exhibition runs until 25 April and is open from 12 noon to 5 pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, or by appointment through contacting IMOCA.

Posted in Finding Your Way | No Responses »

Ireland’s New Blasphemy Law Challenged

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

Starting January 1st, 2010, it is now a crime to publish or utter matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion.  The new “Blasphemy Law” sets a punishment of a €25,000 fine for the egregious offense.

The Irish activist group, Atheist Irelend,  has decided to make the new law it’s focus for the time being. They have published a list of 25 “blasphemous” quotations by famous people throughout history.  The law-beakers include Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Mark Twain, Tom Lehrer, Randy Newman, Monty Python, Frank Zappa, Salman Rushdie, Bjork, George Carlin, Richard Dawkins, Pope Benedict XVI, and Christopher Hitchens.

Bjork, 1995

“I do not believe in religion, but if I had to choose one it would be Buddhism. It seems more livable, closer to men… I’ve been reading about reincarnation, and the Buddhists say we come back as animals and they refer to them as lesser beings. Well, animals aren’t lesser beings, they’re just like us. So I say fuck the Buddhists.”

Mark Twain,1909 When describing the Christian Bible in Letters from the Earth

“Also it has another name – The Word of God. For the Christian thinks every word of it was dictated by God. It is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies… But you notice that when the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, adored Father of Man, goes to war, there is no limit. He is totally without mercy – he, who is called the Fountain of Mercy. He slays, slays, slays! All the men, all the beasts, all the boys, all the babies; also all the women and all the girls, except those that have not been deflowered. He makes no distinction between innocent and guilty… What the insane Father required was blood and misery; he was indifferent as to who furnished it.”

Read the entire list at Blasphamy.ie

Irish atheists use Bjork, Mark Twain to challenge blasphemy law (CNN)
Irish atheists challenge blasphemy law (BBC)

See what George Carlin said:

Posted in Church vs. State | No Responses »