Labour MP Keith Vaz in favour of blasphemy laws

[Ignitionnet]

So this is depressing.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/medi...n-Muslims.html

http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/20...blasphemy-laws

Keith Vaz MP, the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, told Al Arabiya News that he would have “no problem” with blasphemy laws being reintroduced, under certain conditions.

“It should apply to all religions. If we have laws, they should apply to everybody. Religions are very special to people. And therefore I have no objection to them… but it must apply equally to everybody.”

Asked whether he thought there should be a blasphemy laws he said “no”, but added: “If somebody brings it forward in parliament I’ll vote for it… Obviously it depends what’s in the bill. But I have no objection to it being brought before parliament and having a debate about it.”

Keith appears to have been taking lessons in equivocation from Jeremy Corbyn. He has no objection to blasphemy laws but thinks there shouldn't be any. If you've no objection, Keith, and would vote for it then you obviously do think they should be on the statute books, you're just playing politics in such a ridiculously transparent way I find it insulting to my intelligence.

The Labour Party appears to be in a headlong rush towards even greater depths of illiberalism.

With this, the advent of ever-encroaching political correctness, and perhaps most notably the phenomenon of Jeremy Corbyn, the question can legitimately be asked: what happened to left-wing libertarianism?

On that note back to my safe space.

[Ramrod]

afaik, Keith Vaz is a muslim so no surprise there

Originally Posted by Ramrod

afaik, Keith Vaz is a muslim so no surprise there

Your getting a bit obsessed with Muslims. Anyway he is a Roman Catholic. You don't need to be a Muslim or even any other religion to support blasphemy laws. Plenty of atheists support criminalising 'problematic' speech, look at many student unions. Authoritarianism has no religion or political bias.

Since the last person imprisoned for blasphemy was in 1922, and the last (private, and unsuccessful) prosecution in England was in 1977 (brought by Mary Whitehouse), there doesn't appear to be a burning need for any new laws on this matter.

Originally Posted by Hugh

Since the last person imprisoned for blasphemy was in 1922, and the last (private, and unsuccessful) prosecution in England was in 1977 (brought by Mary Whitehouse), there doesn't appear to be a burning need for any new laws on this matter.

I think that some people are confusing blasphemy with hate crimes..

Keith Vaz has always been up to this kind of thing though. When I was growing up he was always trying to get various games banned or demonised in conjunction with the Daily Mail. He has only gone quiet on that because games are now a multi-billion pound mainstream industry enjoyed by a lot of adults.

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Damien

Your getting a bit obsessed with Muslims. Anyway he is a Roman Catholic.

lol, I was wondering but got suckered by the best avaliable results on a quick internet search.....that'll learn me! .......and yes, I am getting obsessed by them as I can see through their little game.

You don't need to be a Muslim or even any other religion to support blasphemy laws.

Indeed but it's muslims that are currently most likely to spit their dummies out over and real or imagined critisism of their faith.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Damien

Keith Vaz has always been up to this kind of thing though. When I was growing up he was always trying to get various games banned or demonised in conjunction with the Daily Mail. He has only gone quiet on that because games are now a multi-billion pound mainstream industry enjoyed by a lot of adults.

Anita Sarkeesian et al have taken that over.

[greeninferno]

the fact this creature is still employed as an MP, tells you all you need to know about the Labour Party and politics in general in this country.

[Osem]

It tells you quite a bit about some of his constituents too...

[deadite66]

So were in the Decay stage of Civilization Aren't we?

Originally Posted by Osem

It tells you quite a bit about some of his constituents too...

That they're mostly Hindu?

---------- Post added at 17:44 ---------- Previous post was at 17:43 ----------

Originally Posted by deadite66

So were in the Decay stage of Civilization Aren't we?

No...

[Osem]

I'm sure Hindus don't have a monopoly on idiocy...

Keith vaz is and always has been a prat this is no surprise at all and no there should not be blasphemy laws in the UK we have the laws to cover hate crimes\speech we don't need more. Not my thing personally but if someone wants to question religion or criticise it they should be as free to do so as someone who wishes to be religious and having silly laws like blasphemy would create more problems then they solve. Add in the fact by the time Osbourne's finished probably won't be enough police to enforce any new law.

[Ignitionnet]

If Keith Vaz and George Osborne have their way there'll have to be Demolition Man-style machines dispatching fines for blasphemy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BffgC5DKQG0