Free Speech in the UK

[Papay]

Gulf monarchies have better ties with the American government than UK government

[Heathen Hammer]

Probably, but nature of ties is different. The American ties to Gulf are of purely pragmatic geopolitical nature, where US stations its troops on their land, and in exchange looks the other way when inbred "kings" fund terrorist groups that fly planes into buildings.
You don't see American politicians allowing Saudi-sponsored imams preach violence or pocket politicians criminalizing criticism of Islam like it is in UK.

[Infidel144]

Rowan Atkinson is a comedian Boris Johnson is not. As a comedian you must have free pass to satyrise whoever you want and be judged by the public. But Boris could be the next prime minister. Its not the same thing.

What should happen to Boris Johnson?

[Papay]

What should happen to Boris Johnson?

He should be condemned for his rhetoric

[Infidel144]

He should be condemned for his rhetoric

Are you condemning him?

[Aexodus]

Yeah, it’s real Islamophobic to write an entire newpaper piece opposing a Burka ban.

[Papay]

Are you condemning him?

I am not member of the UK conservative party but i am glad that Theresa May denounced what Boris Johnson said. Rhetoric that wants to divide UK society among sectarian lines should not exist on politics

[Infidel144]

I am not member of the UK conservative party but i am glad that Theresa May denounced what Boris Johnson said.

I did not ask what party you were a member of. I asked if you condemned him.

As a comedian you must have free pass to satyrise whoever you want and be judged by the public.

Are you saying that comedians should have more extensive rights to free speech than other people?

[Papay]

I did not ask what party you were a member of. I asked if you condemned him.

I am against of what he said. So someone could say that I "condemned" him. Irrelevant either way since I am not even British

Are you saying that comedians should have more extensive rights to free speech than other people?

A comedian cannot be taken seriously(what he says is for laughs). A politician though is a public figure that what he says must be taken seriously

[Infidel144]

I am against of what he said. So someone could say that I "condemned" him. Irrelevant either way since I am not even British

I did not ask what "someone" could say. I asked if you condemn him.

A comedian cannot be taken seriously(what he says is for laughs). A politician though is a public figure that what he says must be taken seriously

Disputable. Also not an answer. I asked if you are saying that a comedian should have more extensive rights to free speech than other people.

Both of these questions are very simple and straightforward.

[Aexodus]

A comedian cannot be taken seriously(what he says is for laughs). A politician though is a public figure that what he says must be taken seriously

Well not really. Anyone living in the UK knows not to take Boris that seriously. But I’d like to know how joking that burqas, a tool to repress women, look like letterboxes really divides the UK along sectarian lines.

[joethepro36]

In reality it doesn't because the vast majority of the population simply do not care about people who wear burkas. Even within the muslim population its a rarity.

https://www.channel4.com/news/factch...acts-factcheck

So rare that we have no reliable figures for the UK population but in France out of approx 2 million muslims, 2k wore a burka or niqab. So something like 0.1% of the muslim population. In the UK assuming the figures are the same, you get approx 0.0044% of the population. So rare it makes transgenders seem common.

Note he wasn't arguing against the headscarf or general covering but of complete and total coverage going far beyond what Islam requires.

[Aexodus]

53% of the country thinks he shouldn’t face disciplinary action by the party, it would be interesting to know how that figure breaks down by party. And there’s actually a number of Muslims who have come out in support of him.

[Diocle]

About free speech in UK I found this video by Rowan Atkinson about Reform of Section 5 of Public Order Act (in my opinion the perfect Fascist Law):

[Whitey McKnightey]

This should be appreciated by those who remember the Count Dankula travesty from some months back.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-activist.html

[Big War Bird]

Warning to UK users, what follows may trigger in you such emotions as to possibly damage your eternal soul.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

UK police arrest six men over burning of Grenfell Tower effigy

London police arrested six men over a video showing a cardboard model of Grenfell Tower being burned - an act condemned by bereaved families and survivors of the apartment-block blaze that killed 71 people.

British police arrested six men after a video was posted on the internet showing men laughing and mocking the deadly Grenfell Tower blaze.

They were released on Tuesday, but remain under investigation, according to a police statement.

Or if you find that your soul isn't eternally damaged and you might have even chuckled for a second, for god's sake don't tell anyone, you might be arrested too.

[95thrifleman]

Warning to UK users, what follows may trigger in you such emotions as to possibly damage your eternal soul.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

UK police arrest six men over burning of Grenfell Tower effigy

Or if you find that your soul isn't eternally damaged and you might have even chuckled for a second, for god's sake don't tell anyone, you might be arrested too.

They where not arrested for burning an effigy of the tower, they where arrested for the racist braying while they burned it.

[conon394]

Or if you find that your soul isn't eternally damaged and you might have even chuckled for a second, for god's sake don't tell anyone, you might be arrested too.

Why would I chuckle at people making fun a fire that killed what 70 people injured many others swept away the possessions of so many. Sharing on line seems to trend into hate speech given their comments. On balance I not sure any great suppression of free speech. Some people are just to stupid to keep what at best is repulsively poor taste to themselves. In any case the arrest was based on the intent of sharing, not the act had remained private.

[Heathen Hammer]

They where not arrested for burning an effigy of the tower, they where arrested for the racist braying while they burned it.

"Racism" seems to be a very tired buzzword especially when it is being liberally applied to things thta have nothing to do with concept of race. Did the video contain direct calls for immediate violent action? I don't think so. Then it should fall under free speech.
But yeah, something must be done about British government which is goose-stepping towards Orwellian authoritarianism at an alarming pace.

[TheLeft]

Or if you find that your soul isn't eternally damaged and you might have even chuckled for a second, for god's sake don't tell anyone, you might be arrested too.

Why on earth would anyone laugh at a bunch of racist scumbags mocking the tragic deaths of 71 people? Qs someone has already mentioned, they were arrested for their yelling racist troll comments.