Swedish MP criticises Irish blasphemy law

[Hazlitt]

"I don't particularly like the idea of one of our laws being overruled or invalidated by Brussels,"

I did not know that the EU had any control over criminal law.

This was in reference to the possible status afforded to the Charter of Fundamental Human Rights should Lisbon be ratified.

"- firstly tourists will most certainly be more than a little worried by this law (f*ck that you may say, but they trade with us, visit us, etc and are important to us)"

Tourists could mind their manners.

Tourists could stay away altogether and that would be very damaging to our economy.

"- secondly from a free media point of view (especially considering the current (and justified) cases being brought against clergy in the Catholic church) there will be a "blurred line" over which free people will not know if they are crossing when making statements on religious followers."

If racist abuse is a crime, why should sectarian abuse not also be a crime?

Verbal abuse I don't believe should be a crime. Weren't you taught "sticks and stones" when you were a child?

"Thirdly it affords a special place in law to religions that many (myself included) do not feel should be afforded."

Where did you get the idea that the law of the land should pander to your prejudices? Catholics have a right to live without having to endure screams of hatred or taunts from aggressive anti-Catholics.

I don't believe anybody should be subject to blasphemy laws. I think they are moronic and will lead to ridiculous censorship.

"Logically if you supported this bill you could be criticised for not supporting a bill banning people from calling someone "offensive names" (big nose etc) for fear of offending them - "

Is calling people offensive names not already a criminal offense?

Shut up big nose. Sue me.

What's your opinion on so-called "holocaust denial" laws?

I think that's the acid test in hypocrisy for any these people complaining about anti-religious offense laws.

I think they should be scrapped where implemented also.

[TradCat]

What can we tell Karl Sigfrid to reassure him? That the government have indicated that they have no intention of implementing the law and he shouldn't be taking our legislation too seriously when we don't?

You see Karl it was in the constitution but there was no intention of acting on it so we had to either remove the provision from the constitution or back it up with a law we were not going to use. It's called an Irish solution to an Irish problem. Forget about it. We have. We don't take ourselves seriously so why would you?

[Hewson]

What can we tell Karl Sigfrid to reassure him? That the government have indicated that they have no intention of implementing the law and he shouldn't be taking our legislation too seriously when we don't?

You see Karl it was in the constitution but there was no intention of acting on it so we had to either remove the provision from the constitution or back it up with a law we were not going to use. It's called an Irish solution to an Irish problem. Forget about it. We have. We don't take ourselves seriously so why would you?

Spot on. The Blasphemy law is as asinine a piece of legislation as could only be dreamed up by either a Fianna Fáil Minister or a mad Mullah.

On the other hand, I don't care for politicians from other EU states telling us what's wrong with our own laws, cock-eyed as they may be. Swedish tourists won't be filling our jails at any time in the near future. It's as silly as suggesting that people stay away from Muslim countries in case they get into trouble for criticising the new paint job on the roof of the Mosque in the nearby village.

Ho-hum . . .

[reknaw]

I fail to see why anyone should get his or her knickers in a twist because a Swedish parliamentarian with a proven track record of defending human rights and a keen interest in constitutional law and media freedom (see here: Karl Sigfrid (m) - Riksdagen) expresses his disquiet over a law that has the potential to be gravely abused by organisations like the Catholic church and individuals and organisations close to it.

Do we want to go back to the days of John Charles McQuaid, the bully who was never elected by anyone, but exercised more influence over the lives of people than any elected politician?

Or to judges like the late unlamented Rory O'Hanlon, a religious fanatic who abused the cachet that came with his high judicial position to intervene blatantly in political and societal matters?

Sweden currently holds the rotating EU Presidency, incidentally, and it is hardly surprising that some of its parliamentarians are taking an interest in goings-on in other Member States.

No Swede need feel embarrassed about commenting on actual or potential human rights abuses elsewhere. Their own record in modern times is exemplary and their education, health and social welfare services demonstrate that the Kingdom of Sweden certainly cares more for the human rights and wellbeing of its own citizens than the Republic of Ireland does.

Besides, it is not at all unusual for politicians from other EU Member States to comment on Irish affairs. A few years ago, when the Irish electorate voted "no" to the Nice Treaty and Blank Cheque Bertie subsequently arranged a second referendum, he addressed a press conference in Dublin with the then Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen standing beside him and urging the Irish to vote "yes" the next time. The fact that none of the media representatives present had the wit to ask Lipponen how he had managed to persuade his own citizens to vote "yes" in their referendum demonstrates what a waste of space those Lunchtime O'Boozes are.

I'm sure that many of those who object to Mr. Sigfrid's expression of concern about this retrograde law, which will place a deadly weapon at the disposal of the Kiddy Fiddlers Protection Society and its fellow-travellers, had no problem at all with our own politicians importing foreign colleagues to back them up.

Incidentally, before anyone attacks Mr. Sigfrid for being some kind of tree-hugging anorak-wearing leftie, let me point out that he is a member of the Moderata Samlingspartiet, which could best be described as "conservative lite" or "tories with a human face".

[Stakhanov]

You got to love being Irish.

People have been whinging about this blasphemy law for weeks.

As soon as a Swede intervenes, everyone closes ranks and tells him where to go.

I sometimes wonder why Ireland has stayed nominally neutral for so long!

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

I think the Swedish chap is right. And from what I can see I'd trust a Swedish politician more than our own.

That isn't a failing on my part- its a damning comment on Irish politics and Irish politicians. The sooner we get some international authority in like the IMF to hatchet the sticky-fingers mob off our economy the better.

We can shoot the guilty later.

[Fr. Fahey]

Ah yes, Sweden, the land where this sort of nonsense has people terrified to open their mouths and he's worried about us!:

In the same way that there is a gender power structure in Sweden, there is an ethnic power structure. There is an ethnic hierarchy with native-born Swedes at the top and non-Europeans at the bottom.


More time worrying about your own country being taken over by Sociology II.IIs pal and less about us thank you, do come again

[brigg]

You got to love being Irish.

People have been whinging about this blasphemy law for weeks.

As soon as a Swede intervenes, everyone closes ranks and tells him where to go.

I sometimes wonder why Ireland has stayed nominally neutral for so long!

Exactly!
Im a little suprised at some of the attitudes in this thread.
Suddenly its acceptable to turn a blind eye to the blasphemy law itself, just to tell some interfering foreigner to mind his own business.

[reknaw]

Ah yes, Sweden, the land where this sort of nonsense has people terrified to open their mouths and he's worried about us!:

In the same way that there is a gender power structure in Sweden, there is an ethnic power structure. There is an ethnic hierarchy with native-born Swedes at the top and non-Europeans at the bottom.


More time worrying about your own country being taken over by Sociology II.IIs pal and less about us thank you, do come again

Rather confusing comments from the good Father, but let's look at them one-by-one:

People terrified to open their mouths: When did Sweden last jail someone for expressing an opinion?

Gender structure: 47% of the 349 members of the Riksdag are women. That equates to 78 women TDs in the Dáil. When will we get there?

Natives/non-natives: perhaps the good father would like to tell us how many members of the Riksdag and Dáil, respectively, are either foreign-born or children of foreign-born parents.