P.ie Official Blasphemy Thread

[imokyrok]

Here it is - Our blasphemy laws face Euro challenge - National News, Frontpage - Herald.ie

Mind you as I understand it other EU countries have either a blasphemy law or one that provides for action against a religious insult so not sure if the compalint will get very far.
The European Commision did a report on the issue last year -
CDL-AD(2008)026 - Report on the relationship between Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Religion: the issue of regulation and prosecution of Blasphemy, Religious Insult and Incitement to Religious Hatred adopted by the Venice Commission at its 76th

Thats an intersting report. Thanks. It would appear that while most eu countries have legislation regarding incitement to hatred only a minority legislate against blasphemy and most of those have ceased to prosecute. Even if Karl Sigfrid is unsuccessful at least he trying which seems to be more than any Irish TD is doing. Does anyone know of any politician here who is actively fighting this? Perhaps our national crisis overshadows this retrograde step to such an extent that TDs are unable to focus on important but more nebulous concepts like free speech.

[Didimus]

No Irish politician I know of.
But again given that many EU countries do have a religious insult provision, and that the report cited acknowledges the possible legitimacy of such provisions, and given that such provisions clearly put limits on free speech, I'm not sure how this Swedish challenge is going anywhere.