Freedom of speech?

[BADDOG]

Some of you who live in the UK may be aware of the row that's broken out over remarks made by television reporter, former mp and newspaper columnist Robert Kilroy-Silk.

In a newspaper column last week he described some arabs as "Limb amputators and women opressors" he did state quite clearly "some arabs" obviously this has caused a great deal of offence amongs muslim members of the general community however, a muslim cleric in London has been allowed to make anti western speeches in public, calling for the overthrow of our democratically elected government to be replaced by a so called muslim theocracy. This cleric has called for a jihad (holy war) against the western world and has been allowed to so without any interference what so ever.

Why then has no complaint been made by members of the muslim community against this man and his calls for the destruction of our liberal democracy? Is this yet another case of their double standards which seem to blind them to the obvious fact that the UK is a liberal democracy and as such all shades of opinion are allowed?

Robert Kilroy-Silk made no mention of race in terms of colour or indeed creed but simply refered to practices carried out by certain elements in the arab world that do carry out amputations and do suppress the rights of women. Why then has he been forced to apologise for expressing his opinion in a democracy and his television programme been suspended by the cowardly BBC?

Have we reached a stage in the UK where someones opinion, providing it incites no racial hatred or calls for violence against members of different communitys, is no longer allowed to be expressed in case someone some where is offended?

Did not our fathers fight against Nazi tyranny in Europe to allow us our freedom to express an opinion and be free to do so? You can enter any library in the UK and obtain a copy of Adolf Hitlers Mein Kampf (My Struggle) and read in that his call for the extermination of the jewish race because no one is stupid enough to believe anything that madman said or may have written but the fact remains you can do so because the UK is a liberal democracy.

If we have indeed reached the stage where the truth, plain and simple can no longer be spoken, then what price democracy?

Regards

[Nev]

i think i smell some american influence there
(if i'm allowed to say so)

[BADDOG]

I'm afraid that you seem to have missed the point of the post entirely! To whit:freedom of speech!


Regards

[Lakie]

does England even have a freedom of speech??

I know here in australia we dont really although we have "the right to freedom of political speech" because of the wording of section 24 of our constitution

[Steve]

link to article on BBC website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3383589.stm

BBC halts Kilroy for race 'rant'


The Kilroy programme will be suspended from Monday
The Kilroy programme will be taken off air immediately following comments made by Robert Kilroy-Silk in a newspaper article, the BBC has announced.
The presenter branded Arabs "suicide bombers, limb amputators, women repressors" and asked what they had given to the world other than oil.

The BBC stressed the comments did not reflect its views as a broadcaster.

It said the BBC One programme would be suspended from Monday while it investigated the matter fully.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) described the piece written by the discussion show host in last week's Sunday Express as a "gratuitous anti-Arab rant".

Mr Kilroy-Silk's article included comments saying the toppling of despotic regimes in the Middle East should be a war aim, and questioned the contribution of the Arab nations to world welfare and civilisation.

He said Arabs "murdered more than 3,000 civilians on 11 September" and then "danced in the streets" to celebrate.

Reported to police

The MCB secretary general Iqbal Sacranie wrote in a letter to BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey that Mr Kilroy-Silk had failed to distinguish between the terrorists behind the 11 September attacks and 200 million "ordinary Arab peoples".


Mr Sacranie condemned the "bigoted and ill-informed ideas" in the piece, which he said was "ignorant, extremely derogatory and indisputably racist".



It's not just what he says, but the way he says it, which is completely offensive

Trevor Phillips
CRE chairman


Kilroy-Silk: MP to talk show host
Hours before the suspension was announced, Labour MP Lynne Jones urged the BBC to "consider the position" of Mr Kilroy-Silk, who is not a member of staff but works for the corporation on a freelance basis.

She tabled a Commons motion denouncing his comments as "racist".

The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) reported the matter to the police.

CRE chairman Trevor Phillips, who commended the BBC for taking swift action on the matter, said: "It is unbelievable. It's not just what he says, but the way he says it, which is completely offensive, and the level of ignorance he shows."

Such comments had to be challenged or law-abiding Muslims would be made to feel that the extremists were right and that most non-Muslims actually hated them, Mr Phillips added.


BBC guidelines

BBC Breakfast will continue for an extra half hour, to 0930, while Kilroy is off air.

BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas said the issue was so serious the investigation was likely to be considered by the governors as well as senior managers and editorial policy.

"Many people would see it very hard for him to continue with a programme that deals with current affairs matters having made such comments," he said.

Only last month the BBC tightened up guidelines regarding presenters writing for newspapers, particularly about current affairs or contentious issues.

Mr Kilroy-Silk owns the company that makes the programme.

[BADDOG]

It's ironic isn't it? The so called mother of all parliaments is now populated by a bunch of idiots who's main watch words are "political correctness" this is the mantra we here from our politicians over and over again, there is another term for it of course "double speak" from George Orwell's 1984 in which a totalitarian regime suppress's all freedoms.

We are no where near that of course but I wonder how far these fools will go to prevent the truth from being spoken so as not to "offend" a minority of one kind or another!

Robert Kilroy-Silk has committed no crime only given his opinion and the fact he is being treated in this way says a lot about the state of this once great nation!

Regards

[Hellfighter]

TO: BADDOG
· You first post up top is the truth of the matter.

· They have another way of life what we think that is not right to them it’s ok to them. Why you say its their way they live by a book and if one has a dream and they do it.

· They can get away with it by saying their god told them it was ok to do.

· A man gets a new wife and the man don't like her at all he can burn her to death. It’s a way of life. But it’s their way they live by.

· Sorry I for one think that count of 3.000 is too low think it higher then that about 8-15.000 a year.

· In the USA you would not think this, but if one says or talk to much they will stop them all so. for saying their peace of mind, only happen when they start pushing to much don't happen to much but it dose.

[animal_mutha]

If y'all have noticed that feud among faiths are almost at a boiling point now. What ppl say or do might offend the others in a differnt perspective or religious belief. Nobody notice islam's way of life till lately. About how a man treats his woman... & how he can get married up to 4 wives and all seems a lil' absurb to others but yeah... CHIEF got it right, its their way of life.... the treatment might be violent to others but not to them.

There are of course the religious extremist too but their calling for jihad and all are overrated. Hatemongers are everywhere. The world is trying to reduce the level from rising as i mentioned earlier on... "boiling point". we don't want the 8th CRUSADE to happen in this age do we?

America has their "freedom of speech" but lately they tend to get everything to be "politically correct". Yeah... swallow the irony!!!

Since what i've mentioned here seems to sway abit off topic... i just want to ask the world one thing.... Why "Muslim" terrorist? Why not just say "terrorist"? Nowadays the image of a religious man (imam) with a turban or beard seems to relate to terrorism or extremist. Although these imams are responsible for my religious education. I'm 29yrs old... & i'm not an extremist... but I'm proud to be a muslim.

If theres a bunch of terrorist hijacking a cinema, u call em "russian" terrorist... but u dont call em by its religious affilation... maybe theyre christians? jews? buddhist? So r they called "christian" terrorist? What about those K.K.K in the USA? I dont see anyone regards them as "terrorist" though they strike terror in the minds of the african american (politically correct).

Its a cynical world we live in.... the more u respect for & understand others (or look before u leap) & try to shut your mouth despite your belief in freedom of speech coz' it might hurt people... than the idea of peace in the world is closer. Just start your day with "the man in the mirror". Instead of freedom of speech...lets encourage the freedom of "CARE". Peace be upon u....

Sorry BADDOG, if i've used or abused your thread in this manner... just wanna take advantage of my freedom of speech....its a one off! LOL!!

[Hellfighter]

you right about that, i have been around the world in real life now 3x, we should not juge other by the way they live or by of their religious belief's, but some religious extremist who like to take it to the Max and con others to do bad thing's, only make those who had no then to do with it, super bad and the end they to get blackball into it and stero type into it.

[SilentTrigger]

If he would have had a speach about that, no one would stop him. Writing that in a newspaper is not the same thing. The newspaper is a company. Companies got obligations especially newspapers...

And no there is nothing like Freedom of speach!

[BADDOG]

Some interesting points there guys but I have to say I'm worried where all this will end. We already have one local council that refers to man hole covers in the road as "person hole covers" and black boards in schools as "chalk boards"!

This council even refers to short people as "vertically challenged"......I mean come on how bloody ridiculous is that????

All people should be allowed to express their opinon in a democratic society, in newspapers, on the radio and on television, that is what democracy is all about the right to express an opinion openly as long as it incites no hatred or causes harm or brings fear to others.

Robert Kilroy-Silk should be reinstated without delay and those "middle class" censors of what is right and proper should be sacked by the cowardly BBC but I won't hold my breath!

Regards

[SilentTrigger]

I would defenetly not want to be called "vertically challenged", thats defenetly not better, makes you sound really different from everyone else. I would want to be called either "tall" or "short"! They are defenetly going to far with that! Whats next, "horizontaly challenged"?

Secondly there exist no black people on this planet! Dont understand why someone whos not black take offence in "black board"?

Its ridiculous! People nowadays take to much offence in whats done or said! Sure there is oppression and razism etc, but everything isnt about razism! I can say that allmost noone would think or refere to a colored person when they hear the word "black board", right?

So i agree with you there, baddog! It is ridiculous

[secretx]

Originally posted by SilentTrigger
Whats next, "horizontaly challenged"?

good one

Originally posted by SilentTrigger
Secondly there exist no black people on this planet! Dont understand why someone whos not black take offence in "black board"?

...

I can say that allmost noone would think or refere to a colored person when they hear the word "black board", right?

wow, i would never have thought of that... i always thought it was OK to call them black boards b/c they're BLACK!!! u wouldnt call a whiteboard any other name... ppl are going insane dammit. theyre taking all this business too far. i dont have white furniture, i have really light beige furniture. COME ON!! ppl need to grow up. if they tried working together instead of picking at each other for so-called racial remarks... but i guess thats part of it. its so much easier to nit-pick than to work, esp. with someone who's different from u...

[BADDOG]

You know the more I think about all this so called "political corretness", the more I'm convinced the lunatics have taken over the asylum!!!!


Regards

[animal_mutha]

we all know what a load of bull the term "political correctness" means. but there must be a reason for why its being introduced strongly nowadays.

yeah.. i do agree how crappy it sounded with blackboards, vertically challenged... and even how it is possible to have an "african american" to be within the US board of powerhitters... hence "Colin Powell". Will the US ever gonna have an "african american" as their president? Ponder on... with all the political correctness... they say its 'possible'. Lets wait & see.

in my country there was this beauty product originally called Oil of Ulan which is now changed to Oil of Ulay because the word "Lan" in Ulan means D1CK in cantonese..... DUHHHH!!! how dumb can it get? Its not a chinese product for god's sakes... but hey!!! it gotta be politically correct. Can u live wit it? yes u can.... can u live without it? yes u can. So sometimes.... lets just let it be.

what i mentioned in my previous reply above was about "freedom of speech" that affects religion. I didnt condemn "freedom of speech" but i do think people ought to be more sensitive when it comes to religion. Its the one thing that people with zeal holds dear for. Though i'm not a highly faithfull muslim but i do feel strongly about my religion & how people tend to look at it with one eye... c'mon world... get to know us or show a lil' bit of sensitivity or even respect. I for one thinks... Freedom of Speech should be controlled as well as Political Correctness shouldnt be too much of bull!

[BADDOG]

Well it was announced yesterday that Robert Kilroy-Silk was made to resign from his post at the BBC so the "politically correct" lobby have won this case and freedom of speech has taken a giant leap backwards in the UK once again!

His remarks about certain groups in the arab world, which were based on truth as some of these groups do carry out barbaric practices and do suppress womens rights, are no longer acceptable in this country thanks the to absolute cowardice of the BBC. This organisation is populated by middle class haridans who would have us say that there is no black or white, only grey and woe betide anyone who dares to express an opinion to the contrary!

Neither Kilroy-Silk or anyone else has or would ever imply that the moslem faith is responsible for these few groups and their twisted interpretation of the moslem faith indeed it was and is a corner stone of modern civilisation and as such is a faith followed by many with clear and honest convictions. However the fact remains there are certain arab countries who tolerate this 12th century punishments such as amputation and do not allow women equal rights with men and that alone is a crime against humanity more especially as we are in the 21st century!


I fear that htis course of action taken by those cowards at the BBC will do more harm to race relations in the UK than can possibly be imagined with the white, ethnic majority feeling that they have no rights in their own country to speak freely and openly against such evils that do happen in the world.

Most of all I feel certain that this action will have long term consequences that will present us with greater problems in the future and will polarise our society even further.

Finally I have to say this, amongst my work mates, neighbours, friends and family there is a growing sense of outrage against the BBC and that bodes good for no one!

Sad Regards

[Pro Bmxer]

VOTE BNP ( British National Party ) then this shi*t wouldnt happen.

[BADDOG]

Unfortuately I think that would only polarise our society still further but having said that, I can see why some people would begin to think that way.

Regards

vote for the communist party...

[Pro Bmxer]

Originally posted by BADDOG
but having said that, I can see why some people would begin to think that way.

it comes from living in bradford where we hav the most asian community in europe. Asian ppl out number the white here.