Is there any place for blasphemy laws in the twenty first century?

[Dawnofhope]

I was disturbed to read this news item about a man sentenced to be hung for blasphemy in Pakistan.

Christian man in Pakistan sentenced to be hanged for blaspheming Mohammed

A Pakistani man has been sentenced to die for blasphemy.

On Tuesday, Christian factory worker Asif Pervaiz was sentenced to be hanged after his supervisor accused him of defamatory text messages regarding the Muslim prophet Mohammed, reported Deutsche Welle.

In the southeast Asian nation of more than 210 million inhabitants, in which more than 95% of citizens practice Islam, communicating insulting remarks about Mohammed carries a mandatory death penalty.

After a seven-year trial in Lahore, the 37-year-old defendant was convicted and ordered to be "hanged by his neck (until) his death.”

Christian man in Pakistan sentenced to be hanged for blaspheming Mohammed

It seems incredibly damaging to Islam when these sentences are enacted. Is there any place for blasphemy laws in the 21st century?

 

[TransmutingSoul]

There is 100% no place for blasphemy laws, since the 1900's

Regards Tony

 

[Estro Felino]

No. The RCC did much worse things...but in the 19th century it stopped.
When the Vatican lost political power, what a coincidence.

 

[Howard Is]

Absolutely not.

I do think there is a need to outlaw religious vilification- or vilification based on any label.

 

[Heyo]

I was disturbed to read this news item about a man sentenced to be hung for blasphemy in Pakistan.

Are you more concerned about the blasphemy law or the death sentence?

It seems incredibly damaging to Islam when these sentences are enacted. Is there any place for blasphemy laws in the 21st century?

There are blasphemy laws in many countries. Most of them are seen as anachronistic, rarely used and if enforced usually carry a fine. And that is in Christian majority countries.
It will take some time to get rid of all of them as cleaning up anachronistic laws isn't high up on the priority list of lawmakers.
Blasphemy law - Wikipedia

 

[Estro Felino]

Are you more concerned about the blasphemy law or the death sentence?

There are blasphemy laws in many countries. Most of them are seen as anachronistic, rarely used and if enforced usually carry a fine. And that is in Christian majority countries.
It will take some time to get rid of all of them as cleaning up anachronistic laws isn't high up on the priority list of lawmakers.
Blasphemy law - Wikipedia

I didn't know that Germany had still the Article 166 of the SGB (which btw was issued during the Second Reich, and many laws were changed/abrogated).
Here we have just a law which is "Administrative law" unproperly considered "penal law".
That says it is not allowed to insult a deity in public (any deity). Which means saints are not deities so they can be insulted.
Btw the penalty is just a fine, not higher than 309 euros.

Spoiler: Germany and Italy blasphemy laws

Germany
Art 166. SGB
"Whoever, either in public or with publications, insults the content of religious or philosophical beliefs in a way that is apt to disturb public peace, is punished with a up to 3 years detention, or with a fine"

Italy

Art 724 CP
"Whoever publicly curses, with vulgar and outrageous words, a deity* [abrogated] is punished with an admnistrative fine of at least €51, and at most €309.
The same fine is applied to whoever publicly performs a rally with the aim of insulting departed people"

*any deity

 

[Spirit of Light]

I was disturbed to read this news item about a man sentenced to be hung for blasphemy in Pakistan.

Christian man in Pakistan sentenced to be hanged for blaspheming Mohammed

A Pakistani man has been sentenced to die for blasphemy.

On Tuesday, Christian factory worker Asif Pervaiz was sentenced to be hanged after his supervisor accused him of defamatory text messages regarding the Muslim prophet Mohammed, reported Deutsche Welle.

In the southeast Asian nation of more than 210 million inhabitants, in which more than 95% of citizens practice Islam, communicating insulting remarks about Mohammed carries a mandatory death penalty.

After a seven-year trial in Lahore, the 37-year-old defendant was convicted and ordered to be "hanged by his neck (until) his death.”

Christian man in Pakistan sentenced to be hanged for blaspheming Mohammed

It seems incredibly damaging to Islam when these sentences are enacted. Is there any place for blasphemy laws in the 21st century?

I do not support any form of killing someone, but blasphemy law is important since it is clear that not all people can accept the religioues view of others. Why should some people be allowed to do their best to damage a religion just because they do not like it them self?
In some muslim countries the sharia law is practiced to hard, that i agree to. But the lW is there for a reason.

 

[Estro Felino]

I do not support any form of killing someone, but blasphemy law is important since it is clear that not all people can accept the religioues view of others. Why should some people be allowed to do their best to damage a religion just because they do not like it them self?
In some muslim countries the sharia law is practiced to hard, that i agree to. But the lW is there for a reason.

The article says this man was given the chance to convert, but he refused.

If I had lived in Medieval Al-Andalus (Spain), I would have converted to become a first class citizen.
But in my heart I would have remained a Christian.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Are you more concerned about the blasphemy law or the death sentence?

There are blasphemy laws in many countries. Most of them are seen as anachronistic, rarely used and if enforced usually carry a fine. And that is in Christian majority countries.
It will take some time to get rid of all of them as cleaning up anachronistic laws isn't high up on the priority list of lawmakers.
Blasphemy law - Wikipedia

Both. The punishment needs to fit the crime. I don’t see a place for blasphemy laws in the twenty first century and I would prefer the death penalty be avoided for anything other than the most extreme crimes. My country repealed our blasphemy laws a few years ago.

 

[Dawnofhope]

I do not support any form of killing someone, but blasphemy law is important since it is clear that not all people can accept the religioues view of others. Why should some people be allowed to do their best to damage a religion just because they do not like it them self?
In some muslim countries the sharia law is practiced to hard, that i agree to. But the lW is there for a reason.

It is an interesting and challenging position for your new found faith in Islam to defend certain laws and punishments. There needs to be a balance between the rights to freedom of speech but restrictions when it comes to hate speech. It seems that some aspects of Sharia law are no longer suited to our current age. Implementing the death penalty for blasphemy in some countries takes away from the more progressive elements of Islam.

 

[Howard Is]

blasphemy law is important since it is clear that not all people can accept the religioues view of others.

But the blasphemy law is desired and invoked by the people who cannot accept the irreligious views of others.

I think it is safe to say that all atheists (and many, possibly most, religious people) find blasphemy laws offensive.

You don’t seem at all concerned about offending all of them.

That seems to indicate that you think the law should give certain specific religious people legal preference, a higher social status.

Is that correct ?

Do you think that the religious should be shown respect, but atheists not ?

 

[Heyo]

I didn't know that Germany had still the Article 166 of the SGB (which btw was issued during the Second Reich, and many laws were changed/abrogated).

Yes, and it is worded in the most idiotic way possible. Blasphemy is prohibited when it is "useful to disturb the peace". I.e. you can blaspheme the Christian god because Christians don't really care. But when you blaspheme the god of a more easily offended group, that tends to riot, blasphemy becomes a crime.

 

[Estro Felino]

Yes, and it is worded in the most idiotic way possible. Blasphemy is prohibited when it is "useful to disturb the peace". I.e. you can blaspheme the Christian god because Christians don't really care. But when you blaspheme the god of a more easily offended group, that tends to riot, blasphemy becomes a crime.

Double Standards.
You guys have a Constitutional Court , as we do.
The BVG should be asked to intervene.

 

[danieldemol]

Blasphemy laws are childish, and with the death penalty attached they are criminal.

 

[SalixIncendium]

No.

Apologies for being so verbose.

 

[Howard Is]

No.

Apologies for being so verbose.

Well an apology isn’t good enough. I am outraged by such a casual and cavalier attitude to something which matters so much to me.
I demand you be punished !

 

[Spirit of Light]

But the blasphemy law is desired and invoked by the people who cannot accept the irreligious views of others.

I think it is safe to say that all atheists (and many, possibly most, religious people) find blasphemy laws offensive.

You don’t seem at all concerned about offending all of them.

That seems to indicate that you think the law should give certain specific religious people legal preference, a higher social status.

Is that correct ?

Do you think that the religious should be shown respect, but atheists not ?

All people should show each other equal respect. I have respect for those who treat religions people good, inhave less respect for those who treat religioues people as ****, but as person i respect them the same.

Would i listen to an extremist atheist? NO
Would i listen to an extremist religioues person? NO

 

[Howard Is]

All people should show each other equal respect. I have respect for those who treat religions people good, inhave less respect for those who treat religioues people as ****, but as person i respect them the same.

Would i listen to an extremist atheist? NO
Would i listen to an extremist religioues person? NO

You didn’t really address my point.

Blasphemy laws cater only to extremists.

Why can’t those extremists tolerate blasphemy ?
Because they are extremists !

Why should my freedom of speech be curtailed, to protect the feelings of an extremist ?

 

[Spirit of Light]

You didn’t really address my point.

Blasphemy laws cater only to extremists.

Why can’t those extremists tolerate blasphemy ?
Because they are extremists !

Why should my freedom of speech be curtailed, to protect the feelings of an extremist ?

Why must someone speak bad about others belief?
I can not and will not support blasphemy of religions

 

[Howard Is]

@Amanaki

The rest of us tolerate all sorts of stresses and disagreements and behaviours we find objectionable - without demanding that everything we don’t like be made illegal.

So why should a religious extremist have their insecurities protected by law ?