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UK: Government drops religious hate law as election looms, following intense free speech campaign

Apr 6, 2005 7:44 am By Robert Spencer

A press release from the Barnabas Fund (thanks to Nicolei):

The government has dropped plans to introduce laws banning Incitement to Religious Hatred before the election after coming under intense pressure from both opposition parties and a coalition of groups co-ordinated by Barnabas Fund who oppose the laws on free speech grounds.

The leader of the House of Commons Peter Hain announced yesterday that
the government was dropping laws banning Incitement to Religious
Hatred from its Serious Organised Crime and Police (SOCP) Bill in
order to get the rest of the Bill through before parliament rises for
the general election. The announcement was confirmed by Baroness
Scotland in the House of Lords. The laws have been opposed by both the
Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties who would have blocked the
Bill’s progress in the House of Lords if the hate laws had not been
dropped.

The government first announced it intended to introduce laws banning
incitement to religious hatred in July last year. In November they
came before the House of Commons as part of the SOCP Bill. Although
initially expecting little resistance, from the outset the government
met determined opposition to the laws from a broad-based coalition of
journalists, senior lawyers, MPs, peers, human rights groups, civil
liberties organizations, religious organisations, secularists and
actors, amongst others, co-ordinated by Barnabas Fund. The coalition
is deeply concerned that the laws will effectively end up banning all
legitimate criticism of religion and religious practices thus damaging
free speech.

Barnabas Fund organised an effective letter-writing campaign last
summer which alerted MPs to the significant level of concern for free
speech which existed and gave the issue much more prominence than it
would otherwise have received. From November onwards as the SOCP Bill
came before parliament Barnabas Fund along with many other
organisations again lobbied MPs and Lords. Peers received well over
100 letters each (MPs many more). One Lord commented that he had
received more letters on this issue than he had on the Fox Hunting and
Mental Capacity bills put together.

The government remains committed to the idea of introducing laws
banning incitement to religious hatred and has promised to reintroduce
them if they are returned to power in the election. Patrick Sookhdeo,
International Director at Barnabas Fund, said “We are very pleased
that the government has been forced to withdraw these laws for now. We
hope the government will recognise that there is enormous public
concern about the effect religious hate laws could have on legitimate
free speech and think twice before attempting to re-introduce
them”.

Dr Sookhdeo thanked the many thousands of people who made this current
success possible by writing to MPs and peers expressing their
concerns. “This is increasingly becoming a matter which is motivating
those who value free speech all over the world” he said. “Similar laws
are creating deep misgivings in other nations including Australia and
New Zealand. None of us want to dismiss the concerns of those who feel
themselves victimised in our society. However, significant law already
exists to deal with those genuinely trying to peddle hate. People
should be protected; ideologies should not.”

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