Here we have what I have predicted and warned about so very many times: a full capitulation to Sharia so as to avoid being called “Islamophobic.” Robert Jenrick is right that all this is unacceptable: violent intimidation outside the school, capitulation on the issue of the freedom of speech rather than defending it, explaining its importance, and standing up for British values — but what is he or anyone else going to do about it? There will be some harrumphs of indignation and then this incident will be forgotten. Will the teacher be reinstated and given security protection? Almost certainly not. Will any British official defend the freedom of speech in any effective way beyond lip service, and make it abundantly clear that Sharia blasphemy laws have no place in Britain? Why, of course not.
“Jenrick weighs in on Prophet cartoon row: ‘Issues should not be censored,’” by Rob Merrick, Independent, March 26, 2021:
A Cabinet minister has attacked curbs on teaching amid the controversy over children being shown a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad, saying “issues should not be censored”.
Protests broke out outside a West Yorkshire school on Thursday as parents complained that the image had been taken from the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Batley Grammar School apologised over the “inappropriate” image, shown during a religious studies class this week, and suspended a teacher – who is now reported to be in hiding.
But Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, said: “This is a country based on free speech and teachers should be able to tackle difficult and controversial issues in the classroom – and issues should not be censored.”
The minister said he did not know “exactly what happened in the classroom”, making it “difficult for me to comment, with confidence”…
“Most importantly, it’s absolutely unacceptable for teachers and staff in our schools to be threatened or intimidated,” Mr Jenrick told LBC Radio.
“We need to ensure that there is tolerance and respect, but I was troubled by the scenes I saw outside the school gates.
“We don’t want to see those coming to work in our schools, children or parents, feeling threatened or intimidated when they’re coming into school, just because a difficult issue has been tackled in the classroom.”
At the school, people gathered around the gates amid shouts of “get the head teacher”, although there were no arrests or fines issued for breaches of the coronavirus restrictions.
Parents said they had attended “to show the country Islamophobia won’t be tolerated” and that the image “is so offensive to us”….
overman says
And ironically on the Sky news site, immediately beneath this story was the headline –
‘Grooming gangs continuing to abuse children in northern england, victims and campaigners warn.
West Yorkshire police charge 32 men with almost 200 sexual exploitation offences against 8 girls.’
gravenimage says
Yep…
Frazer says
A teacher is receiving death threats for showing an image of a slave owning pedophile & the BBC is justifying it for being offensive.
We really need to do a gofiundme for this poor man.
Donovan Nuera says
“Stephen Paty who??..”
– BBC, Sky News, Faily Mail
Peter Buckley says
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9411137/50-000-sign-petition-calling-teacher-reinstated-showing-Prophet-Muhammad-cartoon.html
Infidel says
Honestly, at this point, in the Ummah Kalifate, did a teacher seriously expect to keep his/her job after showing those cartoons? Or was s/he doing it as an act of public defiance? Doesn’t look like it, if s/he is in hiding
Anyway, it’s ludicrous for Robert Jenrick to talk about people being threatened or intimidated, given the climate that all parties in the UK (no, Virginia, Anne Marie Waters’ For Britain doesn’t count as a mainstream party) have created by making islamophobia their #1 crime. And w/ all due respect, describing the UK as a country based on free speech is absolutely laughable, and a mockery of that concept
gravenimage says
Robert Jenrick has a pretty good record from what I have seen–and I am *glad* that he has not accepted the UK as submitting to Islam.
Hadrian says
Didn’t Oxford literally send its student president back to India for some age old instagram posts and flimsy accusations of Islamophobia? Funny how they’d throw out the diversity quota just to appease that backwater religion.
Infidel says
That incident was surreal. First, in the true spirit of cancel culture, she was outed for tweets she had made when she was 17, and again, in the true spirit of cancel culture, her apologies were rejected. To top it all, the faculty of the university mocked her parents for expressing their Hindu beliefs in their social media profile. She voluntarily returned to India to recover from all this, and if she is smart, she shouldn’t return: no degree is worth that toll on one’s dignity.
In fact, on this, since it involved an actual Indian citizen, as opposed to an Indian-Brit or a Hindu-Brit, India is said to be taking up this case w/ the UK at diplomatic levels. So the UK Foreign Office can choose b/w ‘islamophobia’ and antagonizing what has been a pretty supportive country as far as the UK goes
mortimer says
The correct response is not to surrender the freedom of expression, but to start telling Muslims that freedom of expression is NON-NEGOTIABLE. If they don’t like freedom, then go to Berzerkistan.
Donovan Nuera says
For me personally, “ADMC” (Always Draw Mohammad Cartoons”!!!
Frankfrankly says
As in the US the media here is full of apologists, but there has been pushback, including from Sajid Javid MP (former Home Secretary and Chancellor).
Infidel says
Honestly, he should swap jobs w/ Priti Patel, who’s way out of her league when it comes to managing the Home Office. At least Javid won’t as easily be accused of ‘islamophobia’
medforth says
Send In Army To Reopen Batley Grammar School
VIDEO: https://medforthblog.wordpress.com/2021/03/26/send-in-army-to-reopen-batley-grammar-school/
Michael Copeland says
Lord Justice Bean and Mr. Justice Warby ruled that free speech includes “the right to offend” and pointed out that, “Freedom only to speak inoffensively is not worth having.”
https://www.wnd.com/2021/01/judges-throw-conviction-misgendering-online-discussion/
This is the message to take to Batley.
Michael Copeland says
Commenter wileyvet at Front Page in 2013 said this about taking offence:
“people who adhere to a belief grounded in the teachings of an illiterate Arab warlord, liar, slaver, polygamist, political assassin and ethnic cleanser who claimed he got his inspirations when sleeping with a nine-year-old girl are in no position to claim to be offended by anything.”
wileyvet Frontpage Mag 2013
gravenimage says
UK: Muslims protest Muhammad cartoon shown in class, school apologizes and suspends teacher.
…………….
Just disgusting–and that the teacher is now in hiding–with no support from his school–is grimly telling.
Kudos to Cabinet Minister Robert Jenrick for speaking out for freedom of speech.
And he knows whereof he speaks–after backing a Holocaust memorial he received death threats and needed police protection:
“Robert Jenrick ‘subject to death threats’ over Holocaust memorial”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/06/robert-jenrick-subject-to-death-threats-over-holocaust-memorial
Note that some has said that this would represent a “terrorism risk”–in other words, that Britons should say nothing against the Holocaust because Muslims will killl them if they do–and they seem fine with kowtowing to this.
Sunrule says
Freedom of speech is a fundamental right of every individual and also the right of the state. It is one of the virtue that extols and guarantee human advancement and every nation needs it to achieve greater civilization.This right is above every religion, culture etc. The UK is shooting itself by condoning this act by not serious action against this protesters. People might see this as a new normal and self censored. The world must stand up for justice
Peter Buckley says
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9411137/50-000-sign-petition-calling-teacher-reinstated-showing-Prophet-Muhammad-cartoon.html
Hairynoddy says
Questions need to be asked as to how that particular demographic, not particularly noted for it’s academic prowess, came to dominate the student body of this grammar school.
Michael Copeland says
“If someone offends the Prophet, no problem, we can kill him.”
That is what is taught in mosques. It was spoken by one of the Charlie Hebdo killers (BBC “The Battle for British Islam”, no longer available online).
https://gatesofvienna.net/2020/09/the-bbcs-useless-waffle-about-british-islam/
“to revile Allah or His messenger” has to be punished with death.
The killing can be performed by anyone, vigilante-style.
There is no penalty “since it is killing someone who deserves to die”.
Manual of Islamic Law, “Reliance of the Traveller” o8.7.4, o8.4.