You Can't Say That

Credit: gruntzooki / photo on flickr

The student union at Warwick University in England blocked a planned speech by Maryam Namazie, a member of the Council of Ex-Muslims, saying she "is highly inflammatory and could incite hatred on campus." The student union says it has a policy on outside speakers that says they should "avoid insulting other faiths or groups."

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Ms Namazie suggested the decision prevented important debate and amounted to oppression.

She said: "It angers me that we're all put in a little box and that anyone who criticises Islam is labelled racist. It's not racist, it's a fundamental right. The only way we can challenge aspects of Islam is through speech..."

Not in England it isn't a fundamental right. But I'm sure students will get just as much out of the replacement speaker, Paddington Bear.

[Radioactive]

Thomas the Tank Engine will be on the panel as well...

[A Cynic's Guide to Zen]

To most folks, Europe is "ahead" of the States in public policy. Let me just say that I enjoy saccharine; I think it is double-plus-good.

[Civilized Heathen in RI]

Quote from the linked article:

"Labelling us as Islamaphobic is a way of preventing us from expressing our dissent."

Isn't speaking out against Islam the exact opposite of being afraid of Islam?

[SQRLSY One]

With all the new emphasis on "sex trafficking" and "animal rights", I think we need to re-package the whole anti-Islamofascist thing as "freedom from sex slavery" for goats... No one is truly free, in this world, till the last goat-fucker has been jailed or "re-educated"!!!!

[VicRattlehead]

I'm crying I laughed so hard at this, assuming you were deployed there?
If so, I think we both know their sex abuse against little boys is far worse than their goats and camels.
+1 Man-Love thursdays

[SQRLSY One]

Thank Allah, I have never been deployed over there... A vast waste of money and lives, if you ask me... See http://hotair.com/archives/201.....an-police/ where we see how futile it is that we defend the GOOD rapists against the BAD rapists! The Taliban were actually harder on this boy-rape thing than we are, it seems... (US soldiers punished for punishing a boy-raper who was a GOOD boy raper, on OUR side!)

[sinkingputts]

Seems like the timing is perfect to either open a new university that markets itself as a truly free speech/open ideas campus. I'm sure there are tons of students who feel stuck because everyone is always telling them what's good for them and would transfer in a second.