And all hell breaks loose.
Two posts with jokes about Islam, that former British police officer Stephen Gray then reposted, have caused him to be convicted of posting “offensive content” on Facebook. The originals post mocked Islam, and mockery of all religions has been allowed in the UK ever since the blasphemy laws were repealed in 2008. Gray’s conviction for a post mocking Islam has sparked accusations that blasphemy laws have returned to the United Kingdom. More on how he was found afoul of the law can be found here.A former British police officer has been convicted of posting offensive content on Facebook after he reposted an image mocking Islam, sparking accusations that blasphemy laws have returned to the United Kingdom.
Retired police officer Stephen Gray, 65, has been found guilty by the Newton Aycliffe magistrates’ court of breaching Section 127(1)(a) of the Communications Act 2003 over a post he reshared on Facebook, which was deemed to be “grossly offensive”.
According to The Telegraph, Gray was reported to the Durham Constabulary for two Facebook memes by a non-Muslim neighbour of his, whom Gray had previously been in a separate dispute with.
The first post reported to the police featured the title “time for mass deportations” next to a Middle Eastern man in his 20s or 30s with the words “Children in need”. It was captioned with: “12-year-old Mohammed recently arrived at Dover. Please donate to help him move from a three-star to a five-star hotel, which has a better halal menu, free Wi-Fi, and Sky and is nearer to a girls’ school”.
This post was not deemed by the court to violate the law, as it concerned a political issue that had been debated in Parliament.
The second meme depicted a picture of a man wearing a turban next to some bacon with the caption: “Fun facts about Bacon! People who eat bacon have a lower chance of marrying a 9-year-old!”
This is an allusion to Muhammad’s marriage to little Aisha, who was betrothed to him when she was six, and then Muhammad consummated the marriage — i.e., had sexual intercourse with the girl — when Aisha was nine years old and he was 54.
This is not a story that critics of Islam made up; it’s to be found in the hadith of Bukhari and Muslim. And many Muslims see nothing wrong with marrying nine-year-old girls. For example, when the Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in Iran, one of his first acts was to reduce the marriageable age of girls in Iran from eighteen to nine. Muslims don’t eat pork or, of course, bacon. People who eat bacon, that is non-Muslims, are less likely to be marrying nine-year-olds. That is the joke, the reposting of which will now cost Stephen Gray one thousand pounds in fines and court costs.
As the post was not considered to be a political message, but rather critical of a religion, it was found to be “grossly offensive” by the court. For this, Gray was found guilty of violating the Communications Act and was ordered to pay £1,000 in fines and court costs….
Yes, that post Stephen Gray re-posted was “critical of religion.” That is exactly the point, that the thick-headed judges chose to ignore. Now that the blasphemy laws in the UK were repealed as of 2008, everyone in Britian is entitled to mock any and all religions. The judges behave as if they are to enforce a nonexistent blasphemy law that protects Islam from mockery. There is no such law. Muslims have as little right to be exempt from mockery or criticism as Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists. --->READ MORE HERE
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