Censorship

Islamophobia definition creates a backdoor blasphemy law: it will be used to outlaw all criticism of Islam

Published below is an open letter to the Home Secretary Sajid Javid concerning the definition of 'Islamophobia' which has been proposed by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims. The definition has already been adopted by the Labour Party…

Jesus and Mo: Twitter serves UK journalist with warning of ‘illegality’ (blasphemy?)

October 28, 2018
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Observer journalist Kenan Malik had tweeted out a Jesus and Mo cartoon (do check them out – it's quality stuff), and was just penning a piece about the ECHR judgment…

Don’t defame Mohammed: ECHR affirms European sharia blasphemy law

October 26, 2018
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The European Court of Human Rights has unanimously decreed that national governments may fine or imprison their citizens for attacking or defaming Mohammed. The judges determined that "the Prophet of…

Bishop blocked by Twitter – for telling the truth about sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church

October 1, 2018
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That notorious purveyor of hate and guile, the Rt Rev'd Dr Gavin Ashenden, has been blocked by Twitter. Actually, the tense is wrong: he was blocked by Twitter, but recanted…

Online hate: Twitter speaks what the heart is full of

September 10, 2018
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Life is a lot of bitterness and hate: there are oppressors and victims; struggles, dilemmas and protests. There is suffering and pain, anxiety and change. There are cries for vengeance,…

Trump to Europe: “You are losing your culture”

July 13, 2018
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While the media pore over Donald Trump's interview with the Sun, focusing on the possibility a post-(soft) Brexit US/UK trade deal ("..it will probably kill the deal") and Boris Johnson…

As Britain falls down the press freedom index, the Data Protection Bill could end it altogether

May 7, 2018
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"We note with dismay the UK’s poor ranking in the latest Reporters Without Borders world press freedom index," wrote Jodie Ginsberg, CEO if Index on Censorship, in a letter to…

Nigel Biggar on the degeneracy of academic civility

April 10, 2018
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Professor Nigel Biggar has written for the Times: 'Vile abuse is now tolerated in our universities'. He tells us: "The spitting hatred I suffered over my views on empire shows…

New Musical: The Assassination of Diane Abbott

March 13, 2018
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The Artistic Director of Theatr Clwyd, Tamara Harvey, has announced full casting for the world première production of 'The Assassination of Diane Abbott' – a new musical from Chris Bush…

Advertising Standards Authority probes billboards declaring ‘The Messiah has come’

February 20, 2018
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Billboards have been popping up around London declaring 'The Messiah has come'. According to Harry Farley in Christian Today, these have attracted a number of objections, and the Advertising Standards…

jo johnson freedom of speech universities

Jo Johnson’s muddled and aimless thinking about freedom of speech in universities

December 28, 2017
130 Comments

Universities Minister Jo Johnson delivered a much-trailed (..and here, here, here...) speech about the imperative of academic freedom of speech, which he says must be guaranteed on pain of universities…

Boys in tutus and tiara hysteria: media attack Church of England for totally the wrong reason

November 13, 2017
265 Comments

Today's furore is caused by the Church of England's declaration that unrepentant sinners will go to hell and only Jesus can save them boys ought to be able to wear…

Forget Brexit academics – how many of them are Conservatives?

October 25, 2017
97 Comments

Government Whip Chris Heaton-Harris has sent a letter to all university vice chancellors asking for the names of academics lecturing on European affairs, with particular reference to Brexit. He also…

Richard Dawkins: Oxford’s Christian Union is “predatory and nasty”

October 11, 2017
712 Comments

The 'Oxford University bans Christian Union' story has gone half way round the world, and it really shouldn't have. Oxford's Cherwell newspaper originally carried it: 'Christian Union banned from Balliol…

If a bigot can’t be PM, why should one be allowed to become an MP?

September 7, 2017
397 Comments

Jacob Rees-Mogg walks into a TV studio. Grand Inquisitor Piers Torquemorgan has wheeled out his rack; his beatific assistant Susanna Reid has greased up the Judas cradle. Heresy is not…

Lidl UK compounds cross removal by treating its customers as idiots

September 4, 2017
490 Comments

Lidl have been selling their own brand (Eirdanous) Greek food (moussaka, halloumi, meatballs, yoghurt etc) with a doctored image. Perhaps it wouldn't matter if they'd made the Aegean a little…

Prison chaplains may no longer convict offenders of sin: preaching must be ‘sensitive’

August 2, 2017
360 Comments

Remember the case of the Rev'd Barry Trayhorn, the 'tent-maker' (gardener) volunteer prison chaplain at HMP Littlehey in Cambridgeshire? Being an ordained minister in the Pentecostal Church, he quoted Scripture…

Protect the Pope? Francis is “destroying the Catholic nature of the Church”

July 19, 2017
694 Comments

'Protect the Pope' was a blog established in 2010 by the Rev'd Nick Donnelly, a kindly, humble and intelligent deacon in the Roman Catholic Church (and the second-nicest Catholic in…

The abuse and intimidation of members of the CofE’s General Synod

July 12, 2017
405 Comments

There is a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament today led by Simon Hart MP on the abuse and intimidation of candidates and the public in UK elections. A briefing pack…

Critic of Gay Pride police car gets reported for ‘Muslim mob’ joke

June 28, 2017
316 Comments

Inspector Mark Evans of Sussex Police is very proud of his new patrol car. So proud, in fact, that he tweeted about it, which is perfectly fine: it's a free…