Almost ten years after the Islamist attack on its editorial offices, the satirical magazine “Charlie Hebdo” is looking for the best cartoons that criticise religion. The competition is aimed at “those who are fed up with living in a world ruled by God and religion”, writes the editorial team on its website. “Give vent to Read more
Posts Tagged ‘free speech’
Wellington council rethinks after ‘genocide denial’ accusation
Monday, March 6th, 2023
The Wellington City Council is rethinking its policy after being slammed as “complicit in genocide denial”. The accusation against the Council followed its decision to grant police the power to arrest Anzac Day protesters. The issue came to light on Anzac Day last year. Richard Noble arrived at a service at Wellington’s Pukeahu War Memorial Read more
Blank white sheets of paper: free speech protest symbols
Thursday, December 1st, 2022
They have become a symbol of China’s recent wave of protests: Blank, white sheets of paper held aloft by demonstrators to signify their opposition to anti-virus lockdowns, censorship and freedom of speech. As videos of crowds holding up paper sheets and chanting slogans flooded the internet last weekend, Chinese-language social media posts have come to Read more
Why Labour capitulated on hate speech laws
Monday, November 28th, 2022
The Labour Government is currently fighting on multiple fronts that threaten its popularity in the run-up to next year’s election. Therefore, when a call had to be made about whether to push through divisive and poorly-designed hate speech laws, there really was no decision for Justice Minister Kiri Allan to make – the reforms had Read more
The Safe Areas Bill should be seen for what it is
Thursday, February 17th, 2022
The so-called Safe Areas Bill will have its second reading in Parliament today. (Written on 15 February) It’s a brazen attack on freedom of speech and the right to protest, made more offensive by the fact that some of the MPs who support it cut their political teeth exercising that same right. The Bill, sponsored Read more
Better love overrides hateful accusations and judgement
Monday, August 30th, 2021
The Government has recently released proposals for legislating a new offence against communications that “intentionally incite/stir up, maintain or normalise hatred”. The proposals themselves seemed to have stirred up strong reactions among people, including among some Christian churches and societies. Depending on what YouTube’s algorithm has decreed you should enjoy watching, some of these reactions Read more
Is Ardern preparing her escape route from hate speech laws?
Thursday, July 8th, 2021
On the campaign trail last year, Ardern raised eyebrows when she blithely told journalists she expected “wide support” for expanding existing hate-speech laws to include religion. When asked whether sexual orientation, age or disability could be included, she said, “Yeah.” The Prime Minister, who had just unveiled a memorial plaque at Christchurch’s Al Noor mosque, Read more
We must have the right to be wrong
Thursday, June 24th, 2021
In the Carafa Chapel in the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, there is a statue of the revered Catholic figure St Thomas Aquinas with the Latin inscription, Sapientiam sapientum perdam. The inscription translates as “I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise”. Who were the wise? The wise were scientists and philosophers Read more
Religion hate speech crackdown promised
Thursday, September 24th, 2020
Labour leader Jacinda Ardern is promising to crack down on hate speech and restrict free speech if she can govern alone after the election. She promised to include religion under legislation that deals with hate speech and discrimination. “In a modern New Zealand, everyone would agree no one should be discriminated for their religion. “It Read more
Abortion law Bill: Safe Zones rejected
Thursday, March 12th, 2020
Justice Minister Andrew Little will not try to re-introduce “safe zones” into his abortion legalisation bill after a mix up removed them. “The safe zone provision was always the most marginally supported,” Little said. The abortion law bill was going through the committee stage on Tuesday evening and into the early hours of Wednesday. ACT Read more