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The Hits and Misses from the 2021 BFI London Film FestivalOctober 30 2021 - Read moreCine/Mobility: The Latin American Film Festival Erasing Borders
October 7 2021 - Read moreOur Critics’ Picks for the BFI London Film Festival 2021
October 2 2021 - Read moreThe Second Rise of the Taliban
August 16 2021 - Read moreThe Black Maternity Scandal: A Lens on Racial Disparity in Healthcare
May 23 2021 - Read more
“Such people believe that religion is the centre of all evils” Even the most outspoken atheists stick to “a lot of evil”, not all.
“Sam Harris who, while criticizing Islam, considers it, “ethical to kill people for believing them”” Source? I don’t believe this for a minute. He has made controversial claims, but this?
“as if it is a universal human right to be able to mock religious practices” Free speech is a protected human right (art 19 of the declaration). Inoffensive speech doesn’t need protection. The idea of equality for all races is offensive to e.g. white supremacists. Does that mean we can’t talk about it?
“Islamophobia has now become widely socially acceptable” islamophobia definitely exist, e.g. the EDL, but don’t call other reasoned arguments against aspects of Islam a phobia. And certainly don’t use the word to dismiss genuine criticisms.
“[I] believe that their oppression comes from lust for power rather than anything to do with religion” that might be true, but the religion provides all necessary credibility and pressure.
“If an extremist like Anjem Chowdhury speaks provocatively, he is rightly condemned; but if someone ridicules The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be on him), then it is Western liberalism.” People (should) argue against the ideas of these people, so simply saying one was condemned and the other applauded, says nothing. In both cases we should evaluate what is said, not who said it against who.
“The ‘humanist’ approach many atheists advocate should ensure that people can follow their respective religions without threat of ridicule.” Replace “their respective religions” with racism / homophobia / islamophobia / nazism, and you’ll see the problem with this argument.
People should be free to hold any opinion and talk about it, but this means ensuring this freedom to people of the other viewpoint. Discussion is what brought us a much better society, through reasoned argument and ridicule. If you need special protection, it’s probably because you can’t stand up in reasoned argument.