Bangladeshi Police: Stop Criticizing Religion if You Want to Avoid Being Killed

[pokerfan]

Four atheist bloggers have been assassinated so far this year in Bangladesh, so it’s good to know local law enforcement officials have finally issued a solution to the problem.

Terming hurting one’s religious sentiment as crime, Inspector General of Police (IGP) has advised the free thinkers not to hurt religious sentiment in their writings.

IGP AKM Shahidul Haque said: “According to laws if any one hurts one’s feelings, he will be punished by the law.”

Advising the free thinkers, IGP said: “None should cross the limit.”

Niloy Neel, the latest atheist blogger to be killed, said on Facebook before he died that the police didn’t do anything to help him after he reported being followed. This latest pronouncement just adds insult to injury. To be clear, Neel did nothing wrong. The blame — and I can’t believe I have to say this — is entirely the fault of the people who beheaded him and cut off his hands.

No one’s been arrested so far in Neel’s death even though an al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed responsibility for it.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/08/10/bangladeshi-police-tell-atheist-bloggers-to-stop-criticizing-religion-if-they-want-to-avoid-being-killed/

[trotsky]

1. That echoes what Pope Awesome said.

It's like insulting his momma - he'll punch you in the face. Violence in response to religious criticism is "normal," he said. People need to watch what they say.

Freedom is great as long as you don't use it to criticize ALL ideas, I guess.

[Lordquinton]

2. The pope brigade will be along to ignore this any minute now.

Just wait and see.

[Igel]

5. If you criticize my values and beliefs you disrespect me.

I'm owed respect and if I'm offended it's up to you to meet my demands and not offend me. I object to being made to feel inferior to anybody else. My sensitivities oblige you to meet my demands.

Sadly, that means in Bangladesh some idiots are killing people. In other places they protest, shut down businesses, initiate lawsuits to compel respect, or shut down speeches or college classes until their voice is heard and sufficient respect is provided.

The idea is that people have a right not to feel offended or angry. Often, however, those same people have no problem offending others because they're "authentic" in their anger. And if one group gets out of hand, well, why think that a movement or group is monolithic. Whatever.

This reasoning is applied to all sorts of things, not just religion.

It's a great way of exerting power. There's terrorism with the threat of death; there's a kind of economic or political coercion through shunning, shaming, disruption and boycott.

[trotsky]

7. Bullshit, religion is unique.

Don't you dare try and minimize these deaths by saying it's the same thing as a fucking lawsuit. Disgusting, and you should be ashamed of yourself.

[cleanhippie]

8. So you're offended?

[NeoGreen]

9. No, not you...

...just the ideas.





We make arguments, we don't resort to cutting off hands and heads.

[Cartoonist]

3. Let's go then

“According to laws if any one hurts one’s feelings, he will be punished by the law.”

Every time one of those religious believers start spouting their nonsense and proclaim that God is great, my feelings are hurt because I'm an atheist. So let's start punishing them.

[longship]

4. And Sanal Edamaruku is persona non grata in India because of blasphemy.

He exposed a so-called miracle at a church as a natural phenomenon and the church decided to swear out a blasphemy charge against him.

Here, from his Wiki entry:

In March 2012 Edamaruku investigated a report that a crucifix at Our Lady of Velankanni church in Mumbai was dripping water from the feet.[3] His research indicated that the dripping was caused by capillary action from a clogged drain.

In April 2012 the Catholic Church in Mumbai filed a complaint under Section 295(A) of the Indian Penal Code in several police stations around the city.[3][14] Enacted in 1927, section 295A says:

Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of [citizens of India], [by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise], insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to [three years], or with fine, or with both.[15]
The Archbishop of Mumbai has asked Edamaruku to apologize in exchange for dropping the charges but the All India Catholic Union says the law is being applied incorrectly.[16] Colin Gonsalves, the founder of the India Center for Human Rights and Law, stated his opinion that there was no criminal offence.[17] There are further complaints that the law is misused to suppress free speech.[18] Other people have spoken in his defense publicly, such as Vishal Dadlani,[19] as well as James Randi of the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF)[20] who lists a link to a support page for Edamaruku. On 31 July 2012 Edamaruku moved to Finland to avoid the possibility of indefinite jail time.[21] When fellow campaigner Narendra Dabholkar was murdered in 2013, Edamaruku felt returning could put his life in peril. Edamaruku said, "I would do it again. Because any miracle which has enormous clout at one moment, is simply gone once explained. It's like a bubble. You prick it and it is finished."

Alas, Sanal now lives in Finland, where he is safe from imprisonment for his non-belief.

By the way, he is an awesome person.

Sanal Edamaruku

[AtheistCrusader]

6. Sounds familiar to some posters on this site.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1230&pid=41174