Thugs offend me, Islam offends me. In theory both groups would want to cause me harm; the thugs because, well they are thugs and Islam, well because they're theocratic thugs. I must admit there's not much clear light between the two groups in my mind. If you cross the extreme ends of either faction, you will probably end up with a severe beating, stoning, flogging or worse. I find it noteworthy that at the end of a recent protest by the English Defence League (EDL) in Harrow, young Muslims turned on the police, throwing bricks and bottles; a change is as good as a rest I suppose?
I have no objection at all to people lawfully protesting against Islam or for that matter Christianity, Big Brother, Atheism or anything else, and doing so should not be considered racist, provocative or "hateful". Like Christianity or Socialism, Islam is just a set of (diverse) ideas that certain people hold. Freedom of speech laws in this country should mean that anyone can criticise any idea, religion should not have any special privileges or immunity.
Unfortunately our current Government don't seem to see things this way, there is a tendency to immediately label any anti-Islamic protest or outburst as hate-speech or racist. This is ludicrous of course; Islam is no more a race than Christianity or "right-wing" is a race, in a statement by Tony McNulty (Labour MP) said
"This was a house of God they were objecting to. They can wrap it up in whatever politics they like, but they were anti Muslim religion."
Millions of people in our Country don't believe God even exists let alone has a postal address in Harrow East; so why is such vapid reasoning anything like a valid objection to legitimate protest?
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