RELIGIOUS HATE LAW COMES BEFORE PARLIAMENT: BARNABAS FUND EXPRESSES SERIOUS CONCERN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

26 November 2004

Barnabas Fund has again expressed grave reservations about laws banning incitement to religious hatred which received their first reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday 24 November.

The laws have been introduced as a small part of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill the bulk of which deals with the setting up of a Serious Organised Crime Agency, measures extending police powers and introducing new crimes.

The bill proposes extending existing laws which already ban incitement to racial hatred to cover religious hatred as well. The government argues that the law is needed to prevent far-right racist groups and extremists of all religions whipping up hatred against the followers of other faiths. However, Barnabas Fund like many journalists, senior lawyers, MPs, peers, human rights groups, civil liberties organizations, church leaders and Christian organizations is seriously concerned that far from achieving this laudable aim the law will instead effectively end up banning all legitimate criticism of another’s religion.

There is a fear that those who speak out on behalf of people who suffer as a result of particular religious teachings, such as Muslims who convert to another faith (who should be executed according to Islamic law) or Dalits (treated as “untouchables” in the traditional Hindu caste system), could be silenced. At least one senior barrister has argued that if such a law had been in place fifteen years ago, instead of protecting Salman Rushdie from extremist Muslims who sought his life for writing The Satanic Verses, the government could have prosecuted him themselves.

COULD BE LAW WITHIN MONTHS

The bill was announced in the Queen’s Speech on Tuesday 23 November. The next day it received its first reading in the House of Commons indicating that it is at the top of the government’s list of priorities and they intend to make sure it comes into law before the election, widely expected to be held in May 2005. The bill will have its second reading on 7 December when it will be debated for the first time.

Many observers suspect that the clauses on incitement to religious hatred were included in this otherwise unrelated bill to help the government get this controversial issue through parliament. Pressure will be put on MPs not to risk losing the whole bill, which contains many other matters that many MPs consider important and necessary, by delaying it arguing over one tiny part.

CALL FOR ACTION

Speaking from Barnabas Fund’s head office in Pewsey, Wiltshire, Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of the Fund said “We are extremely concerned about this law and its possible implications for free speech. It is disappointing that the government has tried to introduce these measures as part of a much larger unrelated bill rather than allowing proper parliamentary space for them to be debated on their own merits.”

Barnabas Fund is calling on its supporters to write to their MPs to register concern about these proposals and to urge them to give careful consideration to the section of the bill relating to incitement of religious hatred. The Fund is calling for the bill not be passed into law without a proper debate about whether the section relating to incitement of religious hatred should be included or removed.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

The bill proposes extending parts of the existing 1986 Public Order Act which bans incitement to racial hatred to also cover incitement to religious hatred as well.

The clauses relating to introducing laws banning incitement to religious hatred are tucked away in the second part of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill on pages 178 – 180. The bill can be viewed online [1].

For further information or an interview please contact Paul Cook, Advocacy Manager Barnabas Fund on + 44 (0) 1672 564938 or by email [2].

Further information on the proposed law banning Incitement to Religious Hatred is available on Barnabas Fund’s website [3].

LINKS

[1] – http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cn200405/cmeills/005/2005005.pdf

[3] – http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/itrhc/about_itrhc.htm

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Barnabas Fund, The Old Rectory, River Street, PEWSEY, Wiltshire, SN9 5DB, UK. Tel: +44(0)1672 564938, Fax: +44(0)1672 565030, E-mail: Web: www.barnabasfund.org

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