It's Blastfemmy! Let him Fry!

Nicker on 8/5/2017 at 02:08

So apparently you can actually commit blasphemy in a modern democracy.

(http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39830447) Stephen Fry is being investigated under Ireland's Defamation act.

How is this even possible? Not that Fry would blaspheme but that it might be against any law in a civilised country?

icemann on 8/5/2017 at 05:42

That's just stupid. Under a democracy, one is free to express one's opinions in any shape or form. That is the entire point of democracy. If there is one thing about Islam that I particularly hate is the stupid blasphemy rules/laws. Religion and law should always be separate.

Sulphur on 8/5/2017 at 06:07

He clearly wasn't disparaging any religion in particular -- though if he wanted to state his opinion on one, he ought to be free to. Something as daft as this means a book like Catch-22 could be under the scanner. Ireland can take their law back to the dark ages where it belongs.

Edit: apparently one of the points to the law states that, 'It shall be a defence to proceedings for an offence under this section for the defendant to prove that a reasonable person would find genuine literary, artistic, political, scientific, or academic value in the matter to which the offence relates.' Which is just another can of worms: who's a 'reasonable person' in these matters? How do you arbitrate the artistic or political value of an interview quote? How did something this badly defined get passed, and at that, with a flat €25K fine per offence*?

*For X definitions of 'offence'.

Nicker on 8/5/2017 at 13:15

And what if the source of disparaging remarks is the doctrine of another religion?

Quote:

The law prohibits people from publishing or uttering "matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion".

Is abusing abusive doctrine worse than the doctrine itself?

Quote:

The viewer was not said to be offended himself but believed Fry's comments qualified as blasphemy under the law, which carries a maximum penalty of a fine of 25,000 euros (£22,000).

I am guessing the complainant wanted to bring this absurdity to the public eye by dragging a celebrity into the spotlight. That or they have some legalistic variation of OCD.

demagogue on 8/5/2017 at 13:47

I read it was brought to challenge the law and try to force a court's hand to strike it down. That theory makes a lot of sense because there aren't that many people that would seriously think someone should be arrested for it in our day and age.

Sulphur on 8/5/2017 at 17:46

Could end up backfiring though. Either way, it could earn enough public awareness for either reinforcement or repeal... I suppose Ireland does have a law revision programme that's meant to do away with irrelevant legislation, though I wouldn't be able to guess how the average citizen gets enough traction for them to pay attention to something like this.

Nicker on 8/5/2017 at 17:50

Thing is, this is an inclusive, culturally sensitive, 2009 update of their existing blasphemy laws, which only protected Christianity.

caffeinatedzombeh on 9/5/2017 at 13:47

Quote Posted by Nicker

How is this even possible? Not that Fry would blaspheme but that it might be against any law in a civilised country?

I think you'd be very surprised then just how many civilised countries have blasphemy laws that they don't enforce.
The UK did until 2008, various countries are making noises about scrapping them after the sheer number of people asking the same question you are. New Zealand was one I saw mentioned.

The Gardai have apparently concluded their investigation having failed to find anyone who was actually offended.

demagogue on 9/5/2017 at 13:59

Speaking of which, the Christian governor of Jakarta, Indonesia, was arrested this week for blasphemy (Muslim majority country). Doesn't bode well for its move to secularism. Turkey is another example I think. This whole year is about countries battening down the hatches from outside cultures though, so it's all of a piece.

Tony_Tarantula on 9/5/2017 at 14:08

Quote Posted by Nicker

This is particularly ironic given that he played a character who was murdered for making a joke about a country's "Supreme Leader".