Free speech?

I heard about the incident at Queen Mary's College London a few days ago but forgot to post about it. for those of you who have not heard, and if you rely on the BBC for your news then you won't have done, this is what happened.

'On the 16th of January 2012 at Queen Mary College London, National Secular Society member Ann Marie Waters was going to give a talk on Sharia law. But at the last moment it was cancelled. Why, you ask? You see, just before the talk started, a man (with a beard) walked to the front of the lecture theatre and filmed everybody inside with a camera. He then issued a warning to everybody he had filmed:

"Listen up all of you, I am recording this, I have your faces on film now, and I know where some of you live and if I hear that anything is said against the holy Prophet Muhammad, I will hunt you down."

He then left the room and started filming people outside in the corridor where he issued yet another threat. Threatening to hunt them down if anything was said about Muhammad, he added that he knew where they lived and would murder them and their families. He then left the building and sought safety in a group of thugs who were there to ensure that their religious bigot wasn't taken down by somebody without a fight.

In light of this, security told everybody in the room to remain there, while they debated what to do. A student union representative decided that as lives had been threatened, the talk could no longer go ahead, and the evening was cancelled.

Strike one for religious bigotry. The funny thing is the very same day the bBC and Guardian both posted articles about just how good life under Sharia law is, it seems they forgot to ask anybody who was threatened with murder from Queen Mary's College London.'

That's a talk on Sharia law prevented from happening because a Muslim threatens to murder anybody (and their families) who were present if Muhammad was mentioned. Not a word on the BBC who would be up in arms calling Islamophobia were an Islamic event disrupted by a Christian or Jew.

Oddly UCLU will be holding another couple of events at Queen Mary's College that I doubt will be similarly interrupted. The first is entitled "Did Jesus Die", here's the advert for the event:

'UCLU AMSA Presents
“Did Jesus Die” BBC documentary screening and Q&A with director
Wednesday 18th January 2012 at 6 pm – 8.30 pm

Location: Cruciform Lecture Theatre 2, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 6JF (map)

“Did Jesus Die?” is a documentary produced by Richard Denton, ex-director in the BBC,presenting a theory of crucifixion that originated with Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (peace be upon him), founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. The documentary will be asking the question as to whether Jesus(peace be upon him) in fact survived the crucifixion and whether his being seen after the crucifixion was an example of survival rather than resurrection.

The documentary then examines the question as to where Jesus (peace be upon him) disappeared after the crucifixion, by investigating various claims that he travelled to the south of France and even England. Finally, the documentary raises the evidence that Jesus (peace be upon him) travelled to India, Tibet and Nepal before dying at an old age and being buried there in the Khan Yar quarter of Srinagar, Kashmir, India, where his tomb is said to reside.Following the film screening, a Q&A will be held with Richard Denton, director of “Did Jesus Die?” to answer any questions pertaining to his personal views on the theories covered in the screening, as well as his own experience of visiting the purported tomb of Jesus (peace be upon him). An additional guest to the Q&A will be Arif Khan, a representative of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association. Arif Khan runs the largest website about the purported tomb of Jesus (peace be upon him) (http://www.tombofjesus.com/).

It is hoped that this event will demonstrate a different aspect of Jesus’ beauty and success and a life of his, hitherto unknown.

COME AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS! ALL ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!

Peace,
UCLU AMSA President'

I wonder how many Christians would find that talk offensive but how they would have been greeted should they have complained to the University authorities or tried to disrupt the talk last night.


Next week there is another interesting talk:

'Islam and Terrorism
Thursday 26th January 2012 at 6 pm – 8.30 pm

Location: Bancroft 1.01.2 Lecture Theater, Francis Bancroft, Mile End,
Queen Mary University, E1 4NS (map)

Yet another year starts with increased sectarian violence and continued terrorist attacks. It is only natural for the public to assume that within the religion of Islam there must lie some justification for such horror.

QMUL AMSA are thus hosting an event to dispel any such thoughts: ‘Islam & Terrorism – Your Questions Answered’ will take place on Thursday 26th January here at QMUL. It will elucidate the true teachings of Islam on the subject of terrorism and apostasy, before answering common allegations against the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The speaker will then go on to explain the origins of ‘Islamic’ terrorism, before giving what AMSA feels is the cure to the cancer of extremism.

COME AND BRING YOUR FRIENDS! ALL ARE WELCOME!

Peace,

Queen Mary AMSA President
qmulamsa@gmail.com'

Your thoughts people?