German court convicts man for insulting Islam (1 Viewer)

withoutaface

Premium Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2004
Messages
15,098
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - A German court on Thursday convicted a businessman of insulting Islam by printing the word "Koran" on toilet paper and offering it to mosques.
ADVERTISEMENT

The 61-year-old man, identified only as Manfred van H., was given a one-year jail sentence, suspended for five years, and ordered to complete 300 hours of community service, a district court in the western German town of Luedinghausen ruled.

The conviction comes after a Danish newspaper printed cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad -- sparking violent protests around the world from Muslims who saw the images as sacrilegious and an attack on their beliefs.

Manfred van H. printed out sheets of toilet paper bearing the word "Koran" shortly after a group of Muslims carried out a series of bomb attacks in London in July 2005. He sent the paper to German television stations, magazines and some 15 mosques.

Prosecutors said that in an accompanying letter Manfred van H. called Islam's holy book a "cookbook for terrorists."

He also offered his toilet paper for sale on the Internet at a price of 4 euros ($4.76) per roll, saying the proceeds would go toward a "memorial to all the victims of Islamic terrorism."

The maximum sentence for insulting religious beliefs under the German criminal code is three years in prison.
Source.

Fucking champion.
 

volition

arr.
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Messages
1,279
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
That is very wrong, I can't believe he's getting jail time for that
 

aussiebogan

Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2006
Messages
34
Location
Great Land of Australia
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Hello Withoutaface,
Thankyou for posting that article on the www.boredofstudies.org forum. Though it has not received many replies, i am sure it will in the future.
When i read your article, i was stunned that a European country would jail someone for expressing thier right to freedom of speech. I only hope that as fair dinkum aussies, we give a chance to anyone wanting to express this right, and hope that we will stay united against any source of punishment for expressing this right. It is only then that we will be certain that the great aussie lifestyle and values will not be taken from our warm hearts.
 

wheredanton

Retired
Joined
Oct 10, 2005
Messages
599
Location
-
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2002
Just as intelligent as the muslim extremists who blame the whole of the west for the actions of a minority of westerners.
 
Joined
Dec 12, 2003
Messages
3,492
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
Well, I dont think the guy should have been jailed. But there is a line at which 'freedom of expression' becomes persecution.
 

withoutaface

Premium Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2004
Messages
15,098
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
Silver Persian said:
Well, I dont think the guy should have been jailed. But there is a line at which 'freedom of expression' becomes persecution.
Racism/sexism etc are debatable, but attacking Muslims is not racism.
 
Joined
Dec 12, 2003
Messages
3,492
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
No, it isn't racism, but going out of your way to make another group of people feel inferior is just as bad. I mean, if you have a legitimate criticism of the religion, you can discuss that, but writing 'Koran" on toilet paper is hate mongering without any academic justification.
 

withoutaface

Premium Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2004
Messages
15,098
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
Some people would say that what the clerics say is hate mongering without any justification.
 

withoutaface

Premium Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2004
Messages
15,098
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
He's an idiot yes, but the fact is that such laws shouldn't exist.
 
Joined
Dec 12, 2003
Messages
3,492
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
withoutaface said:
Some people would say that what the clerics say is hate mongering without any justification.
Muslim clerics may well be inciting hatred, but does that make a German man inciting hatred any more acceptable?
 

withoutaface

Premium Member
Joined
Jul 14, 2004
Messages
15,098
Gender
Male
HSC
2004
No, but how many clerics have been locked up in Germany recently?
 
Joined
Dec 12, 2003
Messages
3,492
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
Err...I wouldn't know. But once again, Muslims commiting crime and inciting hatred doesnt make it ok for other people to do the same. But yes, if Muslims are found to be directly inciting hatred and violdnece they should face charges.
 

Pubert

Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2005
Messages
143
Location
A land far far away
Gender
Male
HSC
2007
He deserves it and he is a complete moron. That guy got alot more jail time for attempting to write something factual about the holocaust, while people attempt to incite hatred daily for no beneficial purpose and get away with it (i am talking about everyone when i say this not just any paticular group).
 

Captain Gh3y

Rhinorhondothackasaurus
Joined
Aug 10, 2005
Messages
4,153
Location
falling from grace with god
Gender
Male
HSC
2005
Silver Persian said:
No, it isn't racism, but going out of your way to make another group of people feel inferior is just as bad. I mean, if you have a legitimate criticism of the religion, you can discuss that, but writing 'Koran" on toilet paper is hate mongering without any academic justification.
Talk about academic justification, doing something to Catholics in this country would be the epitome of academia!
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top