LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Outrage at demos for new film

I REFER to the recent “demonstrations” at several cinemas by Muslim men (majority Sunni Muslims) who objected to a film called Lady of Heaven.

There are a number of problems with this, not least of which is the vital points of free speech and freedom of expression in the UK. The actions of the flash mobs regarding this film are deplorable. May I remind readers that the laws on blasphemy were abolished in the UK on March 5, 2008. Blasphemy was covered under Common Law and, interestingly, under that law both Judaism and Mohamodism (Islam) were specifically not covered (see the Judge’s directions in R v Gathercole 1838).

The faux outrage shown by the Sunni demonstrators is actually the result of a schism between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims dating back some 1,400 years and was not one over religious doctrine, but rather over a political decision concerning the leadership of Islam at that time.

It was quite telling, watching TV coverage of the demonstrations on the internet, that few, if any, had seen the film in question and at least one group didn’t even know why they had turned up outside one cinema, other than getting a phone call telling them to turn up.

There was one chilling part of the coverage where a spokesman for one group said: “We are taught, from birth, that we must lay down our lives to protect the Prophet”. An overt threat to anyone who dares to disagree with the ideology I would say.

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