Yup, you read it right. They want to censor, or somehow shut up, or boot out, a Muslim member of their party.
His crime? Not being offended.
Why do so many so-called liberals fail to defend free speech?Here’s what happened. First Maajid Nawaz, a Liberal Democrat candidate for parliament in 2015, tweeted a bland cartoon from the online comic strip Jesus and Mo, declaring, “This cartoon is not offensive, and I am sure God is greater than to be threatened by it.” Nawaz is a Muslim who has written a book about his extremist past, so once upon a time he might have been among the online mob that quickly arrived, determined to feel threatened on God’s behalf. What followed was the usual incitement, abuse and death threats from radical Muslims, who hope to intimidate others into obeying their rule banning depictions of the Prophet Mohammed.
Then came the depressing part. Instead of rallying around a liberal Muslim colleague and defending his right to free speech, a number of Lib Dems disgracefully flirted with support for those threatening to murder him. Nawaz should use his freedom of expression more “responsibly”, pontificated some (so claiming not to be offended by a bland picture is irresponsible, right?). Shafiq Mohammed, a party activist, persuaded 23,000 people to sign a petition to have Nawaz removed as a Lib Dem parliamentary candidate. And Gordon Birtwistle, an MP, wrote to a constituent to say Nawaz should be deselected and booted out of the party – a sanction even Chris Huhne avoided initially when he was sent to prison.
Even those who stood by Nawaz – like party leader Nick Clegg – tempered their support by intoning gravely about balancing free speech with sensitivity and respect. Which sounds reasonable enough, of course. Except freedom of speech without the freedom to offend is not only a meaningless idea – it’s a dangerous one, and it’s quietly gaining ground. If I can frighten you into silence by claiming your ideas upset me, then your right to free speech becomes purely theoretical, like a right to jump over the moon.
Go Lib Dems! Obviously, any party that refuses to allow a Muslim to
not be offended must be an awesome choice for government in a liberal democracy.
Topic: Liberal Democrat party attempts to censor Muslim member