Friday, November 4, 2005
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross on legislating the criticism of religion:
Weekly Standard: Legislating Religious Correctness
...A number of U.S.-based organizations believe the time is ripe to stand against the spread of religious vilification laws in the West. The Australian states of Queensland and Tasmania have adopted laws similar to Victoria's Racial and Religious Tolerance Act. A religious vilification law is in force in Sweden, and such legislation is being considered in Britain. Further, it isn't uncommon in Europe for people to be taken to court for criticizing Islam. In France, actress Bridgette Bardot was fined last year for lamenting the "Islamization of France" and the "underground and dangerous infiltration of Islam." Italian author Oriana Fallaci faces trial next year over charges that she defamed Islam in her book The Force of Reason...
Clearly, the far-ranging lawsuit by the Islamic Society of Boston is an attempt to impose a strangle-hold on legitimate discussion and criticism by hoping courts will create their own de facto/de jure religious vilification law. Whether or not they have any solid basis in law, and it appears this one does not, SLAPP suits like this cannot help but chill discussion among people afraid of having to front money to lawyers just to exercise their constitutional rights.
