Comments on: NSS protests against â€˜Back-door blasphemy charges’ brought against atheist

By: Atheistâ€™s sentence signals ‘a new and dangerous blasphemy law’ in the UK

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:02:00 +0000

[...] National Secular Society has condemned the sentence imposed on a Liverpool atheist who left leaflets mocking religion in the prayer room at John Lennon Airport (Motto: “Above us only [...]

By: Back door blasphemy prosecution in Liverpool « manicstreetpreacher

Back door blasphemy prosecution in Liverpool « manicstreetpreacher — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:38:42 +0000

[...] circles, with entries appearing on the websites of the NNS, the New Humanist, MediaWatchWatch, The Freethinker and the Greater Manchester Skeptics Society.Â Comments have been decidedly mixed.Â Many agree [...]

By: Stuart H.

Stuart H. — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:33:19 +0000

You may want to see a Facebook site entitled ‘John Lennon Airport should be renamed Ayatollah Khomeini Airport’ at http://www.facebook.com/group......038;ref=nf

The only answer to humourless lunacy is humorous lunacy!

By: frankyv

frankyv — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:45:33 +0000

Terry Sanderson sent me this email to clarify this situation.
“@Frances,

This is a difficult case because Harry Taylor wanted to be prosecuted and will, presumably, continue to claim that he did this as a deliberate provocation. Under the law, the court has little option but to find him guilty. Therefore, it is the law that needs to be challenged. We have been complaining about it from before it was even enacted. When the law was first proposed, the NSS argued that this is where it would lead. So, our campaign will have to be against the law itself.

Mr Taylor came to us originally with the cartoons, but it was unclear what he wanted us to do about it other than raise the issue in the press. He is a difficult man to deal with, and wasnâ€™t seeking our advice about what he should do. He isnâ€™t on email and is often out of the country, so trying to support him is next to impossible.

While we have every sympathy with him, we cannot say that he has innocently become ensnared by this law. He set out to deliberately challenge it. We would like to support him in some way, but, as I say, this doesnâ€™t seem to be what he wants.

We will do our best to ensure that his case has the highest public profile we can manage, but our main energies have to be aimed at changing the law.”

The NSS can’t help Harry as he doesn’t want it. But they are now and always have been against the law itself, so we have to try to work at getting it removed.

By: barriejohn

barriejohn — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:15:04 +0000

Mice living in the shadow of John Lennon? Seems to just about sum up this stupid twerp and her ilk to me!

By: Brian Jordan

Brian Jordan — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 11:02:47 +0000

That chaplain has written a children’s book about two anthropomorphic mice living under the John Lennon statue. Clearly oblivious of the fact that above it is written “above us just the sky”. Shouldn’t she be calling for a tank to pull it down?

By: Lee Clark

Lee Clark — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:56:16 +0000

The more I think about this, the more upset it makes me. Basically, this guy left satirical cartoons in a public prayer room at an airport. The cartoons were as follows:

“One image showed a smiling Christ on the cross next to an advert for a brand of “no nails” glue.

In another, Islamic suicide bombers at the gates of paradise are told: ” Stop, stop, we’ve run out of virgins.” … See more

A further cartoon showed two Muslims holding a placard demanding equality with the caption: “Not for women or gays, obviously.”

I simply cannot believe, that In 2010, in the UK, this guy has [amazingly] been found guilty of a ridiculous version of an antiquated blasphemy law, and could go to jail for 7 years (the maximum sentence for this ‘crime’).

He’s going to jail for satirical cartoons that pose less harm than anything you’ll find thrown at – for example; political figures in any daily tabloid. Not only that, but he’s going to jail for taking the piss out of people and figureheads from faiths believing in *nonexistent* mythological entities!

Could I go to jail for posting my views here?! Jesus Christ!!!!!!!

By: frankyv

frankyv — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:39:33 +0000

@Marcus I get the NSS weekly Newsline e-mail, and Terry Sanderson reported this on that as well as their on website. They have an email/letters section. I think Terry has spoken to the man so has first hand info’ about what happened. I’m worried as to how come the jury only took 15 minutes to decide he was guilty, and if the judge is anything like Cherie Bliar/ Booth he’s done for. He’s due to be sentenced on 23rd April. Also why the CPS thought it was a case to prosecute. What Harry did seems so trivial compared to the over-the-top response from everybody.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:04:04 +0000

@ Frankyv Well done chief. I think the NSS could be and need to be really useful here as a focal point for opposition to this conviction, especially in light of the recent success of their anti-pope petition (out of interest, how have you asked them to keep us informed?). I’m going to email the BHA as well to see if they can get some kind of groundswell going as they did with the atheist bus campaign.

I don’t know about you guys, but I am seriously incensed by this one. No matter how misguided, no matter how naive, we have to fight for one of our own here.

By: frankyv

frankyv — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:07:53 +0000

I’ve emailed the NSS to keep us informed. I think this is very dangerous, and we should be prepared to back any action by the NSS. I’ve also emailed the airport so if we make our feelings known, they might think twice about doing this again, and may (huh) give Ms Lees a swift kick in the pants. I also quoted the relevant part of JL’s song at them (….and no religion too…). He must be spinning in his grave. Could we get Yoko on the case?