जुस्त words

So an innocent and caring schoolteacher in the Sudan has been arrested and faces charges of Blasphemy and possible flogging or prison or both, and for what? Allowing her children to name a teddy bear with the name of a prophet.

It is no wonder that the world is in it's current parlous state, with the mediaeval and barbaric regimes that run one half of the world, and the bleeding hearts and Christians the other. The two "cultures" are so far apart that it is impossible to imagine that the two might ever meet, yet alone agree on anything other than arms deals and oil purchases. If there was a god, can anyone believe that he would, sorry she, would give the oil to one half and the intelligence to the other? Maybe, just maybe but she would require a sense of humour and be prepared to take all the flack at some time.

It seems that the days of free speech are gone. Even the Oxford Union is having problems allowing those with racist views to air their opinions. For goodness sake, an opinion is just that and surely in a civilised society, all opinions are allowed and should be aired and maybe even shot down in flames if necessary. To silence people simply drives them into an underground where their views can be cultivated and grow in an unchallenged way.

Tory politicians have been forced into resignation recently for airing non PC views. It seems that the only people to go unchallenged in their statements are members of certain ethnic groups, who, for whatever reason are feared by the rest of the populace. I am all for Tories resigning, but not for simply speaking their minds. Let them speak, or we run the risk of living in a society where it will be illegal to call a pet pig, Maggie.

Without freedom of speech a society cannot be called civilised, and the world must learn that before it is too late.