Transcript Anti-Vilification Laws and Their Chilling Effect on Religious Expression

Anti-Vilification Laws and Their
Chilling Effect on Religious
Expression
My experience and anguish
- Daniel Scot
My Testimony
PAKISTAN
AUSTRALIA
• Lived as a Christian in • Lived as a Christian in
an Islamic country
a Christian country
• Forced to leave under • Received death
threat of death for
threats and
“blasphemy.”
threatened with jail
and fines for showing
what Muhammad
practiced and taught.
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• I have never, and will never try to incite fear or
hatred of Muslims.
• I have always loved them and encouraged
others to do the same.
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• I believe that Muslims and non-Muslims have
the right to read and understand each others
religious teachings.
• I teach people what is written in the Qur’an,
Hadith and how according to the most
authoritative Islamic writings, Muhammad the
founder of Islam practiced those teachings
himself.
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Impact of Shari’ah
• I have seen and lived under the impact of
Shari’ah law:
– Women oppressed, killed and beaten, and
treated like animals.
– The devaluation of non-Muslims in an Islamic
culture.
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Why I talk about Islam
•
•
Out of compassion and concern for a billion
people trapped through fear and intimidation
by the teachings of Islam such as: the
treatment of women and non-Muslims, and
Blasphemy laws.
Non-Muslim countries are blindly accepting
and promoting Islam into their culture with
open arms, without having experienced life as
a non-Muslim in a Muslim country, or, even
worse if religious ‘tolerance’ laws are further
extended, without even being allowed to
examine the real teachings of Islam.
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Race & Religion
• Race is unalterable.
• Religion is chosen.
They are not the same and should not be
treated equally.
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Racial and Religious Tolerance Act (RRTA)
A noble goal, but:
• Judges are not trained to settle millenniaold theological disputes and differences.
• The laws create superficial harmony
through fear by threatening and punishing
into silence, those who have genuine
concerns.
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Racial and Religious Tolerance Act (RRTA)
• such as ‘bigot,’ & ‘fundamentalist,’ are
used to intellectually terrorize and silence
those who disagree.
• Open and honest examination of the truth
is not only avoided but also strongly
discouraged and punished.
• Can be used to promote immoral, unjust
and dangerous ideologies.
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Taqiyya: the art of Lying and deception
For example:
• Rewrites of Islamic history with the
implication that the Muslims are always
the good guys whereas it denigrates
Christians.
• Uses Sufi definition of Jihad rather than
the normal interpretation and practice of
Muhammad and the last 1400 years of his
followers.
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Religious Tolerance Laws
• Introduce Shari’ah blasphemy laws by
stealth.
• Will cause the death of Western
democracy and civilisation if unchecked.
• Look at France, Britain, Netherlands, John
Reid, Theo van Gough etc.
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My Case
• An executive member of the Islamic
Council of Victoria oversaw the
implementation of these laws as an
employee of the Equal Opportunity
Commission.
• ICV and EOC encouraged people to look
for offence.
• Exploits notions of tolerance and pluralism
to alienate and intimidate those who
disagree with Islamic teachings.
• Used the same tactics as Muhammad. 12
My Case
• ICV and EOC sent 3 people to find offence.
• Intimidated by Christianisms, such as ‘Amen!’
• Complainants only attended parts of the
seminar and not the whole.
• Cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, more
than 5 years and lost income because of fear
of association – don’t want to be painted with
the same brush.
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My Case
• Primary complaint: I accurately quoted the
Qur’an and Hadith.
• Judge Higgins disagreed on Islamic
doctrine with the Muslim scholars.
• Judge misrepresented testimony and
evidence.
• Vilified me internationally with no recourse
to defend myself.
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My Case
• Punishment was disproportionately harsh.
• Supreme Court overturned the verdict and
injunctions but has sent it back for retrial.
• Complainants get tax-payer assistance.
• Defendants get no assistance or
compensation when found innocent.
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The Law
• Truth is irrelevant.
• Open to exploitation.
• Expensive to defend with no
compensation.
• Prevents open and honest examination of
ideas and beliefs – this is essential for a
democracy!!
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Summary
• Over-reaction to Muslim polemics.
• These laws prevent and will destroy
democracy.
• Are intellectual terrorism.
• Divides communities and can never unite.
• Are Shari’ah laws in disguise.
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Tolerance is a crime when applied to evil.