Opinion with Michael Coren This May, the British author and actor Stephen Fry was briefly investigated by the Irish police on charges of blasphemy. Yes, you read that correctly. The case was based on remarks made two years ago on Irish television and, if he had been convicted, Fry could have faced a fine of $25,000 euros. It speaks volumes, or perhaps bibles, that a member of the public in a modern, western, liberal and democratic country can still initiate legal and criminal proceedings if offended by comments about their God and faith. I should declare at this stage that I know Stephen and am immensely fond of him, but that doesn’t influence my opinion of this situation one way or the other. During the interview in question, the well-known atheist was asked what he would say if he met God after death. The reply: “How dare you create a world in which there is such misery? It’s not our fault? It’s not right. It’s utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, meanminded, stupid god who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?” He continued, “Because the god who created this universe, if it was created by god, is quite clearly a maniac, an utter maniac, totally selfish. We have to spend our lives on our knees thanking him. What kind of god would do that?”The interview has been watched online more than seven million times and I am sure that this number will now multiply. As a seminarian studying for ordination to the priesthood, I can assure you that what Stephen Fry said would be a perfect starting point for a systematic theology class. He was eloquent and perceptive, and forced one to think. I don’t have to agree with him to admire him, though much of what he said was certainly compelling. Faith is a dialogue and tough, challenging questions can’t be strangled or ignored simply because they are difficult. That way lies oppression, bigotry and intolerance. More to the point, who knew that Ireland – a member of the European Union no less – still had blasphemy laws? In fact, this particular darling is not some stale anachronism but was passed as recently as 2009. The so-called Defamation Act prohibits the “publishing or uttering [of] matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion.” The Fry debacle passed away, but something far more serious occurred at around the same time when Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Jakarta’s Christian governor, was sentenced to two years in prison in Indonesia for blasphemy. He was accused of insulting Islam while running for re-election, even though he has repeatedly denied the charge. Here, we have a senior politician sent to jail for allegedly making a remark about Islam, in a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, but one that claims equality for the 13% of its non-Muslims. But, before we congratulate ourselves that blasphemy legislation is the preserve of a handful of oddities, such laws still exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland; and Denmark – considered a model of pluralism and freedom – has just brought the first blasphemy charge in 46 years. A staggering 66% of the Danish population supports the blasphemy law and, in case anybody assumes that this is an idea imported from the Muslim world, less than 5% of the Danish population follows Islam. Similar laws still exist in Poland, Austria, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Russia. In much of the Islamic world, of course, the notion of blasphemy is not only part of the political and social fabric, it can lead to deadly consequences. In Canada, blasphemous libel is, surprisingly, still a crime but earlier this year, the government announced that it was currently under review. It’s difficult to imagine many Canadians supporting such a law, but polls in various northern European countries with similar values reveal surprising results. Something deeply troubling is occurring. As freedoms expand, subsequent fears of those freedoms develop in reaction and there is none so angry as a fundamentalist scorned. Insult for its own sake is childish and pointless, but strong words to make a point or to oppose a creed are not only acceptable, but also absolutely vital in a healthy democracy. I will remember that every time I sit down to pray to my God, and shall thank Him for our right to speak our minds. 14 | www.snowbirds.org
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