Didn’t want to derail the other thread so figured I’d open a separate one about the teenager who has been arrested & charged over a comment he’d made on FB.
Azhar Ahmed
BBC News - Azhar Ahmed convicted of offensive Facebook message
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
Show that to Mercenry and ghost14
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
So it is only "Freedom of Speech" when it is convenient for them or its offensive?!
This guy's comment is offensive to me too, but so is what is happening right now with this movie!
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
the UK doesn't have freedom of speech similar to the US' first amendment. in fact, UK has one of the strictest anti-defamation laws. you can not legally make racist or threatening or insulting comments in public in the UK, you can in the US.
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
This is obviously an overreaction as well. So because the British government reacted like this we should show them up?
Edit: I was not aware of the difference between British and US laws.
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
you can not legally make racist or threatening or insulting comments in public in the UK,
for that we have hyde park :D
So because the British government reacted like this we should show them up?
No. The point is that human emotions are human emotions and we cannot throw the freedom of speech mantraa at victims face and ask them not to react.
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
Massive hypocrisy from the UK justice system.
I can bring out page after page of racist filth pages on Pakistanis in UK by the EDL and far-right groups yet none of them get convicted. The EDL can openly march in a town and shout racist trash yet that’s ok 
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
Human emotion does not justify riots. And like queer mentioned, the guy who made it is a US citizen, and in the US, you can question religion. We really have no say in what this guy can, or can't do. This doesn't mean that I approve of what he did.
I do agree that there is hypocrisy when it comes to freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to be selective about what can be said. This guy is free to criticize Muslims, as long as he's not in my face about it. The guy who mocked the soldiers' deaths is also free to do that. I don't agree with either one, but I do think they can say whatever they want.
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
Personally Muslims have massive problems with regards to corruption, poverty, crime etc plaguing our countries, kind of shows why we are where we are when with so much wrong people can't protest against our governments like that yet come out on the streets for a min clip.
However in an ideal world noone should care who says what, I certainly don't.
But this is not an ideal world, if someone is getting convicted for saying hateful stuff then so should the rest.
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
I think it's quite clear in the British and certain European countries certain remarks are excluded as freedom of speech. In Germany, if you talk in a positive manner about Nazis (not that a rational person would) this can lead to prosecution. Equally in Britain many examples of double standards as they claim to be the upholders of democracy and freedom of speech yet comments by individuals on-line can land them in prison. Such efficient ways of using public/tax money.
It's an irrational/unacceptable system which is only accepted amongst nations of the west provided what ever is said/done is in their national interest. Otherwise you can cancel you day plans and head into the local police station.
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
A few things that I’ve noticed from your post:
What he did, was probably wrong, but not illegal. Hence he should not be arrested, and there are five civil liberty organizations working to help with his free speech rights.
There are atleast three civil liberties organizations working on his behalf
This pales in comparison to muslims being violent and burning their own lands. Not cool.
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
Could this be the exception that proves the rule? No comparison with blasphemy laws IMO.
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
You are mixing apples and oranges here. The UK is not the US.
As Queer said, the UK has strict anti defamation laws, the US does not.
And for what ever its worth, you should note that these laws havent been restricted only to idiotic posts from confused adolescent Muslims, it also applies to White britishers aswell. This woman including aother both served jail time for their racist rants on the London Tube.
BBC News - Racist Tube rant woman Jacqueline Woodhouse jailed
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
During first Gulf War US banned Al-Jazeera, why? May be you do not want to know.. now this is what I call freedom of speech. LOL..
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
According to Wiki and this Article from New York Times, Al Jazeera started in 1996. Remind me, when was the first Gulf war???
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
Please don't let get facts in the way.
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
I remember right after the war one of the US govt. idiot giving half-a$$ reason such as the network is transmitting secret messages to sleeper cells.LOL… Yeah its freedom alright if it serves your purpose if not showing coffins warpped in stars and stripes flying in by the hundreds is a big issue…
From WiKi…
Examples of censorship in the U.S. came shortly after the start of the invasion.[84] On Monday, 24 March 2003, two Al Jazeera reporters covering the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) had their credentials revoked. The New York Stock Exchange banned Al Jazeera (as well as several other news organizations whose identities were not revealed) from its trading floor indefinitely. NYSE spokesman Ray Pellechia claimed “security reasons” and that the exchange had decided to give access only to networks that focus “on responsible business coverage”. He denied the revocation has anything to do with the network’s Iraq war coverage.[85][86] However, Robert Zito, the exchange’s executive vice president for communications, indicated that Al Jazeera’s graphic footage broadcast on Sunday, 22 March 2003, led him to oust Al Jazeera.[84] The move was quickly mirrored by NASDAQ stock market officials.[87] The NYSE ban was rescinded a few months later.[88] In addition, Akamai Technologies, a U.S. company whose founder was killed in 9/11, canceled a contract to provide web services for Al Jazeera’s English language website.[89][90]
Al Jazeera English’s former director, Wadah Khanfar resigned in September 2011 following Wikileaks documents that asserted that he had close ties to the U.S. and agreed to remove content if the United States objected.
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
I'm one of those people who defended this guy's right to make that stupid movie. Why? To me, its matter of free speech, and free speech is non-negotiable; there should be no compromise on that. If your religious sentiment is hurt grow a thick skin & don't watch the movie. It simple as that.
As for the British story, every country has different laws, but I don't think that guy did anything wrong either. Free speech is free speech, and its the unpopular speech that needs protection, no popular speech.
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
An example where you can cite double standards was the sentencing of Tarek Mehanna here in the US. Considered ‘one of the most important free speech cases since Brandenburg v. Ohio in 1969.’ If we can put him away for 17 years, we should convict white supremacist groups. Either way, if you’re brown and/or Muslim, watch what you post and watch online.
"As a political scientist specializing in Islamic law and war, I frequently read, store, share and translate texts and videos by jihadi groups. As a political philosopher, I debate the ethics of killing. As a citizen, I express views, thoughts and emotions about killing to other citizens. As a human being, I sometimes feel joy (I am ashamed to admit) at the suffering of some humans and anger at the suffering of others.
At Mr. Mehanna’s trial, I saw how those same actions can constitute federal crimes."
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/a-dangerous-mind.html
Re: Freedom of speech & Western hypocrisy.
Either way, if you're brown and/or Muslim, watch what you post and watch online.
Just a word of caution - CIA/FBI in the past paid a visit to GupShup to give a free lesson in freedom of speech.
Agree with you 100 percent, watch what you write or say - getting hit by a vehicle is not out of the ordinary in Amreeka, if you are lucky that is...