Freedom to blog

Amnesty International has been campaigning for a significant amount of time now to protect the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi from the 1000 lashes he has been sentenced for insulting Islam.

Sadly the supreme court in Saudi Arabia has upheld the punishment.

Just when I was feeling hopeful that the Middle East might find room to change.

Lucky

As I am in a country where blogging is legal and freedom of expression largely allowed I thought it sensible to blog about this.


It is hard when people express things that you find hurtful or insulting, but the better impulse is to try and hold back from a violent response.

Much as I would like to slap Frankie Boyle in the face for some of his so-called comedy, so far I have just verbally fumed and turned the TV off, and if I had gone chasing after him with a baseball bat after the things that had offended me I wouldn't have allowed him enough room to express some of the cruel wit that actually holds some legitimate social commentary.

I could certainly be better in the area of non violent opposition to things, but I think that it is important that I and everyone else attempt that road for the future.

Taking the piss for a better future

The Hebdo attacks had my mind whirring, partly because I'd never even heard of the cartoons (admitting to ignorance), and partly because I'd become bogged down in British politics and being reminded of the spectre of terrorism again left me reeling.

So my reaction was first tears, then to join a throng of Je Suis Charlie, only to turn tail when someone described the publication as racist.

While I do not wish to live in a racist world I also do not want to live in a world where religion reigns supreme.

Yet the question rising in my mind is why do I not know about this publication and what does that indicate? Is it their failing or mine?

Freedom of speech

At school I often felt different and left out, so I dislike bullying behaviour and people without compassion.

However, having been that odd ball I value my voice and by that I mean my ability to criticise and argue with anything.

By that I do not mean a right to hurt people and if the Muslim world wishes to take the piss back, let it do so, but that is not the same thing as killing someone.

Let's not play holier than thou

In our supposedly feminist championing West a girl who challenges things often finds themselves unpopular and criticised in a way that most men wouldn't accept.

That can mean as much the devoutly religious girl, as well as the devoutly atheist one.

Then again, getting less male attention generally means you get more done.

So thanks for taking the piss guys, I probably wouldn't have got three A grades at A level without it.

Ridicule is a great weapon

My mistake was to stop taking the piss of things I didn't agree with.

But I and everyone else would do well to remember that you can take a joke too far.

My beliefs are as important as anyone else's and yes Atheists do believe in things.

Ignorance is still the biggest bully going.