quote:
Originally posted by Rob Kamphausen:
and now france, everybody's buddy, takes their stance on religious expression.

granted, "scarf-wearing muslims" don't exactly have the best stereotyped reputation right now, but...

just imagine the hubbub if dubya made this decision.
In France's case, at least they were across the board about it.
The law also applies to French students wearing Jewish yamakas, and Christians wearing crucifixes.

It bugs the hell out of me in this country when Christianity cannot even be mentioned in schools, and then you have cases of Islam being openly promoted and proselytized, as in the police station I mentioned above.

There was a similar incident in Canada recently, where Canadian Federal Justice officials expanded federal hate speech laws to include sexual orientation. Canadian law enforcement can seize hard drives, if they are believed to contain "hate literature". In the specific case of those whose religious beliefs don't agree with the Canadian federal law on "sexual orientation" (which is, of course, code for homosexuality) for those with religious beliefs to criticize homosexuality will now be regarded as "hate speech", and is regarded now as a crime in Canada, despite the fact they know it as absolute truth that homosexuality is immoral.

To publicly state that Islam preaches hate toward the West --even though it's demonstrably true-- is also now regarded as a crime.

On September 9, 1998, an inter-faith memorial service was held for the 229 victims of the crash of Swiss Air Fight 111 in Nova Scotia. A Protestant clergy woman and a Catholic priest were asked by the canadian government's Federal Protocol officer to submit their funeral statements for pre-approval. A Native Canadian was permitted to speak of her people's tribal beliefs. A Muslim read from the Koran. A Jewish Rabbi read from Hebrew scripture. But the Protestand and Catholic priests were forbidden to read from the New Testament about Christ, because it "might offend someone" and were asked to just read from the Old Testament, which they reluctantly did.

Saying that homosexuality is immoral is deemed "hate speech" in Canada as well.

Yet Christian speech is limited, while Canada is willing to incorporate Sharia law, to accommodate Muslims in Canada.
In fair light, Muslim law given equal scrutiny (such as punishments for crimes including the severing of hands and feet, to say nothing for the treatment of women and other violent practices) would be at least as offensive, if not more so, than quoting the New Testament where Jesus says:
"I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:verse 6)

Or

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save it through him."( John 3: verses 16-17 )

The Canadian legal standard is quite warped. I hope it's not a prelude to what will happen in the United States as well.