Comedian Stephen Fry Is Under Investigation for Blasphemy in Ireland
The very idea of blasphemy laws sounds so foreign to American ears, doesn't it? To be honest, when I hear the mention of anti-blasphemy statutes, my mind goes straight to the Middle East and nations that practice Sharia law. But, believe it or not, comedian Stephen Fry is in hot water over blasphemy laws—and you won't believe where the complaint originated.
The Gardaí—the Irish police—are looking into a complaint from a man in the appropriately named town of Donnybrook who has invoked the country's Defamation Act over the comedian's statements on a series called The Meaning of Life. The Independent (Ireland) reports that the show's host, Gay Byrne, asked Fry what he would ask God if he met the Almighty at the pearly gates.
Mr Fry replied: "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, mean-minded, stupid god who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?"
[...]
He added: "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?"
https://pjmedia.com/faith/2017/05/08/co ... n-ireland/Ireland's Defamation Act, a statute that went into effect in 2010, declares that anyone who publishes or utters blasphemous material should be subject to a fine of no more than €25,000.
The interesting twist in this matter is that the man who reported Fry's offense didn't find himself personally offended by the statement. Rather, he admitted that he believed that since Fry had committed criminal blasphemy, he felt the need to report the crime.
The broadcast aired in February 2015, and the unnamed complainant noted that he received a perfunctory acknowledgment upon his first reporting the issue. However, when he followed up with the Gardaí a year later, he "got a standard 'we have received your letter'" from the police commissioner's office. In fact, a source within the Gardaí told the Independent that it was "highly unlikely" that a prosecution would follow.
Naturally, Fry's representative told the Independent that the comedian had no comment. And, just as predictably, Ireland's atheists and Left-leaning politicians have rallied to Fry's side.
It's crazy to see this in a western country, but it seems this is actually a thing.
Now, my question is- will 'left-leaning' people come to someone's defense if they're accused of blasphemy anywhere else? Say...Egypt? Saudi Arabia? Pakistan? Afghanistan? Turkey? (Er, yeah...basically anywhere islam has political power.)
