Author: Mick Hartley

thing – over my official tuxedo, I wore a T-shirt that I had brought. It has a picture of Nasrallah with a large X over it and the caption "Your ‘heroic’ terrorist is dead, we killed him"

The debate was “This House Believes Israel is an Apartheid State Responsible for Genocide.” The motion passed 278:59 in favour.

Arguing in favor of Israel were British lawyer Natasha Hausdorff, British journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti, Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad and ex-Hamas member turned Israeli spy Mosab Hassan Yousef.

On the other side of the debate were US political scientist and anti-Israel activist Norman Finkelstein, Israeli-American activist and author Miko Peled, Palestinian-American author Susan Abulhawa, and Palestinian writer Mohammed El-Kurd.

The debate devolved into a shouting match between the speakers and the audience at one point, and Haddad was removed from the stage after a verbal altercation with attendees.

Norman Finkelstein, ffs. Author of The Holocaust Industry, on how Jews exploit the Holocaust for political and financial gain….

Added: Finkelstein dropped out and didn't attend.

prime minister commit to introducing measures to prohibit the desecration of all religious texts and the prophets of the Abrahamic religions?”

Rather than explaining that the right to question or mock religious faith was a fundamental right in any free society, and that even a hint of a blasphemy law was anathema to our way of life, the prime minister said with consummate passivity: “Desecration is awful, and I think it should be condemned across the House. We are committed to tackling all forms of hatred and division including Islamophobia in all its forms.”

Starmer’s supporters have described his answer as “reasonable under the circumstances”; those circumstances presumably being that November is Islamophobia awareness month and that Tahir Ali’s Birmingham constituency is majority Muslim, a voting bloc the Labour Party can’t afford to lose.

But is such desecration “awful”? I’m an Anglican priest — I certainly oppose it. And at its worst, as with Nazi book-burning, it can be a precursor to something far worse. But my concern is for people rather than objects, and the hideously ironic truth is that people are killed in the name of a similar religious fundamentalism that would introduce blasphemy laws.

It’s too glib to blame all of this on conservative Islam. Death for blasphemy has a history in ancient Judaism and not-so-ancient Christianity. But today, the worst that would happen if a Bible were burnt would be a few angry demonstrators and a guest appearance on a comedy special lauding atheism….

I realise that the Koran holds a unique place in Muslim theology and consciousness, and that behind textual destruction can be racism and hatred. But without freedom of speech there can be no authentic freedom of religion, which at its best demands an informed and often challenged acceptance. God forbid we ever lose the right to blaspheme.

Most recommended comment:

Hear hear. As an Orthodox Jew I have no right to demand someone else respects my religious beliefs

Or indeed me. I have a right to practise my beliefs without harassment. Not without judgement.

It takes guts even just to enter a rally celebrating intifadas and calling for Israel's destruction.

But to hold up a poster that shatters the core belief of those who call for embargoes and boycotts takes audacity, too.

Kurpa from Our Fight has enormous quantities of both. pic.twitter.com/rmP1ludQrH

— OurFightUk (@OurFightUk) November 28, 2024

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a different world.

Someone enjoyed writing this I'm sure and well done for getting into the public display … but we do expect high standards from @britishmuseum.

One could also add that though the Bible narrative suggests a much earlier conquest by Israelites, long before the first millennium, many secular scholars now lean towards the theory that the Israelites originated from indigenous Canaanites and other Levantine peoples. So no occupation there at all.

Under the Romans and then the Byzantines – Eastern Roman empire – these provinces remained Palaestina and then Palaestina 1,2 and 3 until the Arab conquest when Jund Filastin was a district of the Umayyad and Abbasid province of Bilad al-Sham

I shld add that i know both @George_Osborne and Nicholas Cullinan well and both r punctilious lovers of history and if this has slipped under the radar into the British Museum they ll be the first to oversee its correction

style=”font-size: 11pt”>First, an anonymous open letter was published, calling for her removal as a judge.

Later, Julia’s request to mention the 101 Israeli hostages alongside Gaza and Lebanon was rejected, and she was barred from speaking.

Refusing to be silenced, Julia courageously took the stage to denounce this hypocrisy.

12 out of 16 jury members signed the letter demanding Julia be banned from the festival.

Her only “crime”? Being Jewish.

It’s time to expose how antisemitism hides behind the word “Zionist.”

Julia never expressed an opinion on Israel’s government. Her haters never asked her stance on Netanyahu. She wasn’t targeted for her views or actions—but solely for her religion.

Being Jewish alone was enough to make her guilty.

s festivals and it received a good reception, most recently in Lisbon. The film opens with young men hoisting two young women into the back of a truck, mimicking the kidnappings that took place on 7 October.

Eldar said that after he had submitted the film to Exeter, about a month before the two-day festival opened on 19 October, organisers had invited him to come in person.

He was unable to attend but noted that when the festival programme was published, organisers had issued an “alert” note next to a description of Rave, saying the film was about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“It’s not true,” Eldar said, “but I didn’t say anything. It’s their festival. And then, two weeks before the festival opened they sent me an email saying they weren’t going to show my film at all.”

In their rejection email, the Exeter organisers told Eldar that the festival’s selection and programming committee had “come to the difficult decision to pull Rave from our programme. We have had to consider our audience attendees and artists, and are receiving pressure from the artistic community. The subject matter is controversial and contentious, and as a non-political organisation we have to be extremely careful about what we put the spotlight on.”

The Exeter organisers added that the festival “doesn’t boycott Israeli films”, but that they had had to make the “difficult decision to boycott anything specifically commenting on events that have had an impact on ongoing conflicts around the world”. They said that they were receiving “backlash” from funders and sponsors, but noted that “we recognise the artistic merit of the film and that it is expressing genuine emotions about the terrible event that happened”.

The festival "doesn't boycott Israeli films", but is boycotting Israeli films. Such brave people.

See the film here.

ed_image_1758239050-1.jpg” style=”width: 550px” title=”Robert+Morris+English+Days+Out+2web12003″ />
Goodrington, Devon 1986

Brighton, Sussex 1980

London 1995

Trafalgar Square, London 1999

Felixstowe, Suffolk 1992

Waterloo, London 1995

Hever Castle, Kent 1991
[Photos © Cafe Royal Books/Robert Morris]

the House. We are, as I said before, committed to tackling all forms of hatred and division, including Islamophobia in all its forms.’.

Not a word about ancient British liberties, freedom of expression, or indeed any indication whether or not Sir Keir is minded to bring in such laws. The Prime Minister is too progressive to allow himself to disagree with a religious reactionary….

Ouch.

nt-size: 11pt”>The source told Daily NK that “when North Korean soldiers are unscathed, they are warriors who can fight for the leader and earn funds for the state (as mercenaries), but when they are wounded or killed, the government thinks of them as useless.”

"The public kept entirely in the dark". As ever. 

Further to that call for a blasphemy law, from UnHerd:

The MP for Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley asked Keir Starmer if he would “commit to introducing measures to prohibit the desecration of all religious texts and the prophets of the Abrahamic religions”. Speaking in the Commons, Ali added that “November marks Islamophobia awareness month,” and that “last year the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution condemning the desecration of religious texts, including the Quran, despite opposition from the previous government.”

The Prime Minister replied that the Government is “committed to tackling all forms of hatred and division”, including Islamophobia and antisemitism. Ali said that “mindless desecration only serves to fuel division and hatred,” with the Prime Minister adding: “desecration is awful.” A video of Ali’s question has gone viral on X, receiving much criticism.

The Prime Minister might have pointed out that we live in a secular society in which a blasphemy law has no place, and that no religion and no belief is above criticism or ridicule. But, of course, he didn't.

In response to Ali’s comments today, the National Secular Society said it is “deeply alarming that an MP is calling for the introduction of new blasphemy laws”. The organisation added: “Concerningly, the Prime Minister offers no defence of free expression. MPs should uphold values which are foundational to our society — not seek to dismantle them.”