to think eight months in prison is a bit excessive for throwing bacon

[CondyLisa]

www.thesun.co.uk/news/2095440/two-polish-men-bombarded-london-mosque-with-tesco-bacon-after-oktoberfest-booze-binge/

"Blackfriars Crown Court heard that the pair had bought a packet of bacon at a Tesco after drinking heavily at the festival but could not remember going to the mosque on Sunday night, October 2.

Prosecutor Carol Summers said the mosque’s caretaker had at first thought the Polish pair were worshippers but was stunned when meat was thrown at him.

The men threw several rashers of bacon, also placing a third piece in the shoe of a worshipper."

They appear to have no prior offending history.

Obviously whether you are at a church, mosque or community centre, you shouldn't be hassled by drunken yobs and it is right that they should be punished, but this seems to be a de facto blasphemy sentence more than anything else.

I don't see that throwing bacon is more serious than, say, yobs ripping up flower beds that people have worked on, and which provide at least as much social utility as a place of worship - but the latter attracts a sentence of community service, whereas we have eight month prison sentence for some bacon.

audrey

So have I. " Such as not killing, harming nature, not slaughtering children etc."

That's simply not true. Mohammed did kill and slaughter.

SpunkyMummy
"But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust in Allah; for He is One that hears and knows all things."
"If anyone killed a person - unless it was for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed the whole people
Qur'an 5:32"
and i think this is the quote that will prove my point;
"Do not commit treachery or deviate from the right path.
You must not mutilate dead bodies.
Neither kill a child, nor a woman, nor an aged man.
Bring no harm to the trees, nor burn them with fire, especially those which are fruitful.
Slay not any of the enemy's flock, save for your food.
You are likely to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave them alone
Abu Bakr"

Yes...

Have you ever counted the amount of clearly violent verses?

I'm sure "Mein Kampf" contains a few lovely lines as well.

Hate crime. It increases the sentence. and too bloody right.

I'm in no doubt whatsoever that the sentence is this case is disproprotionate to the crime and it's to be hoped that it will be appealed.

If Islam is indeed a 'religion of peace', I'm curious to know why some devotees are killing their fellow worshippers in the name of Allah.

Audrey
Re: Peace and the Qu'ran

And do you think that 100% of Muslims obey that? In the same way that 100% of Christians follow Jesus' injunction to "love one another, as I have loved you"? (And I speak as a practising Christian)

Of course not - because they are human beings and have all of the faults and virtues of human beings. Some are good, some are bad - and some are easily influenced by their religious and/or political leaders - and some of those are just power-mad butchers.

Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, unto battle at Jahaz. And Jehovah our God delivered him up before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people. And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones; we left none remaining.

The sons of Judah also captured 10,000 alive and brought them to the top of the cliff and threw them down from the top of the cliff, so that they were all dashed to pieces.

All religions contain violent verses.

Back to the OP, I think a fine and community service would have covered it.
Jail-time seems very heavy handed (and expensive!) compared to the sentences we normally see handed out these days.

eg, random google:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-37850411
Hit a cyclist, left him dying in the road - suspended sentence (ie - a walk out)!

Thank you for inserting a "bring-us-down-to-earth" comment MrsBethel.

We had drifted (and were possibly on the point of another Holy War)