AIBU to think this man should have got a prison sentence for assault with a knife against someone who offended his religion?

[SinisterBumFacedCat]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xr12yx5l4o.am

He attacked a man for burning a Quran. He went at him with a blade, kicked him to the ground and repeatedly spat on him. A cowardly deliveroo rider got in a few kicks whilst he was on the floor.

The guy who burned the Quran is now in hiding due to death threats. The attacker walked free from court. There is a full video of the attack online, he is clearly a very violent person. The judge let him off because he has previous good character and was provoked into violence.

Isn’t this sending the message that actual physical violence and assault with a bladed weapon is allowed if you’re offended by something?

YABU - he shouldn’t be in prison
YANBU - he should be in prison

"Being rude" is not illegal.

And I fucking hope it never fucking is.

I'm not really one for book burning. but if others want to - within laws around property and danger to others - why shouldn't they ?

Same for flags too.

Why? If its his book he can piss on the ashes if he wants

Didnt the guy who was beaten up get charged with a hate crime? I thought I read that in another news article

It's basically giving a free pass to any Muslim who feels Islam had been insulted to respond violently. Two tier justice.

I believe so or it might have been another incident

Whatever the Quaran burner was up to, he wasn't waving a fucking knife around because of some supposed insult to a sky fairy.

We are talking about a violent criminal who returned home to find a weapon that could easily have killed several people before he was stopped (especially it those people were young children) and who has been allowed to continue walking the streets.

Fuck policing twitter. I want anyone - anyone at all - who waves a weapon around in public to be either locked up, or shot on sight if it's too hard to taser them.

Yes, it is that simple. Most up us appear to have got this far in life without needing to wave a gun or a knife or a baseball bat around in public.

YANBU.

We’re in danger of introducing blasphemy laws by the back door. This sentence should be appealed.

Completely agree

Apparently, "good character" "no previous" etc etc

I know basic research isn't really a thing, however I found that the sentencing guidelines for "possession of a bladed article" are from 3 months to 2 years 6 months custody.

Which is a fucking joke.

If it is within sentencing guidelines then any appeal will be a waste of time.

He didn't stab or injure the other chap so GBH or ABH charges are out of the question. Common assault is the highest level he can be charged with.

The other charge does not attract a prison sentence at all as he did not actually stab anyone.

https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/resources/common-offences/assault/

https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/bladed-articles-and-offensive-weapons-having-in-a-public-place/

I think a bit of basic respect for other folks' religions would be helpful. And I'm a hardcore atheist. If I had been present on the day, I would absolutely have told book burning man to stop being so pathetic . And probably been lamped for it, but hey.

The book burner was Kurdish/ Armenian. He may have had a solid grievance regarding Islam. I don’t hold with book burning but he didn’t harm anyone.
The knife wielder should 100% be in jail.

I think a bit of basic respect for other folks' religions would be helpful.

So would saying please and thank you.

But I don't want a law for them.

OK. so that's how things are.

I still want anyone who waves a weapon around in public behind bars. I don't think we should be waiting until someone is injured or killed to do it.

If that makes me a bit odd then fucking bring it on. I'll be as odd as I fucking like with my irrational dislike of weaponry in public. Lah-di-dah as it may seem.

I give no fucks about what a person may have been lawfully doing.

And, to be honest, I still have few fucks to give if they were not physically attacking someone.

The bottom line has to be that no one. Not you, Not me. Not little Amy down the road. None of us has any right to wave weapons around in public. There our freedoms end.

And anyone who does wave weapons around goes to jail with no excuse.

It's hard to believe, given current news stories that this view seems in any way controversial.

But what does respect mean in practice? Not allowed to criticise or parody?

Criticising Islam, burning the Quran is becoming something people are terrified to do.

It is completely at odds with Western society and western social and cultural norms.

You wouldn't expect to parade around Mecca in a bikini whilst eating a bacon sarnie.

If immigration in this country is to work, then immigrants need to integrate and adopt British liberal ideals.

It's getting to the stage where pictures of Allah need to be plastered absolutely every where and burning the Quran is done regularly. Not for the sake of provocation, but to normalise it so that crimes like this don't happen

It’s baffling and worrying

burning your own property shouldnt be a crime regardless of who it offends. Threatening someone with a knife IS a crime and he should have done time. Islamist nutters are a danger to society.

and the government are still pushing ahead with their Islamophobia definition which will only drive more wedges

It's getting to the stage where pictures of Allah need to be plastered absolutely every where and burning the Quran is done regularly. Not for the sake of provocation, but to normalise it so that crimes like this don't happen

That would be fine if we then also plastered images that were blasphemous to all other faiths and burned their holy books. Normalisation has to be across all faiths and preferably also none. I'm sure some clever person can come up with something that would offend all atheists - I'm willing to be a guineapig.

If you want to get philosophical about it, the fundamental difference between Islam and Christianity, is that Christianity itself acknowledges there is such a thing as a secular world.

Admittedly the various churches did their best to hide that, but it's there in the Bible. "Give unto Caesar that which is Caesers".

Islam has no such concept. It isn't a religion. It's the beginning and the end (sound familiar).

So we in the christian framed west can separate religion and law.

This is probably a gross oversimplification, but as far as my small mind can go.

But whilst we can discuss this all day, I still say people waving knives around in public should be locked up so the rest of us who don't carry knives can go about our lawful business in peace.

Dawkins seems to get quite offended as an atheist.

Let's use him then. He's a twat. He's one of those atheists who makes atheism into a religion, which is spectacularly missing the point.

Like some MNettes who are terrified of being invited to a religious service to the extent of "being offended".

Rubbish!
I reserve the right to burn (assuming in a legally allowed fire) rip up, piss on draw cock and balls on the pages or do whatever I want to any book I own. I should also be free to ridicule any religion I want. And I am free to do all this without (very well founded) fear for my life, to every religion except one.