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Olympic medallist Louis Smith banned for 'mocking Islam'

148 replies

WalrusGumboot · 01/11/2016 14:20

m.bbc.co.uk/sport/gymnastics/37832754

I find this extremely worrying. I hope the ban is overturned. Freedom of speech should be defended and I think it's shameful that British Gymnastics are not being more supportive of Louis.

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 03/11/2016 12:39

People get death threats on twitter all the time. Mary Beard got death threats and rape threats for not being pretty. Caroline Criardo Perez got death threats, rape threats, threats to kill her dog and burn down her house for suggesting that there should be a woman on the new £10 note. To name but two. Gary Lineker has had a very hard time indeed on Twitter recently for his support for refugees.

Of course threats should be taken seriously and fortunately the police are much better than they used to be. And I hope they catch and throw the book at whoever threatened Louis Smith.

Inkanta · 03/11/2016 12:41

'Examples please.'

No. Open your mind and come out of this mind set that must have examples and evidence. Think about it. Why in this day and age would a person be punished for criticising a Christian - in the western world?

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 03/11/2016 12:53

Oh yes let's all pretend that murders
at Charlie Hebdo didn't happen or that fatwas are not issued

Any internet threats have to be taken seriously some and we know the reasons why more so than others

AutumnLeavesAgain · 03/11/2016 12:56

What an odd conversation this has turned into.

Goodbye and in the words of the incomparable Dave Allen,

"May your Gods go with you."

Do look him up on YouTube for some laughs at religion 70s style.

BertrandRussell · 03/11/2016 12:56

"Oh yes let's all pretend that murders
at Charlie Hebdo didn't happen or that fatwas are not issued "

Of course they happened. And of course they are. And absolutely despicable they are too.

Are you suggesting this situation is comparable?

BertrandRussell · 03/11/2016 12:58

I agree. Some threats are taken more seriously than others. Threats against women tend to be bottom of the pile.

BertrandRussell · 03/11/2016 13:00

So. This mocking of Christianity that goes on, and for which sports people are not banned or punished...........

Or are the only examples of "mocking Christianity" you can find Dave Allen and Life of Brian?

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 03/11/2016 13:03

that the very real fear of threats being made because Islam has been insulted has to be taken seriously because of recent history

Can it be compared well that the only link is the religion

Inkanta · 03/11/2016 13:06

Bertrand - are you aware that the mocking of Christianity goes on all the time in daily life - at work, in the pub, at home, over dinner, whilst watching TV ...?

Inkanta · 03/11/2016 13:19

Only the other day the Pope was well criticised and mocked for saying women would never become Roman Catholic Priests!

No-one is getting punished as far as I can see.

Limer · 03/11/2016 13:41

If Louis Smith had grabbed a string of beads, waved them round his head and chanted a rude version of the Hail Mary, nobody would've batted an eyelid.

All religions should be fair game for parody, mockery and criticism.

BertrandRussell · 03/11/2016 13:48

"Only the other day the Pope was well criticised and mocked for saying women would never become Roman Catholic Priests!"

Where was he mocked?

BertrandRussell · 03/11/2016 13:52

"If Louis Smith had grabbed a string of beads, waved them round his head and chanted a rude version of the Hail Mary, nobody would've batted an eyelid"

Oh don't be silly. He would have been just as banned as he has been now.
The governing body of gymnastics is very strict- - young woman had her funding cut off for posting "unbecoming" pictures on Facebook.

I do wonder sometimes why Christians, from their position of privilege in the UK are so incredibly keen to be persecuted.

sportinguista · 03/11/2016 14:14

I think it's mainly because Christianity tends to survive anyway. I mean I remember tarts and vicars parties from when I was a kid, people referring to godsquad etc and we all still went to church at Easter, for Christmas midnight mass etc. Christianity seems to be able to carry on, take in good part the humour (I've seen numerous cartoons with Jesus in them even in my DH very catholic home country). Also criticism numerous bands I know of have criticised Christianity in lyrics and as far as I know the church has not come after them with a big stick.

If the same was done in Islam I suspect it would be seen very differently.

For the record I think Louis Smith was probably more in the wrong for doing something silly whilst drunk. But having seen a great many people do vastly silly things whilst drunk and tell some hugely innapropriate jokes also, I think it was more down to the fact that he is a public figure and he made the mistake of doing it at an event which whilst private in the sense he was not there in a professional capacity, he was filmed.

There are a great many aspects of organised religion, including Islam I find totally ridiculous. However I don't get drunk, in public or private a great deal these days and I am not in any way high profile as he is.

ButterfliesRfree · 03/11/2016 15:51

Dracula (earlier mentioned) and was right. You can mock anything but Islam. Best of luck UK.

Tropezienne · 03/11/2016 17:31

I agree Butter. good summary

Abraiid2 · 03/11/2016 17:55

Catholics have been mocked in Britain and (on mumsnet) without any recourse to banning. Catholicism is a minority religion and Catholics were only recently allowed to marry anyone in the line of succession. They have traditionally had a lower than average socio-economic profile and are more racially diverse than members of the prevailing CoE religion of the land. Feel free to say anything about them, though. They have funny rituals and beliefs and won't threaten to kill you or ban you.

BertrandRussell · 03/11/2016 18:02

I suppose it depends what you mean by "mocked".

Garthmarenghi · 03/11/2016 18:11

I always think of Dave Allen when I hear about Islam being mocked. I wonder if he would have made jokes about Mohammed or whether the risks re death threats would have stopped him venturing into material like that.

Tropezienne · 03/11/2016 18:15

Do you really need to ask that question? Of course he wouldn't, not unless he wanted to spend the rest of his life in hiding or surrounded by bodyguards.

Just Googled Dave Allen btw, He's funny!

Limer · 03/11/2016 20:31

A modern-day Dave Allen would tell this joke:
Q. Why do gay catholics love cannabis?
A. Because the bible says that men who sleep together should be stoned.

But he wouldn’t tell this one, unless he wanted a fatwa hanging over his head:
Q. Why do gay muslims love cannabis?
A. Because the koran says that men who sleep together should be stoned.

NigellasGuest · 03/11/2016 20:52

Is Louis smith going in the jungle?

Garthmarenghi · 03/11/2016 21:08

Limer - exactly!

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