More on free speech

Following on from yesterday's comment on free speech, Calton is concerned to see in the news that some of the banners at today's Muslim rally in front of Holyrood carried the slogan "No religion is allowed to insult any other religion". This, along with demands for an international law against religious hatred, is deeply worrying to anyone who, like Calton, values free speech. There is a big difference between insult and hatred and the two should not be confused. Apart from anything else, who decides what is insulting? One man's insult may be another's term of endearment. Stirring up hatred on the basis of religion or race or anything else is abhorrent and should rightly be punished however legislating on the basis of insult, real or perceived, is a minefield. No-one is saying it's pleasant to have your beliefs ridiculed but the alternative is a total erosion of our right to free speech. As a comment doing the rounds of facebook says "Internet videos will insult your religion. Get over it."