Norway Criminalizes Blasphemy?

Someone please tell me this is a joke.

DOHA, February, 15 2006, (IslamOnline.net) – The Norwegian parliament has amended the Penal Code to criminalize blasphemy in the wake of the republication of Danish cartoons that lampooned Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) by a Norwegian magazine, Christian and Muslim leaders in Norway said on Tuesday, February 14.

"Law 150-A, which has been approved by parliament, criminalizes blasphemy and clearly prohibits despising others or lampooning religions in any form of expression, including the use of photographs," Norway's Deputy Archbishop Oliva Howika told reporters after a meeting in Doha with Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.

Howika was among a Norwegian delegation that also included the chairman of the Supreme Islamic Council in Norway, Mohamed Hamdan.

"Under the new law, the crime of blasphemy will be punished either by a fine or imprisonment," Howika said, promising Qaradawi to fax him a copy of the law after being published in the country's official gazette.

This is insane if true: maybe it's about time I set up a Norwegian branch of the Temple of the Sacred Hollow Earth and Anointed Grassy Knoll, the denigration of whose most sacred beliefs will be a punishable offense. Are today's Norwegians such cowards as to throw their freedom of speech away so casually?

Comments

[Chuckles]

It seems to be true. I have seen the news in other outlets.

This is of course proof of moral courage, moral strength, etc on the part of the Norwegians. Folks underestimate just how deep rooted anti-intellectualism is in supposedly free and democractic Western cultures.

There goes the enlightenment. What a shame.

[dof]

Hmmm.

I'd wonder what would happen with, say, a book that denies the divinity and/or crucifixion of Christ onder said law.

[Ross]

{It seems to be true. I have seen the news in other outlets.}

I'm not convinced this story is right. It seems possible that they may have implied that there would be an islamic blasphemy law to Qaradawi and that is why it has been reported as it has.

This report from the Gulf Times certainly gives a different impression:

"DR SHEIKH Yusuf al-Qaradawi, head of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) as well as the European Council for Fatwa and Research, accepted in principle yesterday an apology tendered by a delegation from Norway for cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad..........

..He did not call for ending the boycott against Norwegian products, saying that a law banning blasphemy must be enacted first.
Although the head of the Islamic Council, Mohamed Hamdan, said such a law was already in effect, he could not show a copy of it to journalists who met him at the home of Dr al-Qaradawi."

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=72978&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

[Chuckles]

Yes, you have point Ross, tho' Norway has a dormant anti-blasphemy law, and several Muslims have petitioned for its revival.

In any case:

http://www.judeoscope.ca/breve.php3?id_breve=0758

But it wouldnt suprise me if the news was in fact correct. Its just the kind of boneheaded move I have come to expect from several European countries.

[Jim]

It appears to be a joke.

Various commenters at Harry's Place have looked through the Norwegian language press and found no mention. This doesn't seem like the sort of thing that would get buried in the back pages.

[DP111]

Scandinavian countries have known peace and prosperity for so long, WWII left them largely untouched, that they are now afraid at finding something really ugly on their door step.

It is FEAR that has been the guiding emotion of the entire Western world since 9/11. We have been terrorised in our own lands even though the muslim population is at most 10% at the moment. What will happen in the next 20 years or so, is frightful to think of.

The real blame for this state of affairs is our own governments cowardice, and their stated notice that they are no longer to be held accountable for defending the citizens who they represent, but only muslim interests and immigrants. The clearest indication of this policy was in London, where the police did absolutely nothing against muslim demonstrators who openly threatened the realm, but immediately and harshly threatened a lone protester who had the courage to stand up to these vile supporters of a vile paedophile so called prophet.

There is another fear that may be guiding these dhiimicrats in Europe - and that is the fear of a resurgent European nationalism. If that monster is re-awakened then we had all better hang on to our hats.
-------------------------------------
Well I hope that this news of Norwegian dhimmitude is just rumour but I fear there are is something worse that happened in Norway

The recantation of Velbjørn Selbekk, Galileo style,editor of the tiny Christian periodical Magazinet – the first publication to reprint the now-famous Muhammed cartoons from the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten

Selbekk, in his prepared remarks, leaned heavily on the usual soothing multicultural language, including the word "understanding." It was clear that Selbekk had indeed come to an understanding: he understood that if he didn't relent, he risked physical harm. He also spoke of "respect" – a word that in this context must surely have been understood by the imams to refer not to a volitional regard for a social equal but to the obligatory deference of a repentant infidel. As for Handam, he noted that "Selbekk has children the same age as my own. I want my children and his children to grow up together, live together in peace, and be friends." This was rather chilling, given that Selbekk’s family, too, had been under threat.

http://www.brucebawer.com/

[yk]

It's bullshit. Come on! Europe hasn't sunk that low yet.

No legit sources: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=norway+blasphemy&btnG=Search+News

Minor source recants: http://www.judeoscope.ca/breve.php3?id_breve=0758

[mercia]

Why does Abiola always fall for these hoaxes? Any story which confirms his prejudices becomes gospel truth...

[Andrew]

Well come on, it's not as though he linked to it as if he were sure it was true - he did open the post with "Someone please tell me this is a joke" after all.

[Abiola]

Ah, Andrew, why go spoil this troll's fantasies of superior wisdom and objectivity with petty things like facts? There's an axe to be ground by "mercia", and he/she/it isn't about to let such inconveniences get in the way of grinding it ...

[Jim]

dof is right; a blaphemy law in Norway would basically outlaw the Qur'an. Maybe the Norwegians should give in to the Muslims' demands on this one.

[dsquared]

On the other hand, it *is* true that the UK government has passed a law criminalising the "glorification" of terrorism, with the Home Secretary to be in charge of keeping a list of government-approved historical terrorists who can still be mentioned approvingly, and this is not a joke.

[Bill]

"Scandinavian countries have known peace and prosperity for so long, WWII left them largely untouched"

Someone's ignorant of history. Taking an expansive view of Scandinavia,

Iceland: OK
Norway: Forcibly occupied by Nazi Germany
Denmark: Ditto, although without fighting
Sweden: OK
Finland: Bloody defensive wars against both the Germans and Russians

[Abiola]

"On the other hand, it *is* true that the UK government has passed a law criminalising the "glorification" of terrorism"

An incredibly stupid law, but look on the bright side: perhaps this will finally begin to make unqualified supporters of freedom of speech out of the likes of the MCB ...

http://www.mcb.org.uk/article_detail.php?article=announcement-537

[DP111]

Bill

Know your history. Scandinavia was not inflicted with continuous aerial bombardment, and neither did they have the kind of casuaties in WWII, both military and civilian as did Britain.

[Andrew]

*Ahem*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties

Finland: 25.1 deaths / 1000 population
Britain: 7.7 deaths / 1000 population

[Wayne]

In reference to the trolling comments about Abiola being fooled by hoaxes, I'd just like to point something out with reference to the Infected Gay Blood Donations Hoax in South Africa that castigated him on. That was where a hoaxer claimed a gang of HIV infected gay activists had intentionally given infected blood to the South African National Blood Service.

It took several days before the hoax was exposed as coming from only one overly angry and self destructive gay rights protestor with a fax machine, and who was already despised by fellow gay rights activists. The local press was quite adamant in that time that it was true and the South African National Blood Service nearly initiated a recall of all blood donations given around the country at the time based on the claim.

The Star newspaper, with a readership nearly in the millions, has also refused to retract or apologise for its original story when it was the one that started the near panic.

It's hard to not rely on such sources when several local newspaper chains and a national medical service acted based on the same info.