UK Writers in Free-speech Furor
A proposed anti-crime bill in England which includes a sanction against "inciting religious hatred" has caused members of the English PEN, the writer's organization, to seek a meeting with the Home Secretary before the Bill goes up for discussion in the House, reports the UK Guardian. Two hundred writers, including Salman Rushdie, Monica Ali, Antonia Fraser, signed an open letter to Home Secretary Charles Clarke, arguing the new law would end freedom of expression, stating that "to gag criticism is to encourage abuse of power within religious communities." The controversy comes in the wake of recent violent demonstrations in Birmingham against the play Bezhti. After a riot by Sikh protesters the play was closed. Under the new law, the playwright could be prosecuted for "inciting religious hatred." In their letter to Mr. Clark, the writers state: "Here a violent mob, on the grounds that a play offended their religion, successfully prevented its performance, acted as censors, and threatened the life of its author...the new legislation encourages rather than combats intolerance. We do not need it. What we need is a signal from government that it wishes to defend true democracy and its many virtues, including those of dissent and the freedom of expression." Read full text.