- Rip it up and start again?
(report by Sarah McInerney in the Sunday Times: groups representing gay rights, children’s rights, civil rights, women’s rights, one-parent families, humanists and atheists are all demanding that referenda be held to amend the 72-year-old constitution, the better to reflect the needs of modern Irish society.)
June 28, 2009
In the News – Sunday June 28
June 23, 2009
Help Needed for Next Phase of Campaign
We have now completed our series of four public meetings (in Waterford, Dublin, Cork and Limerick) and we are moving on to the following four-stranded campaign:
- Lobbying of politicians, especially members of the Justice Committee
- Building a broader coalition against the proposed bill
- Examining legal challenges to the proposed law
- Continuing with public advocacy including further meetings, gigs etc.
Now that the Lisbon referendum has been announced, we will be seeking to have a referendum to drop the blasphemy reference from the Constutution on the same day (while also arguing that the new law not be enacted in any case).
Your help will be very important in this phase of the campaign. Which if any of the following activities can you help with?
June 17, 2009
Speeches from Limerick Meeting
Here are the speeches from the recent Limerick meeting against the proposed Irish blasphemy law, courtesy of Limerick Blogger.
Michael Nugent, Atheist Ireland, and Larry Maher, Midwest Humanists
Blasphemy is a Victimless Crime from Limerick Blogger on Vimeo.
June 15, 2009
Speeches from Cork Meeting
Here is the first of the speeches from the recent Cork meeting against the proposed Irish blasphemy law. We will upload more soon. Thanks to Tom for filming and uploading the videos.
Lothar Luken, Cork poet and member of Humanist Association of Ireland
June 12, 2009
Speeches from Dublin Meeting
Here are the speeches from the recent Dublin meeting against the proposed Irish blasphemy law, along with discussion from the floor and responses from the panelists. There are nine videos, covering 80 minutes of the meeting. Thanks to Paul for filming and uploading them.
Introduction by Michael Nugent, writer and chair of Atheist Ireland
(10 mins: introducing the blasphemy law and the Church of Dermotology)
Robbie Bonham, comedian and cartoonist, on artistic expression
(10 mins: includes end of Michael Nugent speech; Robbie Bonham introduced at 0:55)
June 7, 2009
Artists to Face Extradition for Blasphemy?
If Ireland revives its blasphemy laws, Irish artists and other citizens could face extradition to States like Greece or Turkey under the terms of the 2004 European Arrest Warrant. This allows one State to issue warrants for the arrest of citizens of another State, if the crime involved is a crime in both jurisdictions.
Already, in 2005, an Austrian cartoonist has faced extradition to Greece on blasphemy charges, when a book of his cartoons was published there. And Turkey, which may soon be a European Union member, is this month trying a novelist for blasphemy. This is yet another reason stop the proposed Irish blasphemy law.
June 6, 2009
Poetry by Lothar Luken
Lothar Luken, a poet and writer from Bantry, spoke eloquently at our Cork meeting about the impact of blasphemy laws on freedom of artistic expression. Lothar, who is a member of the Humanist Association of Ireland, also recited from his poetry, some of which is reproduced here.
May 30, 2009
European Lawyers Oppose Blasphemy Laws
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern says that he is forced to revive the crime of blasphemy because of legal advice from the Attorney General. But independent legal advisors to the Council of Europe have advised that the offence of blasphemy should be abolished throughout Europe, in a report co-written by the Director General of the Irish Office of the Attorney General.
May 28, 2009
General Discussion and Comments Part 2
Discussion is welcome on this website. I’ve moved some discussion-based comments here to separate them from the specific themes of other posts. Please feel free to continue any discussions here that don’t seem to fit in anywhere else.
May 26, 2009
Public Meeting Next Wednesday in Cork
PUBLIC MEETING – BLASPHEMY IS A VICTIMLESS CRIME
- VENUE: METROPOLE HOTEL, CORK CITY
- DATE: WED 3rd JUNE TIME: 7-9pm
The Cork meeting is the third of several being held around the country, organised by Atheist Ireland, an advocacy group for an ethical and secular Ireland. Speakers will include
- Michael Nugent, chair of Atheist Ireland and co-writer of I, Keano
- Lothar Luken, Cork poet, writer and member of Humanist Association
- Local politicians will be invited
Please circulate this information to anyone you know, particularly to people from Cork. Thanks.
Discussion of Dublin Public Meeting
The Dublin public meeting was a great success. Thanks to everyone who turned up, and apologies to those who could not fit into the room.
We agreed to campaign against the new blasphemy law in four areas:
- Real-life and online lobbying of politicans.
- Contacting other relevant groups and individuals.
- Preparing legal challenges against the law.
- Public advocacy including future meetings in Cork on 3 June and Limerick on 16 June.
Can we please use the comments section on this post to discuss how the meeting went, and ideas for the next steps in each of these four areas?
Join the Church of Dermotology
On Wednesday 20 May 2009, speaking at a parliamentary Justice Committee debating his new blasphemy law, Dermot Ahern joked that people were making blasphemous comments about him, and he compared his own purity to that of the baby Jesus.
In response, on Monday 25 May 2009, at a crowded public meeting in Wynns Hotel in Dublin, campaigners against the blasphemy law have founded the Church of Dermotology, to worship Dermot Ahern and his proposed blasphemy law.
Please join at the Church’s Facebook Group Page and our Facebook Fan Page. Please also invite all of your friends to join what will surely become the world’s fastest-growing religion.
May 25, 2009
Stewart Lee on Blasphemy
Stewart Lee, co-writer of Jerry Springer The Opera, examines the impact of religious censorship on artistic expression (40-minute video).
Reminder – Public Meeting Today in Dublin
PUBLIC MEETING – BLASPHEMY IS A VICTIMLESS CRIME
- VENUE: WYNN’S HOTEL, ABBEY STREET, DUBLIN
- DATE: MONDAY 25th MAY TIME: 8-10pm
The Dublin meeting is the second of several to be held around the country, organised by Atheist Ireland, an advocacy group for an ethical and secular Ireland. Speakers will include:
- Michael Nugent, chair of Atheist Ireland and co-author of the play I Keano
- Ian O’Doherty, columnist with Independent newspapers
- Dick Spicer, chair of the Humanist Association of Ireland
- Robbie Bonham, comedian and cartoonist
Please circulate this information today, particularly to people from Dublin. Thanks.
May 22, 2009
May 20, 2009
In the News – May 16 to May 22
- Warning of blasphemy law’s ‘chilling effect’ on free speech
(news item in The Irish Times, May 19) - Ireland’s religion law flouts freedom of speech – watchdog
(news item in The National Post, May 19) - OSCE argues against blasphemy law
(news item on RTE, May 20) - Ahern ‘bemused’ by criticism
(news item in The Irish Times, May 19) - Ahern dismisses blasphemy ‘hysteria’
(news item in The Irish Times, May 21) - Changes to defamation Bill made by Minister
(news item in The Irish Times, May 22)
Submission to Justice Committee
The All-Party Justice Committee is meeting today to discuss the Defamation Bill, and we have arranged to send them a submission which will be circulated to them before they meet. Here is a draft of this submission. Any feedback welcome, before we send it over to the Committee.
Update: the submission has now been sent to the Justice Committee.
May 19, 2009
Public Meeting Next Monday in Dublin
PUBLIC MEETING – BLASPHEMY IS A VICTIMLESS CRIME
- VENUE: WYNN’S HOTEL, ABBEY STREET, DUBLIN
- DATE: MONDAY 25th MAY TIME: 8-10pm
The Dublin meeting is the second of several to be held around the country, organised by Atheist Ireland, an advocacy group for an ethical and secular Ireland. Speakers will include:
- Michael Nugent, chair of Atheist Ireland and co-author of the play I Keano
- Ian O’Doherty, columnist with Independent newspapers
- Dick Spicer, chair of the Humanist Association of Ireland
- Robbie Bonham, comedian and cartoonist
Please circulate this information to anyone you know, particularly to people from Dublin. Thanks.
Justice Minister to Amend New Blasphemy Law
The Minister for Justice is proposing to amend his new blasphemy law by providing, as a defence, that a person accused of blasphemy can “prove that a reasonable person would find genuine literary, artistic, political, scientific, or academic value” in the blasphemous matter.
He is not proposing to reduce the fine of €100,000, the onus of proof is on the defendant to prove this new line of defence, and the police may still seize and destroy blasphemous statements. The Minister’s proposed blasphemy law now reads like this:
May 18, 2009
Public Meeting this Thursday in Waterford
PUBLIC MEETING – BLASPHEMY IS A VICTIMLESS CRIME
- VENUE: THE TOWER HOTEL, WATERFORD CITY
- DATE: THURSDAY 21st MAY TIME: 8-10pm
The Waterford meeting is the first of several to be held around the country, organised by Atheist Ireland, an advocacy group for an ethical and secular Ireland. Speakers will include:
- Michael Nugent, chair of Atheist Ireland and co-author of the play I Keano
- Barry Grant, Waterford resident and writer/film maker
- Other speakers to be confirmed
- Local politicians will be invited, including Deputy Brendan Kenneally, Chairman of the Select Joint Committee for Justice, and Deputy Brian O’Shea, also a member of said committee.
Please circulate this information to anyone you know, particularly to people from Waterford. Thanks.
May 16, 2009
General Discussion and Comments
Discussion is welcome on this website. I’ve moved some discussion-based comments here to separate them from the specific themes of other posts. Please feel free to continue any discussions here that don’t seem to fit in anywhere else.
May 15, 2009
In the News – May 9 to May 15
- Blasphemous law is another impediment to our freedom
(opinion piece by TP O’Mahony in Laois Nationalist, May 15) - Green Party Senator challenges blasphemy change
(news item by Mary Regan in The Irish Examiner, May 13) - Harney defends introduction of blasphemy law
(news item in the Irish Times, May 12) - Blasphemy law debated on RTE’s Questions and Answers
( 17-min TV clip, panelists include Humanist Dick Spicer, May 11) - Blasphemy law debated on RTE’s Spirit Moves
(hour-long radio show, broadcast May 10)
May 12, 2009
100 Ways to Stop the Irish Blasphemy Law
Here are 100 ideas and arguments to stop the Irish blasphemy law from being passed, based on the many suggestions posted so far on blasphemy.ie. They include:
- Campaign slogans and ideas for lobbying
- Religious, social, political and legal arguments
- Matter that could be Illegal under the new law
- Quotes about blasphemy
The best of these ideas will form the basis of our campaign in the coming weeks. Please let us know what you think of them, and thanks again for your suggestions so far.
May 10, 2009
Jerry Springer the Opera – Satan and Jesus
Publishing or performing this could be illegal in Ireland if the new blasphemy law is passed.