Bloggers must stick together

Unfortunately, these guys had all charges dropped by authorities in the UK

When it comes to issues of free speech, bloggers should form a united front regardless of their particular ideology. Generally, most agree, but there are quite a few that think there should be "exceptions" for those that are too far opposed to their own standards of decency, or who commit religious "blasphemy".

I don't feel that way. I attack other bloggers all the time for the things they say, but I have never suggested that they be banned or prosecuted for it. The only case in which I would support bringing a criminal indictment against a blog author is if he/she made a very specific call for violence, or was using their blog to help coordinate severe criminal actions, such as terrorist attacks or child pornography.

In theory, I wouldn't have any problem with deporting "badly behaved guests" - bloggers who are not a citizen of their current country of residence, and yet continually use their web site to attack it. After all, if you hate your adopted country so much, why should you be there? But they should not be jailed, and they should still be free to blog to their hearts content - back in their native country. But I'm digressing...

Recently, most bloggers across the world were united in protest against the arrest of Fouad Al-Farhan last month by Saudi authorities (web site here, english "free Fouad" web site is here). For a long time, Fouad had spoken out against corruption and for the need for reform in the Saudi kingdom. He has now been held for 26 days, and as far as I can find, no formal charges have even been announced.

But here's the more disturbing part. It doesn't just happen in repressive nations like Saudi Arabia. It happens in the West too. I gave an example of a blogger in Finland awhile back, and we now have another example in the UK...

Paul "Lionheart" is a blogger from the UK who often speaks out quite forcefully against militant Islam on his web site. He is currently traveling outside the UK and recently received an official notice from authorities there that he will be arrested when he returns, for violating sections 18(1) and 27(3) of the Public Order Act 1986. He will be notified on the exact details later, but presumably, it's related to his writings on Islam.

I haven't read through every one of his archives, but I don't see anything particularly objectionable. I don't see any racial hatred, calls for violence, or anything that should be criminally actionable. In fact, most of his blog posts are condemning violence connected to terrorism.

He writes:

If I am silenced today, then you will be the one silenced tomorrow and Islam will be left freely continue its march across the globe in their modern global Jihad (Holy War), while we cower in fear in our communities at what surrounds us, no longer able to speak out about the daily horrors we and our people face.

That path is surrender and defeat - I was always taught that the British way was 'no surrender'.

Unfortunately, that was Churchill's Britain; the Britain today doesn't seem to have any problem with surrender, if the Iranian kidnapping episode last year was any indication.

The whole situation is summed up rather succinctly by the author of Wolf Howling, who contacted Lionheart's attorney to confirm the charges against him. One great quote:

Britain of course has the right to commit national suicide. What they should not have the right to do is convict a blogger for merely contesting the suicide.

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