I have just posted a statement by the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain in support of Tom Holland’s documentary “Islam: The Untold Story”.
Channel 4 has just cancelled a repeat screening due to threats.
Here’s my question to Channel 4: what about the threats on our lives for being apostates, ex-Muslims, atheists, freethinkers, secularists, 21st century human beings?
What part of our thoughts, lives, bodies do you recommend we cancel to appease the Islamists?
If only there was such an ‘easy’ ‘solution’ for those who are languishing under Islam’s rules – like Afghan actors facing death threats or the 16 year old girl waiting to be flogged in the Maldives?
You may accept censorship and cowardly silence in the face of Islamist threats and intimidation but we cannot afford to do so.
And we never will.
***
I did see the documentary eventually. Comically enough, because of this controversy. And also happened to pick up a copy of Holland’s In the Shadow of the Sword, and generally found it quite engrossing.
Thank you, protesters, and thank you Streisand effect.
Oh, and also, quite seriously:
In solidarity with all who groan beneath the yoke of theocracy, in solidarity with all those cowed by the orthodoxy in a community that commands obeisance to authoritarian superstition as a condition of membership, in solidarity with all those who are made to fear to speak their minds and thus denied their freedom of conscience by such oppression, and in solidarity with all those jailed and beaten and murdered for blasphemy and for apostasy, and in the spirit of Blasphemy Day, I hereby declare: there are no gods, there are no prophets, and you are not forgotten.
The documentary was very, very poorly researched and all the claims can be easily refuted by anyone with a basic understanding of the faith which myself and others have addressed elsewhere. The title of the program was nothing but an attempt to court controversy. Despite that however there was NOTHING offensive about the documentary. The merits of programs like, regardless of their inaccuracies, is that they give Muslims and none Muslims the opportunity for discussion, to clear up misconceptions and educate others about the faith. Muslims don’t do themselves any favours by saying they were insulted and offended, on the contrary they make themselves look thin skinned and reactionary. Seeking knowledge, asking questions is positively encouraged in Islam and absolutely not something to run from or avoid.
Yonnie: I think you may be missing the point somewhat. Don’t we want to be the ones who are seeking to minimise the number of people blowing themselves up?
Also, I think you may be referring to Hitchen’s comments in The Four Horsemen. If so, ‘extirpation’ was in reference to Al-Qaeda and other jihadists. As for the rest of the Muslim world, those who are not immediately threatening violence, surely we should be seeking to win by force of peaceful persuasion or not at all.
“Destroy them by their own hand.” A quote the muslim brotherhood has used often.
Why not invite them to do the same? Insult them, get them to come to a particular place and blow themselves up on a fake target! We might even get good enough at it to get them to do so in large numbers!
We know who the agitants and clerics are who foment this crap. Why are they still breathing air? Are we just being used by a fifth column?
The Muslim brotherhood are a deviant sect whose practises go against the teachings of the prophet Muhammed and the Qur’an.
Christopher Hitchins talked about extirpating islam. I think it’s about time to start!
It is really a shame that a large media organisation in a secular country has to seek permission from Islamists regarding its programming. We as Ex-Muslims live under far serious threats to our lives and yet we have never, and will never surrender our fundamental right to express our right to freedom of expression! It is a shame that all the so called liberal entities in this country find themselves muted in the face of Islamic encroachment on our social values, fundamental human rights.
Well said Maryam. We are proud of you!
Well said Maryam!
What are they teaching the bullies?
Do it again, it works!
Just look what’s happening in Egypt and Libya right now over a stupid film created by an idiot that had, as of when the riots started yesterday, 6000 (yes thousand) views on youtube.
I wonder, they cancelled repeat screenings, who owns the rights? Is there any way to make a copy available to us? Like Draw Muhammad Day use the viral approach, I’ll be the first to upload it to youtube if it’s possible.
it’s still up on 4OD and linked from the previous blog post. Good documentary
It appears to be censored in the US. So much for our first amendment rights!
Is it possible to access YouTube via a proxy server to view it. I watched it last week and thought it very interesting but have since read a Guardian review of Holland’s historical style, which was not complementary. Surely the sources of the threats should be investigated, it can’t be right that in the UK people can go around making death threats and get away with it! Francesca Stavakopoulou made a great programme for BBC on the Bible earlier this year.
I watched that documentary. I thought it was very interesting. I wonder what they hated about it. Sad really