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17 year old forced to remove Jesus and Mo image to evade expulsion

17 year old forced to remove Jesus and Mo image to evade expulsion

17 year old forced to remove Jesus and Mo image to evade expulsion

  • Posted by Maryam Namazie
  • On January 17, 2012
  • 21 Comments
  • Jesus and Mo

Ophelia Benson and Jen McCreight alerted me to the case of 17 year old UK Student Rhys Morgan who was called into a meeting with his head of year at his sixth form college about the Jesus and Mo image and told that they were considering expelling him if he didn’t take the cartoon down. He reports being harassed at school and being ostracised for posting the cartoon.

I just emailed him to see what we could do to support him. He wrote back saying:

‘Unfortunately, given the extreme situation, I’ve removed the image in question.

‘They thanked me for being “co-operative”, even though the reason I did it was purely selfish – not being expelled.

‘They didn’t actually state whether I was going to be, but based on their wording, it’s obvious that is what they were threatening.’

I know a lot of people are appalled by this and other recent events to stifle free expression by Islamists and their apologists or appeasers.

I say, let’s take to the streets to show we mean business.

Anyone available for a rally on 11 February in the afternoon?

A press release will soon follow.

 

21 Comments

Islamic Apostasy Laws: A Big Disgrace in the 21st Century | Left Foot Forward
[…] posting a ‘Jesus and Mo’ picture on their Facebook page; and intimidatory remarks towards 17-year-old Rhys Morgan for his “offensive” ‘Jesus and Mo’ drawing at school. I myself have received death threats […]
la martina baratos
I truly enjoyed reading it. Waiting for some more great stuff like this from you in the coming days.
Jesus & Mo: Stand up for free speech!
[...] in central London from 2-4pm in defence of free expression and the right to criticise religion, revealed that Rhys has now removed the cartoon from Facebook. In an email to Namazie, Rhys said: Unfortunately, given the extreme situation, I’ve removed the [...]
Victimisation « The Dixie Flatline
[...] victimised whilst attempting to victimise, and also the disgusting treatment of schoolchildren Rhys Morgan and Jessica Ahlquist, I decided to repost it. On re-reading it looks like rather bad poetry, I [...]
agil
post as my facebook pic stay strong bloody bullys
Re-Enlightenment
Maryam, how about we focus the walk by Parliament (or get as near to it as we’re allowed) and demand that our leaders (I use the term loosely) make clear statements in support of free speech?
    Maryam Namazie
    yes will try to do that.
      Re-Enlightenment
      Maybe by then the democratically elected leader of the United Kingdom will have grown a pair: http://enlightenmentlover.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/prime-minister-please-defend-free-speech/ The missus has just confirmed I am entitled to bail on 11 Feb so I’m looking forward to it, and also looking forward to the blasphemy seminar on 28 Feb.
nunya bidness
This young man is getting a first rate education on what the real problems are with society. It would be nice to be able to come over to England and embarrass these drooling ignorant morons that call themselves educators. It would be a fools errand I fear though, they obviously have no shame.
PersianPower88
While I do despise the English people and England and consider them on par with the Arabs (I won't get into my hatred of the English but I truly despise every last one of those pompous, ignorant, ugly, pale skinned barbarian huns) I despise Arabo-Muslims more. My friend Kasravi (not his actual name but a little pseudonym based off an old Iranian author who was notorious for racist and bigoted rants) always used to say "secularism for Iran, sharia for the UK", we'd laugh at that. But that's truly what I want. I want England to become an Islamic shithole. These subhuman animals overthrew our secular democracy in 1953 now I hope that the sandniggers infesting their shithole fuck their country up too. The English race of vermin have killed millions with their imperialism, colonialism, and pompous racist hatred, the only thing the English deserve is a good Irish, Scottish, and Welsh united boot up their "arse". Sometimes I go to sleeping hoping I could wake up in a world where Arabs were exterminated and the cleansing process could begin, but that's too much to ask in a day :( I hope that the Great Satan (Englestan) and its children (the Arab rats, recall that it was the English subhumans that created the Arab world, countries like Syria and Iraq were created by the Brits after the collapse of the Ottoman empire) will one day meet their end. I mean "Great Satan" in a metaphorical sense as I'm an Atheist by the way. 88 - Hail Victory
    Jim Boomba
    I don't believe that you are an atheist for a minute .I think you are a Muslim vomiting up this shit in an attempt to discredit this Blog.
      Anthony E
      The '88' thing is a Neo-Nazi thing, and while most are Christian and Republican, many are not. It is possible that they are Atheists, but they're as deplorable as any religion that justifies killing. The only exception I could make to my deep revulsion at the extermination of an idea or a people would be to Nazis. This seems natural in spite of the inherent hypocrisy, that I should oppose those who would oppose my desire to allow free expression even though it is also free expression to express hate and the desire to exterminate. I would prefer to look out for the best interests of the species. I have no vested interest - as George Carlin would say - but I feel that maybe there is a point even if there isn't meaning to life. That is how an Atheist speaks.
      PersianPower88
      Nope, I'm an Iranian ultra, I'm an Atheist. You know absolutely nothing about Iran or Iranians if you don't understand why we hate Arabs and England. Go back to your fairytale land.
      Corona
      PersianPower88’s statements are not inconsistent with being an atheist as atheism is not a comprehensive belief system. It is merely the non-belief in a specific thing, namely god. Atheists can have all sorts of beliefs about matters unrelated to the existence of god. PersianPower88 expresses a form of Iranian nationalism that is not uncommon, although he is much more extreme. Most Iranians hate Arabs and many do not like Islam, because it is a religion that was forced on them by Arabs. (Although some don’t like it because it’s the religion forced on them by their government.) The number 88 is a reference to the phrase “Heil Hitler.” (H is the eighth letter of the English alphabet.) The nation of Persia changed its name to Iran, which is derivative of the phrase land of the Aryans. Persian nationalists tend to hate the UK, about which they have all sorts of conspiracies. It must suck for them that the wrong side lost in WWII.
SuperM
Wish I still lived in the UK.. or had the money and time to fly over... give them a taste of their stupid hell...
Mriana
I don't read Jesus and Mo, but you know, Fundamgelcial Xianity and Islam could make interesting bed-fellows, given how the extremists on both sides behave and all.
Martyn Hughes
11th February London?
Keith Milner
Imagine if this was about football. Now I know I stand the risk of being seen to demean people's religious beliefs but, believe me, I know people who worship their football team with as much passion, fervour, and belief as any religious person towards their deity. So, imagine this had been about football, and someone had posted a picture which, say, mocked Kenny Jackett (the current manager of Millwall FC. Suppose some thugs who happened to be Milwall supports, found this offensive, and threatened the poster and their family. Of course they would have been branded as violent thugs and treated with the contempt they deserve. They certainly wouldn't have had a school asking the poster to remove the post under threat of expulsion. Of course this is not about football, it is about religion. But, honestly, is there really a difference?
    Aratina Cage
    Of course this is not about football, it is about religion. But, honestly, is there really a difference?
    No, there isn't much of a difference. The two are very comparable. Religion is run very much like a business underneath it all, a form of entertainment, and each sect is like a corporate team dedicated to the sport, theocracies being corporatocracies/monopolies that use their power to force people to purchase their brand of entertainment and to outlaw other kinds of entertainment.
Ophelia Benson
Salil Tripathi alerted me to this article by Ann Marie - http://www.secularism.org.uk/blog/2012/01/freedom-of-expression-under-threat-by-violent-extremists
UK student threatened with expulsion over Mohammed cartoon | Blag Hag
[...] Maryam Namazie asked Rhys for an update, and got the following reply: “Unfortunately, given the extreme situation, I’ve removed the [...]
'Tis Himself, OM.
Rhys Morgan took down the image because of bullying. That seems the favorite way for goddists of whatever flavor to get their way.
Ophelia Benson
How I wish I could join you on 11 February. That "thank you for co-operating" is disgusting. "Thank you for knuckling under to our threats."

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