From dave@xemu.demon.co.uk Wed Oct 17 22:31:22 2001
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/011017/80/ca7ij.html
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Wednesday October 17, 03:49 AM
  
 


Comedian defends right to lampoon religions
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Click to enlarge photo  
LONDON (Reuters) - Well-known comedian Rowan Atkinson has said that
proposed anti-terror laws outlawing "incitement to religious hatred"
could be used to curb freedom of expression.


"Having spent a substantial part of my career parodying religious
figures from my own Christian background, I am aghast at the notion that
it could in effect, be made illegal to imply ridicule of a religion or
to lampoon religious figures," Atkinson said in a letter to The Times on
Wednesday.


Atkinson starred in the hit television shows "Blackadder" and "Mr Bean".


Home Secretary David Blunkett said on Monday that he would introduce
laws to make incitement to religious hatred a criminal offence,
punishable by imprisonment.


Blunkett said he was determined to strike a balance between "respecting
our fundamental civil liberties and ensuring they are not exploited".


Atkinson said that although supporters of the bill would say that he and
his comedic colleagues were not its intended targets, laws governing
subjective or moral issues tended to "drag a very fine net".


"Some of the most basic freedoms of speech and expression can get caught
up in it," he said.


Atkinson said there should be no subject about which jokes should be
banned, including religion.


His concerns were echoed by other British performers and some members of
the legal profession.


Omid Djalili, an award-winning British-Iranian comic currently
performing a routine about the conflict with Afghanistan, told the paper
that he ridiculed militant Islamic views in his act but did not want to
be prosecuted.


Lawyer Sir John Mortimer also criticised the plan in The Times, saying
it would "hand a victory to the Taliban".


"We should be able to laugh at other people's laws and customs. The idea
that you cannot attack religions shows that the religion cannot be very
strong."


Media lawyer Mark Stephens told the newspaper he believed the
legislation would be unworkable because free speech rights were bound to
be given higher priority in any legal action. 
  



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