I’ve written before about the case of Lars Hedegaard of the Danish Free Press Society, my hosts in Copenhagen a year and a half ago. Today, in the third round of a long legal battle, Lars was at the Supreme Court of Denmark appealing his conviction and 5,000 kroner fine for some observations made about – what else? – Islam.
This case shames the Danish legal system, but it’s also representative of a far broader trend. Scandinavia, like France, like the Netherlands, like Britain, Canada, Australia, and many other established democracies, has grown far too comfortable with policing speech. And, as Lars noted in his observations to the court, the policing is only one way:
I cannot recall a single instance in this country where an Islamic spokesman has been prosecuted for saying that, or course, sharia will become the law of the land once the demographic and political realities make it possible. This despite the fact that we have several examples of, e.g., imams who have openly declared that the imposition of theocracy is a religious duty incumbent on all believers.
In return, these theocrats and sharia-advocates must accept the right of those who believe in democracy, free institutions and human equality to criticise Islam and to oppose its dissemination and the atavistic cultural norms practiced by some Muslims.
One-way multiculturalism is slowly throttling ancient liberties. For the US perspective, see here. (For any upstate New Yorkers in these parts, I’ll be speaking on this and related matters in Toronto on April 24th.)
UPDATE: More fun from the new Denmark.