The Sun was at it again the other day, showing “offensive” footage of a drunken Louis Smith, the Olympic Gymnast, shouting “Allahu Akbar” and generally extracting the Michael out of Islamic belief. “Our faith is not to be mocked,” blustered Mohammed Shafiq, the chief executive of the Ramadan Foundation. Smith should “apologise immediately”. To which I reply, what for?
Smith made an immediate grovelling apology, recognising the “severity” of his mistake. The governing body harrumphed: “British Gymnastics does not condone the mocking of any faith or religion”. Smith certainly got one thing right. There are severe consequences for consequences for mocking Islam.
Remember Salman Rushdie, who was issued with a fatwa by Ayatollah Khomeini for writing a book called the Satanic Verses? Or the cartoonists at Charlie Hebdo? Or Asia Bibi, the Christian woman currently facing execution in Pakistan for blasphemy? Or Raif Badawi, who, after receiving 50 lashes outside a Jeddah mosque in January for “insulting Islam” remains in prison? There is a theme running through this.
Younger readers may not recall the Rushdie story, but following publication of his book he was forced to leave the country, hung out to dry by the establishment which included Tory right winger Norman Tebbit who, siding with Islamic fanaticism, described Rushdie as an “outstanding villain” whose “public life has been a record of despicable acts of betrayal of his upbringing, religion, adopted home and nationality”. Basically, let him die was Tebbit’s view.
Mohammed Shafiq has plenty of history in this department but he and his pals seem to have forgotten that the blasphemy laws were repealed in 2008. It is not against the law to mock religion. The late Christopher Hitchens went further: mockery of religion wasn’t just acceptable, it was essential. “One of the beginnings of human emancipation is the ability to laugh at authority”, said the great man.
I find the reaction to Louis Smith’s comments disturbing and chilling. We live in a free country and within reason nothing should be beyond discussion and indeed mockery. Indeed, read any of the holy texts of all religions and you will find plenty to mock, as well as much to be scared of. The legendary comedian, Dave Allen, made a living out of mocking the Catholic religion and he was never threatened with the Papal equivalent, if such a thing exists, of a fatwa. No. Only one religion collectively loses its marbles when mocked: Islam.
Louis Smith should not have apologised because there was nothing to apologise for. He had a few beers and was set up and exposed by the Sun, that great guardian of modern virtues. I don’t see that there was a story there at all.
Despite the fact the idea that I find the idea of the existence of a supernatural creator quite absurd, I firmly believe that people should have the freedom to worship him (God is always a him). By the same token, those of us who don’t have faith should have the freedom to question and, yes, mock, faith. I, for one, am sick to the back teeth of the old saying that, “Islam is a peaceful religion and we will kill anyone who says otherwise.”
