“One suspects that as religious vilification laws spread, the liberal proponents of these laws will end up unwittingly empowering those who believe that their religion should be above condemnation.”
-Daveed Gartenstein OCT 26, 2005
from a really interesting article on hate speech laws in Australia.
The article states
‘The Act prohibits conduct “that incites hatred against, serious contempt for, or revulsion or severe ridicule of” a class of people based on their religious beliefs. Its force was brought to bear against Scot and another pastor, Danny Nalliah, after three Australian converts to Islam covertly attended a seminar they held in March 2002, took notes, and then filed a legal complaint.’
Also from wikipedia
“The Court said the Tribunal had no business “attempt[ing] to assess the theological propriety of what was asserted at the Seminar.” The Court directed a re-hearing before a different judge. The pastors and the Islamic Council of Victoria prevented a re-hearing by resolving their conflict through mediation on 22 June 2007.”