R & R.

It is with some trepidation that a poke my stick into the wasps' nest which is freedom of speech and religious intolerance, but I hope I may be be allowed a few observations. Firstly the comments which landed the BNP leader in court, however obnoxious they might have been, were made at closed meetings, and were not meant for public consumption. So they equate more to me mouthing off to friends in the privacy of my own home on some pet hobby horse of mine, and I'm not sure to what extent the public interest was served by putting him on trial and giving his views such wide publicity . Secondly, it's worth remembering that Islam is some 600 years younger than Christianity, so any comparison of the way the two religions deal with criticism and ridicule should really be a comparison with Christianity as it was in the Middle Ages - the Inquisition, heresy trials, witches burnt at the stake and all that - so it's not that different really, is it? Thirdly, we talk of the "right" of free speech. Without getting too technical about the distinction between legal and residual rights, it's worth making the general point that rights bring with them responsibilities. You may have the right to publish cartoons which you know are going to be deeply offensive to someone else's religion, but is it a responsible thing to do?