THEY are calling it the revenge of Rowan Atkinson, the comedian famous for his role as the scheming Blackadder."The Life of Moe!" I can hardly wait.
This week members of the House of Lords are set to clash with the government over its proposed Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, vociferously opposed by Atkinson and many others as a threat to freedom of speech.
“We are hoping the peers will give the bill even more of a trashing than Blackadder gives Baldrick,” said one campaigner. Government sources fear that Labour peers will join an alliance of Tories, Liberal Democrats and cross-benchers.
The bill, which extends current laws against incitement to racial hatred to protect people of all faiths, has already been defeated in parliament three times. Opponents say it could potentially be used to prosecute anyone criticising or mocking a religion.
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Atkinson has said: “A law which attempts to say that you can ridicule ideas, as long as they are not religious ideas, is a very peculiar law indeed.”
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The implications for comedians are serious. Lord Garel-Jones, the Tory peer, pointed to Monty Python’s satire on Jesus, The Life of Brian.
Under the proposed law, if someone accused the makers of inciting religious hatred, they might face prosecution.
“I want us to be able to make things like that,” said Garel-Jones. “I want not to lose the ability to make a similar film about Mohammed. That’s where my line lies.”
Monday, October 10, 2005
In the UK, it's Blackadder versus Nanny
Blackadder's revenge hits the hate bill: