Pat Condell: Aggressive Atheism

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It’s good to see my ally Pat Condell still safe and well and going strong. I remember when I first saw a video by him (I think it was Appeasing Islam) I was truly stunned: one is simply unaccustomed to hearing such an undiluted dose of truth on any broadcast medium. I wish he would run as an MP.

I have nominated Pat for the 2010 Secularist of the Year award “for several years now risking his life by answering back to the rule of political correctness, the thoughtlessness of religion generally and the increasing threat of Islam in our society”.

In defence of Geert Wilders

My letter just printed in NSS Newsline:

“Paul Braterman suggested in last week’s Newsline that Geert Wilders is against freedom of speech and is racist. Wilders is indeed interested in slowing the spread of the backward faith of Islam across the Netherlands, and this seems to me entirely commendable. The Qur’an is largely a book of hate. Open it on virtually any page and you will find direct instructions to convert, kill or ostracise unbelievers. Allah comes across (like Yaweh) as a jealous, malevolent bully. Islam as found in the Qur’an is certainly not moderate.

Listen to any of his speeches, however, and you will see that Geert Wilders draws a clear distinction between Islam and Muslims, admitting that some Muslims are moderate. These are the ones who pick and choose what they follow of “God’s word”. Personally I regard them, with their half-way house, as loyal to neither Islam nor reason.

With regard to banning the Qur’an, Wilders has said that if the Netherlands bans one book of hate (Mein Kampf), which it does, then for consistency it should also ban The Qur’an. This seems reasonable enough. I would at the very least discourage the reading of either the Qur’an or the Bible in junior schools. Violent works of fiction, full of threats of hellfire, unfounded metaphysical claims and questionable morals are not helpful for turning children into healthy adults.

Finally, again, Islam is not a race. It’s more of a mind-controlling cult (the penalty for leaving this particular cult being, as we all know, death). If anyone has any actual evidence that Geert Wilders is racist I’d love to see it, because I very much doubt this is the case. Otherwise those throwing these accusations around are, as far as I can see, slandering a very brave man.”

Sexism in the Qur’an

“Get two witnesses out of your own men, and if there are not two men, then a man and two women, such as ye choose, for witnesses, so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her.”

- Qur’an, “The Cow” 39:282

BBC Trust rejects calls for reform of Thought for the Day

The BBC Trust has published its findings on 12 separate appeals regarding Thought for the Day (a religious sermon which is foisted on listeners in the middle of the Today Programme). Its response is an intransigent whitewash.

I have written briefly to the National Secular Society as follows:

Dear Sir,

This week, of course, the BBC Trust rejected outright every single one of 12 separate appeals put to it regarding Thought for the Day. This was a very disappointing result for people of reason who are tired (putting it mildly) of having religious people pontificate to them in the middle of a news programme.

Are the BBC correct in their belief that this, really, is the way the public want it? There’s an easy way of telling. Take a look at this Have Your Say debate, which is one of the most popular on the BBC’s own site currently.

No. 1 most popular comment with readers (Recommended by 265 people):

“Religion is the main reason for almost all the world’s troubles; it does not bring people together – it drives them apart.”

No. 2 most popular (Recommended by 237 people):

“What does faith mean to you?”
“Mass-organized superstition as a political tool of social engineering and control.”

No. 3 is also pro-reason.

No. 4 kind of makes the case very clearly (Recommended by 170 people):

“Religion is to believe in an imaginary god. I don’t mind as long as the people who believe in it keep it to themselves and don’t try to force their imaginary god on the rest of us.”

So now everything is clear then. Even Christians agreed that TFTD needed reform. The BBC Trust haven’t listened. The religiousness of the individual trustees must be scrutinised, and the fight raised up a notch.

Best regards,

Gavin Orland

http://www.gavinorland.org

The NSS printed my letter, but strangely omitted the first line in which I mentioned that theirs was not the only appeal.

A magnificent evening at the Cadogan Hall

Wagner’s Liebestod (“Love Death”) from Tristan & Isolde must surely be one of the most intense and profoundly moving pieces in the entire classical music reportoire. This evening I heard it performed live, along with Strauss’s Four Last Songs, which are also extremely beautiful (especially Im Abendrot), and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2.

I can’t say I have ever been to a performance quite like this evening’s. The Orion Orchestra, which performed conducted by Toby Purser, is comprised of young musicians who were highly competent. The sopranos (Alwyn Mellor and Susan Gritton) were experienced and absolutely excellent, both turning in flawless performances.

The Liebestod is a unique piece of music: powerful, meandering, haunting. It is like being carried by a sea – it lulls and soars. It is Wagner at his most epic, most tragic and – I think – most moving. I can’t show you film of this evening, so I have placed below an acclaimed performace by Birgit Nilsson instead.

It felt like something of an honour to be there this evening listening to this music and it will stay with me forever.

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Echoes of the past

The BNP have two elected Members of the European Parliament. Mrs Thatcher explains why this has happened, in an interview recorded in 1978:

“There is a feeling that the big political parties have not been talking about this and sometimes, you know, we are falsely accused of racial prejudice. I say “falsely accused” and that means that we do not talk about it perhaps as much as we should.

In my view, that is one thing that is driving some people to the National Front. They do not agree with the objectives of the National Front, but they say that at least they are talking about some of the problems.

Now, we are a big political party. If we do not want people to go to extremes, and I do not, we ourselves must talk about this problem and we must show that we are prepared to deal with it.”

- Margaret Thatcher

Conservatives, listen.

Muslim follows Koranic instructions at Fort Hood

Following the recent tragedy at US Army base Fort Hood, one question immediately jumps to mind: what on earth were the army thinking of letting a Muslim within the camp at all? He was only following the Qur’an. It’s a wonder this hadn’t happened sooner.

To my amazement and to their credit, the BBC in this case reported that the killer was a Muslim. I guess they just couldn’t avoid doing so this time..

Letter to the NSS

“Dear Sir,

A drive through pretty much any London suburb these days will reveal dozens of halal take-aways, restaurants and butchers. You might be driving through Kilburn, Hounslow, or Whitechapel and it’s really quite striking now – especially at night. Shop after halal shop.

All part of the “glory of multiculturalism” (as Paul Goodman MP put it), the more left-inclined among us might think. But when one reminds oneself that multiple scientific studies have shown beyond any reasonable doubt that ritual slaughter without pre-stunning causes considerable suffering for animals, multiculturalism starts to lose a little of its shine.

Further to the NSS’s work on this issue, I have researched it in detail and written to my MP Sadiq Khan about it. He didn’t even reply. Why would he? It’s only his duty as an MP, but if he bides his time then those who object as I do will eventually become a minority in the UK. Other politicians did reply though, and I thought Newsline readers might like to acquaint themselves with the whole picture here.

The situation in summary is that successive governments have been advised for 24 years that slaughter without pre-stunning should be banned (as it is in Denmark) – but they have constantly appeased. They are afraid to do the right thing. Animal rights groups are frightened too, with the RSPCA saying “The RSPCA recognises that religious beliefs and practices should be respected” and Viva! saying “Viva! of course, supports the principle of multiculturalism and deplores racism”, while both being opposed to the practice. Patently not all religious beliefs and practices should be respected and this issue has nothing to do with racism, but such is the nature of political correctness in the country currently.

Those who wish to be better informed about this issue are welcome to read my report. It’s not perfect, and I could probably produce a better version now (and might) but I am told it is helping the shadow cabinet formulate policy.

It seems to me that ritual slaughter is one religious privilege that is currently very much going under the radar, yet it causes extreme suffering for no good reason. Supermarkets don’t care – they are expanding their halal sales. If you care, you can join like-minded people and pressure your MP and your local supermarket and anybody else. We should stand up for the values ushered in by the Enlightenment rather than let our culture slip back into the dark ages, led by religion.

Note: Before someone says it is not only the Muslims but the Jews too, yes it is. Actually the Jews are typically more insistent on no pre-stunning, however approximately 50 times more animals are thought to be slaughtered per year for halal than for kosher. We don’t know for sure because the government currently does not even bother to keep any figures.“

Second response from Conservatives to my report on ritual slaughter

Martin Tunstall, a researcher for the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Nick Herbert, has sent me a nice e-mail following his last, regarding my report on ritual slaughter:

“Dear Mr Orland,

I’m sorry to have left it a while to get back to you – I just wanted to update you on where we are on this issue.

We are currently in the process of meeting relevant bodies where we are discussing farm animal welfare, including the RSPCA, FAWC, religious groups and industry. Your briefing is proving extremely useful in preparing for these meetings.

I will, of course, keep you updated.

Kind regards.

MARTIN TUNSTALL”

This is welcome news.  It follows my last e-mail, which read thus:

“Dear Mr Tunstall,

I do appreciate that you will need to liaise with other teams and co-ordinate a clear position, however this is overdue as there has been ample opportunity for all parties to do this during the last 24 years since the first relevant FAWC report. Hopefully there will not be much you need to discuss as it is obvious that ritual slaughter causes unnecessary suffering which a civilised society must not tolerate, and that consumers should be able to choose whether they buy halal food (i.e. there should be clear labelling).

Nonetheless I know you will need to formalise your policy before announcing it. I only hope it will not be one of continued appeasement, as in the long run this will bad for everyone. The Enlightenment ushered in new values which I would like to see upheld, we don’t want to go into reverse instead, and we don’t want multiple laws in the land, some for some people, others for others.

On a wider note I would say that the Conservatives (and all parties) should state what they know to be right, not what they think people want. Ultimately this gains more respect. Due to Labour’s duplicity and constant appeasement, the BNP are picking up votes in the UK. It will be disastrous if this continues. But currently I can only see UKiP as an alternative, as I have no idea what the Conservatives think about issues like this (or on yob culture or on the overly generous benefits system). As it stands, therefore, the party will not be receiving my vote at the next election.

For a Conservative who sees clearly what is going on in this country I cannot recommend highly enough Theodore Dalyrmple:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1566637953/

I look forward to learning the Conservatives’ position as soon as you have decided on it.

Regards,

Gavin Orland”

Toby Keith: The Taliban Song

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