Aressting because of hate speach

[Lord Winter]

This left a bad taste in my mouth. Even thou the aresstees were saying the UK, denmark, US and compeny should have be bombed four years is to heavy a price for not even plaining a crime.

Four men jailed over cartoon demo
Umran Javed, jailed over Muhammad cartoon protests
Umran Javed was one of the men jailed over the protests
Four men have been jailed for their part in protests outside the Danish embassy in London, against cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad.

Mizanur Rahman, 24, Umran Javed, 27, and Abdul Muhid, 24, were each jailed for six years for soliciting to murder after telling a crowd to bomb the UK.

A fourth man, Abdul Saleem, 32, was jailed for four years for stirring up racial hatred at the protest in 2006.

The men, from London and Birmingham, were convicted at the Old Bailey.

Judge Brian Barker said their words had been designed to encourage murder and terrorism.

About 300 protestors marched outside the Danish embassy in February last year after cartoons satirising Muhammad were published in newspapers in Denmark and other European countries.

Outside the sentencing hearing, a group of around 40 demonstrators waved placards with slogans including "Muslims Under Siege".

'Blood running'

Rahman, from Palmers Green, north London, was filmed at the rally talking over a loudspeaker and calling for UK soldiers to be brought back from Iraq in body bags.

He said: "We want to see their blood running in the streets of Baghdad.

Mizanur Rahman
Mizanur Rahman called for the deaths of UK soldiers in Iraq

"We want to see the Mujahideen shoot down their planes the way we shoot down birds. We want to see their tanks burn in the way we burn their flags."

Javed, from Birmingham, was filmed by police shouting: "Bomb, bomb Denmark. Bomb, bomb USA."

Father-of-five and BT engineer Saleem was cleared of soliciting murder at his trial in February, but convicted of stirring up racial hatred.

Saleem, from Poplar, east London, chanted, "7/7 on its way" and "Europe, you will pay with your blood".

Finally, Abdul Muhid, 24, said to be the leader of the demonstration, chanted "Bomb, bomb the UK" and waved placards with slogans such as "Annihilate those who insult Islam".

The men had denied having extremist views and said they were simply following others rather than leading the protests.

After the case, Chief Superintendent Ian Thomas, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "We have a long history of facilitating lawful demonstration, taking into account freedom of speech.

"However, these people stepped over that line and broke the law."

[Kralizec]

I can't say I feel bothered by this in the slightest.

[Scurvy]

Mizanur Rahman, 24, Umran Javed, 27, and Abdul Muhid, 24, were each jailed for six years for soliciting to murder after telling a crowd to bomb the UK.

A fourth man, Abdul Saleem, 32, was jailed for four years for stirring up racial hatred at the protest in 2006.

seems fair to me...

[Husar]

after telling a crowd to bomb the UK.

That, my friend, is where the limit of free speech lies and it's the reason why words can kill, even if indirectly. It's forbidden here as well, hate speech and nazi propaganda are not allowed. Otherwise I'd say you could allow even the planning of an attack since a plan doesn't hurt anyone, right?

[Lord Winter]

What woorys me more here is the precedent. Under this precedent a few careless words could mean six years of your life gone. Under this prcedent someone could be aressted for saying that [insert facist regiem here] needs to bombed. Overall I have problemes with someone being given six years for a speach, not a bomb not even plans for building a bomb, but for the want to build a bomb. If this is the precendent then a lot more arrest should be made then just these.

[Scurvy]

Under this precedent a few careless words could mean six years of your life gone.

Rahman, from Palmers Green, north London, was filmed at the rally talking over a loudspeaker and calling for UK soldiers to be brought back from Iraq in body bags.

He said: "We want to see their blood running in the streets of Baghdad.

"We want to see the Mujahideen shoot down their planes the way we shoot down birds. We want to see their tanks burn in the way we burn their flags."

Javed, from Birmingham, was filmed by police shouting: "Bomb, bomb Denmark. Bomb, bomb USA."

Saleem, from Poplar, east London, chanted, "7/7 on its way" and "Europe, you will pay with your blood".

Finally, Abdul Muhid, 24, said to be the leader of the demonstration, chanted "Bomb, bomb the UK" and waved placards with slogans such as "Annihilate those who insult Islam".

a few careless words indeed...

--> I agree that care has to be taken when acting on such things, however freedom of speech is not limitless... when someone advocates murder or violence then they are commiting an offence, furthermore although they have not planned anything, their words and actions could lead to others planning attacks etc...

[InsaneApache]

They should have been charged with treason and the key thrown away.

[lars573]

They should have been charged with treason and the key thrown away.

Treason would require them trying to act on those words.