There’s only one small problem I have with this.
I agree, it is only a small one.
But, but, you see, I believe in the freedom of speech.
Really believe.
Yes, even for religious nutters, enemies of liberal civilization, bearded maniacs and all.
If we don’t have freedom of speech then we’re not actuallly a liberal civilization, are we?
And if we’re not a liberal civilization, what actually is the damn bloody point?
Update: Thinking about this a little more overnight (and without beer goggles) perhaps I am indeed being too absolutist. As Rusty has pointed out, this is the official Taleban site, who we are supposedly at war with (although to be sure, I’m not actually certain that we have indeed "declared war" in the formal sense, have we?).
But even if we are, I think I’d still prefer to have this in the open than closed down. Just as, during WWII, we didn’t try to lock up people who listened to Lord Haw Haw, trusting rather to their judgement.
I agree that we did hang him afterwards, but then that was one of the more appalling miscarriages of justice perpetrated under our system. (For those who don’t know, as he wasn’t a Brit he couldn’t be prosecuted for treason. But we did. There’s also stories that he was told not to appeal otherwise his wife/girlfriend would also be hung…although that is rumour which I’m remembering, perhaps wrongly.)
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