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That Tahir Ali, a backbench Labour MP for Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley, could stand up in the House of Commons and openly demand the reintroduction of blasphemy laws to “prohibit the desecration of all religious texts and the prophets of the Abrahamic religions” was disgraceful enough. What was even worse was Keir Starmer’s pedestrian response that “desecration is awful” and that his government was “committed to tackling all forms of hatred and division”, rather than bluntly answering the question with a simple and firm no. Blasphemy laws have no place in a liberal democracy – as we claim to be – and his party shouldn’t countenance them. This wasn’t even the first time a MP has called for blasphemy laws in Parliament in recent years. In 2021, Naz Shah called for punishment to be dished out to those who “defame, slander or abuse our Prophet”. And Ali’s intervention was did not occur without a context. Britain has not had de jure blasphemy laws since 2008 (though they still exist in Northern Ireland). Yet, we do operate under a creeping de facto blasphemy taboo thanks to a series of outrages involving intimidation and threats of violence. In 2021, a teacher at Batley Grammar School was forced into hiding – and, disgracefully for our society, appears to still be there – after he received death threats for showing cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in class. In that same year, there were protests outside cinemas against the film, The Lady of Heaven , in Birmingham, Bradford and Sheffield, for supposedly portraying Aisha, one of the wives of Muhammad, in a disparaging light. Tellingly, Cineworld cancelled its screenings “to ensure the safety of our staff and customers”. Last year, in Wakefield , four pupils were suspended from a secondary school after a copy of the Koran was scuffed. An autistic boy involved in the affair received death threats, leading to his mother’s appearance alongside police in the local mosque, apologising for her child’s “disrespectful” behaviour. Tahir Ali was mindful to couch his demand in inclusive language so as to not come across as blatantly sectarian. But given he prefaced his remarks with a mention of Islamophobia Awareness Month and by citing a recent UN Human Rights Council resolution condemning the desecration of the Koran, it is obvious his interests weren’t ecumenical, but to protect one particular religion: Islam. The implicit argument in favour of blasphemy laws is that is that they’ll help maintain “social cohesion” and civil tranquillity in a diverse society like ours. In other words, they’ll enforce a multicultural decorum between different “communities”. Every community has its taboos, don’t they? So, why not institutionalise respect for them in law? Because this makes a mockery of pluralism. Living in a truly liberal, diverse society inevitably means confronting beliefs and opinions that offend and challenge yours to the core. That’s the price you pay for living in a free society. And part of the reason these blasphemy outrages can be so unsettling to many liberals is that they represent a profound culture clash. When a believing Muslim earnestly says that any “blasphemy” against the Prophet is a profound assault on his honour and that of all Muslims, liberals simply don’t comprehend the theological profundity of the sentiment. That is because they underestimate the intensity of belief and depth of emotion behind it, and are disarmed from properly confronting it. Ever since Voltaire, we have understood that one of the essential conditions of a free society is the ability to poke fun at religious authority. Mockery of religion demystifies its supposed holy pretensions and reveals it as a man-made myth, containing all the ironies, flaws and absurdities that come with human existence. The criticism of religion is beginning of all criticism, as Karl Marx said. If you can’t criticise, mock and satirise religion and its icons, then you can’t criticise, mock and satirise anything. What’s more, blasphemy laws will not protect Muslims from racism or religious hatred. They only lead to absurdity and hypocrisy. They don’t protect the vulnerable; instead they are weaponised by wannabe “community spokesmen” to stigmatise and silence dissenters ( The Lady of Heaven film was made by Shia Muslims but faced a campaign of intimidation from Sunni fundamentalists thanks to a sectarian squabble). But a simple and universal principle is at stake here: religions that make extraordinary claims for themselves should face ruthless criticism – and see if they are able to withstand it. RelatedRams’ Jordan Whittington providing a spark at kick returnerFrom Godwin Tsa Abuja Amidst calls for the sack of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), immediate past governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has said its only President Bola Tinubu and the National Council of States (NCS) that have such powers to remove him. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some aggrieved Nigerians have called for the sack of the INEC Chairman and other officials at all levels over recent election results in Edo and Ondo states. Obasanjo specifically made the call recently during his address at the prestigious Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at the Yale University in the United States, where he presented a paper titled: “Leadership failure and state capture in Nigeria.” But responding to the call, the former two-term governor of Abia State noted that the removal of the INEC boss falls within the powers of president Tinubu and the National Council of States. Ikpeazu spoke in Abuja at the public presentation of a book: “Contemporary Legal Cooperation: China and Africa – A Comparative Survey of Legal Systems,” written by a Nigerian Journalist, John Chucks Azu. The theme of the dialogue which was part of the event is: “New Horizons in Rule of Law, Judicial Efficiency and Dispute Resolution: Any Lessons of China and Nigeria?” The former governor who lost his senatorial election to Senator Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA, had faulted INEC for declaring Abaribe winner. However, speaking at the sidelines of the event, Ikpeazu tasked INEC to be more transparent and impartial in the conduct of elections. On the Ondo election, he said, “unfortunately, my party lost, but that election has come and gone. I will advise INEC to be more transparent and impartial in the conduct of elections. “When people are not happy with your process, you don’t talk about it but you open up the space to let people come and see what you are doing. Sometimes you meet them upfront,” he stated. On the call for the sack of the INEC Chairman, Ikpeazu said: “It is not my call to make about a new leadership of INEC. That is the call of Mr. President and council of state and I think they will take that decision when the time comes.” The former governor commended the author of the book, John Azu, for putting the works together to encourage people to understand the legal framework between China and Africa. He said the book will be beneficial for both China and Nigeria to have a proper knowledge of the contemporary legal issues between them. The 245- page book dwells on the prospect of China-African Cooperation and how it can support each country in the areas of social-economic development. Beyond that, it presents a clear understanding of the growing global influence of China’s legal system with emphasis on the features that underwrite China’s business engagement in Africa. While presenting China as a rule-based system of governance, it further explored the interconnectivity between the unique historical, ideological and structural basis of the legal systems of both regions and the opportunities for future cooperation. The author of the book, John Azu said he was motivated by the need for Nigeria lawyers and the business community to leverage on the opportunity provided to learning and understanding the judicial and legal practice in other climes especially in the context of the Asian system.

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After his team's 102-89 home win on Wednesday night over Purdue Fort Wayne, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades challenged his team's fan base to show up and make more noise. "Sweat with us," he said at one point. At 5-0, the Nittany Lions haven't had to sweat much to get off to a fast start. They might not have to expend much perspiration to make it 6-0 on Monday when they meet Fordham in a semifinal matchup at the Sunshine Slam tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla. Penn State hasn't played a strong schedule so far, but the team has been impressive. It's averaging 98.2 points per game and 13.8 steals per game, both of which ranked second in Division I through Saturday's play. The Nittany Lions were seventh per kenpom.com in turnover rate, forcing 25.3 per 100 possessions. Point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. is leading the charge, scoring 16.4 points and dishing out 7.8 assists while chipping in 2.6 steals. Zach Hicks has nearly doubled his scoring average from 8.4 last season to 15.8 this season, while Northern Illinois transfer Yanic Konan Niederhauser has beefed up the interior, tallying 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. Meanwhile, Fordham (3-3) is coming off a 73-71 home loss Friday night against Drexel in New York. The Rams blew a seven-point lead early in the second half and missed a chance to force overtime when leading scorer Jackie Johnson III missed a layup as time expired. Johnson, a UNLV transfer, is averaging 19 points per game and is making nearly 48 percent of his shots as one of three Rams with double-figure scoring averages. Jahmere Tripp scores at an 11.0 clip while Japhet Medor is contributed 10.5, but Fordham is struggling to make shots, canning only 41.5 percent from the field. The Rams were picked for a 14th-place finish in the Atlantic 10 despite returning more scoring than any team in the league except for VCU. Third-year coach Keith Urgo thinks his team can defy low external expectations. "We're experienced and I think we're poised to have a tremendous year," he said. --Field Level MediaQuest Partners LLC Decreases Stock Position in Garrett Motion Inc. (NYSE:GTX)

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COP29: $300 billion climate deal pushed through despite stiff oppositionHigher prices and understaffed travel providers aren’t the only elements ruining the luxury travel experience. Overuse of technology, hotel managers seeking to monetize every inch of their properties, staff outfitted to look like runway models, airline accountants, too much truffle oil, and even fellow guests are making luxury travel less enjoyable. Speaking to over 2,250 travel buyers and executives from more than 2,000 luxury travel brands during the opening ceremony of the International Luxury Travel Market being held this week in Cannes, Canadian magazine publisher, brand agency executive and style guru Tyler Brûlé reeled off a litany of places that he says the industry is letting down guests. However, guests weren’t shielded from his sharp criticisms. Using tablets at check-in instead of just jotting down your address and signing means navigating different keyboards, which can be confusing and frustrating for jet-lagged visitors. This is not the best way to start your stay. Sins of Silicon Valley continue into your room, where he says glass-plated touchscreen control panels make turning the lights on or off another test of patience. However, QR codes top the list of tech misdeeds, which he says have often replaced printed leather-bound folders with high-quality paper that was easy to peruse. In some cases, he has found multiple codes, “so you don’t know if you are getting room service or housekeeping.” Oh, and what about just standard power outlets conveniently located next to both sides of the bed instead of a host of different plugs, usually none of which work for your device? It wasn’t just the IT department that Brûlé took to task. He criticized hotels that no longer have comfortable seating in the lobby to wait for a friend or just people-watch without being hounded to order a drink, as well as big city hotels that close their bars before 10 pm. And then there is the staff, which Brûlé says are often outfitted so they are mistaken for guests and, in some cases, don’t even have name tags. While he says uniforms “don’t have to look like you’re from a circus,” they are “part of the brand,” like a “fantastic logo.” Training should also remind staff about the old three-ring rule, which dictated picking up the phone on the first ring. “There is a paying guest on the other end of the line,” he told the audience of hotel executives. Oh, and stop it with the truffle oil (on everything from potato chips to cashews) and put a hold on those brand scents “that follow you home in your luggage.” This brings us to airline procurement executives, who Brûlé says need a lesson in ordering comfortable pillows. The current offerings at the front of the airplane are either too flimsy or resemble “a stuffed rugby ball.” And you could be part of the problem. Brûlé says he is tired of people holding Zoom meetings in the lobby as if they were at WeWork and playing YouTube videos on full blast in the fine dining restaurant. He says hotels should send out guidelines outlining proper attire and etiquette. He also suggests hotels bring back soundproof phone booths around the hotel so guests can rant without letting everyone at the pool know about their problems. And by the way, add windows that open to what makes a luxury hotel luxury.

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