Quote:
Originally Posted by PiKA2001
I think the Gov see inciting terrorism as someone who preaches on a street corner for people to blow themselves up in shopping malls or schools, not someone burning books.
I know that the burning of crosses are illegal because it's commonly used for racial intimidation, so could the burning of religious texts be considered religious intimidation? Are there laws to protect religious intimidation as there are to protect people from racial intimidation?
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That's racial intimidation of a minority group and the religious symbol is a mechanism. Hate crime legislation has yet to cover everything that idiots can possibly think of and particularly acts based on religion. The connection would have to be made between religion and minority group status. Being Middle Eastern is a racial and ethnic minority status and being of the Islamic faith is sometimes consider a religious minority status. However, in examining the motive behind this man's stupidity, religious and ethnic intimidation can be overshadowed by his claim that he's speaking out against Islamic extremism.
Afterall, people burn, throw, or tear up religious texts relatively often depending on where you are. It is sometimes all a matter of how it's received.