Graffiti of this kind is indefensible. But where exactly is the “line” between “free speech and hate speech”? The problem with “hate speech” laws and government initiatives to combat “Islamophobia” is that they often end up silencing legitimate criticism of Islam and analysis of the motivating ideology behind jihad terrorism as they attempt to silence “hate speech.”
“‘Crosses the line from free speech to hate speech’: Islamophobic graffiti condemned,” by Emma Brancatisano, SBS News, December 17, 2024:
Speaking to SBS Arabic, Australia’s special envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, said anti-Islam graffiti discovered in western Sydney “can only fuel hate and division”.
Australia’s special envoy to combat Islamophobia has condemned anti-Islam graffiti that was discovered in western Sydney over the weekend as “appalling” and “unacceptable”.
Speaking to SBS Arabic on Monday, Aftab Malik joined religious and political leaders in their condemnation of the incident, as police continued their investigation.
“Regarding the message itself, what was sprayed was appalling, and it’s simply unacceptable, and it crosses the line from free speech to hate speech,” Malik said.
“In the multicultural and the multi-faith Australia that we are in, that has no place whatsoever. That message can only do one thing — it can only fuel hate and division.”
NSW Police said it received reports of offensive graffiti in the suburb of Sefton on Sunday morning.
The words ‘F— Islam’ had been spray painted onto both sides of an underpass and the words ‘cancel Islam’ were graffitied on a nearby advertisement. By Sunday afternoon, the graffiti had been painted over….
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the vandalism was “abhorrent”.“This racism and Islamophobia is disgusting and corrosive to the very fabric of the successful multicultural state that we have built here in NSW,” he said….
BTeboe says
The multicultural state is headed for the trash bin. Islam does NOT assimilate and soon you will find out just exactly how that works. I do not feel sorry for stupid idiots, I do feel sorry for the people who have to live under idiot laws. Islam is not a religion as they would have you believe. It is instead a totalitarian theocracy that controls the adherents 24/7/365 from cradle to grave using religion (Muslim) and law (Sharia). If you are not Muslim you will be persecuted until you a)convert or b)die. Your choice.
BTeboe says
The multicultural state is headed for the trash bin. Islam does NOT assimilate and soon you will find out just exactly how that works. I do not feel sorry for stupid idiots, I do feel sorry for the people who have to live under idiot laws. Islam is not a religion as they would have you believe. It is instead a totalitarian theocracy that controls the adherents 24/7/365 from cradle to grave using religion (Muslim) and law (Sharia). If you are not Muslim you will be persecuted until you a)convert or b)die. Your choice.
Emilie Green says
“The words ‘F— Islam’ had been spray painted onto both sides of an underpass and the words ‘cancel Islam’ were graffitied on a nearby advertisement. By Sunday afternoon, the graffiti had been painted over.”
That’s what’s considered “appalling” and “unacceptable?”
Seriously? That stuff is part of any stock speech from any Democrat when speaking of the GOP or normal, average Americans. Joe Pesci and the ugly DeNiro routinely spout that stuff in all their movies.
somehistory says
Agreed; but those same people whining over this, call Jews ‘apes and pigs,’ clam that all Jews are terrorists, and that they plan to wipe Jews and Christians off the earth….and then want to continue free to say even worse things.
“hate speech”….speech the hearer doesn’t like. “cancel islam.” Now that needs and deserves to be repeated.
carpediadem says
Sorry Robert. I agree with this graffiti. Islam has poisoned Australia.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
The one reason to be against this graffiti is being against all/any graffiti in the first place. Other than that, you’re right!
࿗Infidel࿘ says
If one opposes any/all graffiti, in terms of defacing a city, then yeah, it’s indefensible. But if one does not, how is graffiti of this kind indefensible? If I have to tolerate any graffiti, this is the very type of graffiti that I’d wanna see out there
Oh, and hate speech is free speech. Speech that is popular does not need protections: it’s speech that’s controversial that does! Problem is that British commonwealth countries do not have free speech, despite pretensions to the contrary
somehistory says
Exactly right, Infidel.
Skeptiker says
So ist es.
Jedothek says
It is frightening how many Americans ( not to mention the rest of the world ) do not understand Robert’s simple point: that if you give a government the power to silence hate speech, they WILL silence some speech that deserves to be heard. it’s as if people never heard of a government abusing power.
FYI says
“wallahu wallaakbaah akabar”
is that “islamophobic” or “far right” or something to some folk?
Because I have no idea what it means…go on call the cops ..I hate speech;cuff me.
“What has one foot,two right hands,Three godess daughters[who is mrs allah]}and is provably not omniscient
allah”
is that a controversial joke to muslims since “there are no jokes in islam”.Yet islamic sources show that!
Is this joke offensive to nazis who might feel it stereotypes them?….
When the Germans invaded Russia in 1941,one recon platoon got lost and ended up in a remote village.Asking for directions from a man called Moshe they asked was it the right way to Moscow.
Moshe pointed it out to them.They sneered and laughed at Moshe.But Moshe always liked to misdirect people.Moshe blew a kiss to them and said “good luck..enjoy..””.. on their journey to….
STALINGRAD
somehistory says
A domineering woman doesn’t believe any woman is good enough for her son. so when she hears him say to a young lady, “I love you, honey; let’s get married.” that is speech she hates to hear.
to the young lady in love, it’s the sweetest thing.
The same with things said about islam…..praise it and it’s **hate speech** to infidels who know what it’s all about.
Curse islam and it’s sweet Truth to those same people. It’s all according to who is doing the listening as to whether it is hate speech. But all of it should be ‘free’ from government abuse.
James Lincoln says
Excellent points made, somehistory.
somehistory says
Thanks, James
Tim gallagher says
You want to see hate speech just read the Koran. Islam deserves everything it cops because it is full of murderous hatred for all non Muslims, along with pedophilia, endless misogyny and so on. Waking up to islam and hating it is called Islamophobia. What a load of bullshit. Islam deserves all hatred it receives.
STJOHNOFGRAFTON says
When was the last time we heard of Judeophobia or Christophobia? You don’t hear about it because Jews and Christians are mature enough to handle insults and being disliked.
Andrew Blackadder says
So when graffiti is sprayed on houses of worship other than a mosque is that also hate speech or only what offends the wee mindset of the muslim mind.
It appears to me that muslims in generation are so very shallow in their own beliefs that they wish to kill somebody who calls them out on the BS in their so called religion rather than simply telling me or others that what i say against their vile religion is of no importance but it would appear my opinion of their religion is so very very important to them that they wish to attack or even kill me which actually proves my point about it being a vile violent intolerable belief system.
alexreid says
Of corse the Hate Speech of Islam against, Jews, Christians etc., indeed, Everybody & Everything not Islamic is protected. What an Idiot & waste of a University Education.
Skeptiker says
Graf Fiti hat sich zu diesen Vorwürfen noch nicht geäußert.
Ha, ha. Ein Muslim Aflab Malik ist Sonderbeauftragter für Islamophobie. Das ist an Satire kaum noch zu toppen. Vergleichbar mit dem Vorsitz Saudi-Arabiens für Frauenrechte bei der UNO.
Tom says
“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.” Voltaire.
The Muslim Brotherhood agenda is to bring down western governments and society by using our own institutions against us. More and more Muslims are being elected or placed into positions of power and influence and the results are not good for all of us in the west.
David M says
He’s conveniently ignoring the Muslims going from the western suburbs of Sydney to the Jewish eastern suburbs & committing crimes. He doesn’t care about that.