THe European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France
THe European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France

Woman who insulted the Prophet Mohammed loses free speech case at the European Court of Human Rights



An Austrian woman who was convicted for insulting the Prophet Mohammed did not have her right to freedom of speech violated, a European court has ruled.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that courts in Austria, where the woman was found guilty, had balanced the "right to freedom of expression with the right of others to have their religious feelings protected, and served the legitimate aim of preserving religious peace in Austria".

The woman, who has been named only as ES, held seminars in 2009 for Austria’s far right Freedom Party in which she made defamatory remarks relating to the Prophet Mohammed’s marriage to Aisha, which is usually misrepresented as being to an underage girl.

A court in Vienna convicted her for disparaging religious doctrines in 2011 and fined her 480 euros (Dh2,000) plus costs. The conviction was upheld by two further domestic appeals.

ES had claimed that the comments were not designed to defame the Prophet Mohammed and had fallen within her right to freedom of speech. She added that they were intended to spark a public debate.

But the ECHR said the remarks were an “abusive attack on the Prophet of Islam” and were capable of stirring up prejudice and religious intolerance.

The Strasbourg-based court added that the comments had no intention of promoting a public debate.

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Read more:

Amsterdam attack suspect said insults to Islam spurred him

Far-right exploits upheaval as attacks on Muslims rise

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An estimated 600,000 Muslims make up around 6.8 per cent of Austria’s population, an increase of 2.6 per cent since 2001 when there were 338,988 Muslims living in the country.

While most Austrian Muslims are of Turkish origin, the highly-politicised migration crisis in 2015 gave rise to growing anti-Islamic sentiment in the country. Far-right Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was elected in 2017 promising to crackdown on what he called “political Islam” and illegal immigration. Mr Kurz, leader of the OVP, formed a coalition government in December with the anti-Islamic Freedom Party, which had also campaigned to tighten the country’s immigration policies.

Earlier this year the government closed down seven mosques, six of which were suspected of having extremist links, and expelled up to 60 imams it said were funded by Turkey.

The move was criticised by Austrian Islamic groups as well as Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who accused Mr Kurz of encouraging “a war between the cross and the crescent”.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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Important questions to consider

1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?

There are different types of travel available for pets:

  • Manifest cargo
  • Excess luggage in the hold
  • Excess luggage in the cabin

Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.

 

2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?

If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.

If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.

 

3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?

As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.

If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty. 

If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport. 

 

4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?

This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.

In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.

 

5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?

Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.

Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.

Source: Pawsome Pets UAE

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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Rating: 2/5

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