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> I find it rather astonishing works like the Bible and Quran are allowed to exist in places with such stringent hate speech laws. You jest, perhaps, but there
by sinyug 5y ago
> I find it rather astonishing works like the Bible and Quran are allowed to exist in places with such stringent hate speech laws.
You jest, perhaps, but there was an interesting case in India about this very thing four decades back.[1] But governments and the legal system are often terrified of resulting violence. So they tend to actively prevent real debate on these issues.
> Chandmal Chopra tried to obtain an order banning the Quran, by filing a Writ Petition at the Calcutta High Court on 29 March 1985. The petition claimed that Sections 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 95 of the Criminal Procedure Code were often used by Muslims to ban or proscribe publications critical of Islam, and stated that "so far it had been the privilege of the Peoples of the Book to ban and burn the sacred literature of the Pagans." Chandmal Chopra thought that the Quran "on grounds of religion promotes disharmony, feeling of enmity, hatred and ill-will between different religious communities and incite people to commit violence and disturb public tranquility..."
> Chandmal Chopra also included a list of several dozens of Quran verses that "promote disharmony" in his petition. The book claims that these Quran verses embody one of the main themes of the book: "Nor have these passages been culled at random from different chapters of the Quran with a view to making the book sound sinister. On the contrary, they provide an almost exhaustive list of Allah’s sayings on a subject of great significance, namely, what the believers should believe about and do to the unbelievers..."
And violence did erupt in parts of India and Bangladesh.
> The Statesman reported that "at least 12 people were killed and 100 wounded all are poor Hindus" in a border town of Bangladesh during a demonstration of 1000 people. In Dhaka, at least 20,000 people demonstrated against the petition. The demonstrators were trying to storm the office of India's High Commission. Other riots followed in Kashmir and Bihar.
[1] The Calcutta Quran Petition (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Calcutta_Quran_Petition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Calcutta_Quran_Petition)