Sharia UK: British Gymnastics suspends Olympic medalist for 2 months for insulting Islam

This despite Smith’s having visited a mosque and issued numerous groveling apologies. Do you think he would have received this suspension if he had been perceived as having insulted any other group? Neither do I. But in Britain today, and all over the West, Sharia blasphemy laws forbidding criticism of Islam coalesce nicely with the initiative to ban “hate speech” against supposedly vulnerable minorities. The freedom of speech is far more severely threatened than most people realize.

“Louis Smith: British Gymnastics bans four-time Olympic medallist over video,” BBC, November 1, 2016

Four-time Olympic medallist Louis Smith has been suspended for two months by British Gymnastics over a video in which he appeared to mock Islam.

The video, filmed by Smith but leaked to the media, appeared to show him laughing while retired gymnast Luke Carson mimicked Islamic prayer practices.

Smith, who won pommel horse silver at Rio 2016, later said he was “deeply sorry” for his “thoughtless actions”.

Carson was given a reprimand.Smith, 27, is one of Britain’s best known gymnasts and won the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing in 2012.

“It is regrettable that following a historic summer of achievement, the organisation finds itself in this difficult position with two high-profile members in breach of our standards of conduct,” British Gymnastics chief executive Jane Allen said.

“As the custodians of the integrity and values of the sport, we have had no choice but to act responsibly.

“Whilst both individuals showed remorse following the incident, we hope in the future they use their profile to have a positive impact on sport and communities.”

British Gymnastics said Smith’s ban was a “cumulative penalty” because of a previous breach of its rules on conduct.

He was reprimanded in June for posting an image on social media of an American gymnast, who was 16 when the photograph was taken, accompanied by a comment British Gymnastics said was “unbefitting to a participant”.In April, he apologised for questioning the judging at the British Championships, where he was beaten to pommel gold by Max Whitlock.

The Briton missed last month’s Olympic and Paralympic celebrations for Britain’s Rio 2016 medallists to visit two London mosques “to learn more about the Muslim community”.Smith said he had previously been “ignorant to people’s religion” and added on Facebook that it was his responsibility “as someone of sporting influence” to exercise freedom of speech “in good taste”….

Je suis Louis Smith: why we must be free to mock Islam

 Muslim spokesman Mohammed Shafiq: Louis Smith ban for “Islamophobia” fuels “Islamophobia”

It’s not surprising that Islamic supremacists would try to claim victim status on both sides of the Louis Smith controversy. Criticism (or, in Smith’s case, mild mockery) of Islam is to be treated as a criminal act, in accord with Sharia blasphemy laws, and proscribed so as to protect Muslims who are supposedly discriminated against and under threat. Then discontent among non-Muslims at this preferential treatment given to Muslims is also condemned and proscribed. That will only lead to more speech that British authorities will punish as “Islamophobia,” which will lead to more discontent, and still more proscribed “Islamophobic” speech. Islamic supremacists apparently hope to ride this vicious circle to full hegemony in Britain, and given the abject surrender of British authorities, there is not much stopping them at this point.

An update on this story. “Louis Smith ban will fuel ‘rampant Islamophobia’, says Muslim commentator,” by Luke Dolan, TalkRadio, November 2, 2016:

The ban on Louis Smith and the social media hysteria which has surrounded it is fuelling “rampant Islamophobia” in the UK.

This is according to Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, a Muslim community group, who spoke to Julia Hartley-Brewer after British Gymnastics’ decision to ban Smith for two months….

Shafiq pointed out “the hysteria we’re seeing on social media suggests Muslims are doing this and it’s not.”

He highlighted the ban was a result of “an organisation who’s decided that his conduct doesn’t uphold standards of behaviour”, but that the hysteria contributes to “rampant Islamophobia in an open season on Muslims.”

Shafiq was speaking to talkRADIO after London Imam Ajmal Masroor said Muslims don’t want to see Smith suspended.