Debate on Free Speech and Islam

52% compulsory halal, I could go on and on and on and on.

But most important to me, and most important to me is the free speech of this.

So, let's get this out, shall we?

78% of British Muslims believe that no publication should publish pictures of Mohammed.

An overwhelming majority. That rises,

that rises to 87%.

That's one, that's nine out of every ten Muslims that are walking the streets today.

In a country which absolutely abandoned blasphemy laws.

Suspicion is not strong enough a word.

The West should resist Islam in the strongest terms on free speech grounds alone.

So here we are with this cartoon, right?

And, um, it's time.

to show that I will not submit I will not adhere to the religious laws

of far off places now my wife asked me not to show this for fear of repercussions

in my family but I told her that if I did not then I had already submitted to Islam so here we are.

Is it not enough that half the team that invited you to this debate

were Muslim women who wanted to hear out your expression and your arguments

is it not enough that I as a Muslim president have invited you to this chamber to give your arguments

is that not enough justification and evidence for you to believe that we do believe in free speech

I would not become the president of a free speech society if not for this.

Thank you,

may I

thank you very much may I finish excuse me.

I want to order having been raised I want to hear the ex-librarian

it's a long time since I've been in this chamber and knew the rules of by heart

in the House of Commons and we model ourselves on the House of Commons

props are not allowed I wonder whether the rule on props is the same in the Oxford Union.

I thank the Honourable gentleman for his point of order.

Excuse me for one second.

One moment, one moment Mr Fox, the ex-president is also raising a point of order I think.

I just thought it was helpful to inform the ex-Librarian and others, at least my fully informed society,

that the ban was not extended and to keep the Israel and Palestine flag in their representation.

Thank you so right I just want to wrap this up.

I am going to rule on the point of order there is no bar in the forms of the house against the use of props

however I would encourage Mr Fox to make the point and move on.

I was until points of order so it is in that spirit that I will not submit that I show you this as an Englishman who believes in free speech.

I will not submit.

I will not bow down.

Right.

So I think which rather proves the point I was trying to make,

that in this envelope lived your fear and your fear of Islam and what Islam will do to you when you upset its very over-sensitive sky wizard.

And what lived in this room is a healthy and brilliant and noble British tradition of suspicion of Islam.

I encourage you to pass the motion. Thank you very much.