Release Date: Wednesday 8th February 2006
Release Time: Immediate

Contact Details:
Dr Sean Gabb, 07956 472 199, sean@libertarian.co.uk

For other contact and link details, see the foot of this message
Release url: http://www.libertarian.co.uk/news/nr035.htm

ABU HAMZA CONVICTION "A DEFEAT FOR FREE SPEECH", SAYS FREE MARKET AND CIVIL LIBERTIES THINK TANK

The Libertarian Alliance, the radical free market and civil liberties institute, today condemns the conviction of Abu Hamza al-Masri, of 11 charges of soliciting murder and of stirring up racial hatred and for using his sermons to encourage his followers to murder non-Moslems. Mr Masri was also convicted of inciting racial hatred and possessing a 10-volume "Encyclopaedia of the Afghani Jihad," which prosecutors called "a blueprint for terrorism." The manual included instructions on how to make explosives and identified Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower as potential terrorist targets.

Speaking today in London, Dr Sean Gabb, Director of the Libertarian Alliance, comments:

"The rights to freedom of speech and association are fundamental to a free society. So far as these rights are diminished, that society becomes less free. I was born in a country where these rights had been enjoyed for centuries. I have reached middle age in a politically correct police state where the Government is now trying to silence its opponents through the courts. Particularly under Tony Blair, this country has become a more genteel version of Zimbabwe.

"Mr Masri is a deeply unpleasant man. He hates our civilisation. It is entirely valid to ask why he has been allowed into our country to bring up seven children on welfare benefits paid by us. But there is a clear common sense distinction between speaking and acting. Mr Masri has not been convicted of doing any of the wicked things he recommends. Nor has he been convicted of plotting attacks on any identified individual. Therefore, he has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment for expressing opinions. He is a prisoner of conscience.

"Doubtless, there are people who take offence at the expression of certain views. But free speech that does not include the right to give offence is not free speech. It is the political equivalent of decaffeinated coffee.

"If people are upset by what they read or hear, let them ignore it or argue against it. There is no place in these debates for the Thought Police."

The Libertarian Alliance believes:

* That the Race Relations Act 1976 should be repealed;
* That the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 should be repealed;
* That, pending repeal, the Race Regulations subsequent to these Acts should be withdrawn;
* That those sections of the Public Order Act 1986 dealing with speech and publication should be repealed;
* That those sections of the Criminal Justice Act 1998 dealing with "racial aggravation" of offences should be repealed;
* That the Commission for Racial Equality and all similar organisations should be abolished, and their records burned;
* That all those convicted of thought crimes under the above laws should be pardoned and, where appropriate, compensated;
* That the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill now before Parliament should be abandoned;
* That the Terrorism Bill now before Parliament should be abandoned;
* That the Human Rights Act 1998 should be amended to protect the right of people to say anything they like about public issues, and to associate or not associate as they please.

END OF COPY

Note(s) to Editors

This release is almost identical to the release sent out on the acquittal of Nick Griffin (http://www.libertarian.co.uk/news/nr034.htm). The Libertarian Alliance believes in equal liberty for all.

Dr Sean Gabb is the Director of the Libertarian Alliance and edits its journal Free Life. His latest book, Smoking, Class and the Legitimation of Power, is available at Amazon. His other books are available from Hampden Press at http://www.hampdenpress.co.uk.

He can be contacted for further comment on 07956 472 199 or by email at sean@libertarian.co.uk

Extended Contact Details:

The Libertarian Alliance is Britain's most radical free market and civil liberties policy institute. It has published over 700 articles, pamphlets and books in support of freedom and against statism in all its forms. These are freely available at http://www.libertarian.co.uk

Our postal address is

The Libertarian Alliance
Suite 35
2 Lansdowne Row
Mayfair
London
W1J 6HL
Tel: 07956 472 199

Associated Organisations

The Libertarian International - http://www.libertarian.to - is a sister organisation to the Libertarian Alliance. Its mission is to coordinate various initiatives in the defence of individual liberty throughout the world.

Sean Gabb's personal website - http://www.seangabb.co.uk - contains about a million words of writings on themes interesting to libertarians and conservatives.

Hampden Press - http://www.hampdenpress.co.uk.- the publishing house of the Libertarian Alliance.

Liberalia - http://www.liberalia.com - maintained by by LA Executive member Christian Michel, Liberalia publishes in-depth papers in French and English on libertarianism and free enterprise. It is a prime source of documentation on these issues for students and scholars.