Here is the truth one more time: Britain is finished. āSharia law at Speakersā Corner as Christian critic of Muslims is removed by police,ā by Tim Dieppe, The Conservative Woman, September 29, 2020
SPEAKERSā Corner in Hyde Park has long been a bastion of free speech in the UK. Indeed, it is reputed to be the most famous location for free speech in the world.
A BBC article describes it as āthe home of free speech.ā The history of the place stretches back to an Act of Parliament in 1872 which sets aside this part of Hyde Park for public speaking.
The list of those known to have spoken there includes Karl Marx,
Vladimir Lenin, George Orwell, George Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill,
Billy Graham, Lord Soper, and Tony Benn. Anyone can turn up unannounced
and speak on almost any topic they like, though they may well have to
cope with heckling.
Speakerās Corner has long been a favourite location for street preachers. The BBC article notes
that āat least half the speakers are preachersā, but also comments that
in recent years āat least as many of the preachers are Muslim as
Christianā.
I have been there for a Sunday afternoon and seen how the place is
now dominated by Muslims, but with some brave Christians holding forth.
Video footage will show that it is a highly combative environment
with accusations and insults being thrown all over the place, and where
strength of voice can be almost as important as strength of argument.
Nevertheless, when I went, I was impressed with the high quality of
debate between Christians and Muslims that goes on there. You need to be
very well-informed to be able to hold your own in the discussions.
One of the bravest of the Christian preachers is Hatun Tash. I have
seen her in action and she is incredibly well-informed on Islamic
apologetics and an expert in engaging in the cut-and-thrust debate that
occurs there.
In spite of being a relatively short woman, she commands a strong
presence and is not intimidated by crowds of mostly men who heckle her
and surround her.
Hatun was physically assaulted at Speakersā Corner in July. In a YouTube discussion with David Wood,
she revealed that in August, police warned her that they believe some
Muslims intend to kill her and that therefore it is dangerous for her to
go to Speakersā Corner.
But Hatun is not intimidated. She wants Muslims to hear what she has
to say. She believes Muslims are making threats in order to get the
police to stop her from preaching because she is so effective. She has
seen many Muslims convert to Christianity through her remarkable
ministry.
On Sunday September 13, Hatun was escorted out of Speakersā Corner by police for her own safety. You can watch the full video footage here. She was told that if she returned there she would be arrested.
This raises many questions about the home of free speech. It appears
the police believe it is no longer safe for Christians to critique Islam
there. The police were prepared to step in and remove Hatun and prevent
her from sharing the gospel there. Where next for free speech in this
world-famous location?
There is no doubt that Hatun was being provocative. That is her
style. To be quite honest, if you are not provocative at Speakersā
Corner, then no one will bother listening to you.
Those who go there expect provocative things to be said and done.
That is the nature of the place. Muslims are routinely provocative in
their criticism of Christianity at Speakersā Corner, as is their rightā¦
It should have been those making threats who were removed, not Hatun.
The result was that a Christian preacher was silenced by police in the
home of free speechā¦.
This time, the censorship was enforced. Muslims at Speakersā Corner
are effectively imposing a āhecklerās vetoā ā threats of violence to
silence arguments they canāt deal withā¦.
This does not bode well for the future of Christian preaching at
Speakersā Corner. When free speech is curtailed at Speakersā Corner,
there is little hope for the rest of the country.