Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff. YouTube
The case of Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff: Free speech or sharia laws?
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has finally handed down its decision on the appeal by Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff against her conviction in Austria for “hate speech”.
Published: October 29, 2018, 10:16 am
Vienna
The court ruled against her, saying that the Austrian law under which she was tried was within acceptable limits, and did not violate her human rights, because it served the higher good of protecting religious feelings and keeping the religious peace.
Thus an opinion of Islamic scripture can no longer safely be discussed in Europe. Other Islamic doctrinal tenets still valid today not only include violent jihad, the duty to kill apostates, and the abysmal treatment of women, but sadly child marriage.
The ECHR’s decision has given far more prominence to Elisabeth’s case as at least 68 English-language media reported on the decision. The outlets include The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Al Arabiya, The Atlantic, Fox News, National Review, Newsweek, The Telegraph, and many more.
Ultimately, the case is not only about the person Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, but about everyone who falls under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights — which means not only those in Western Europe, but Hungary, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, the Baltics, Romania, and Bulgaria.
It means that saying anything that “disturbs the religious peace” — or offends Muslims — is no longer protected by human rights laws. Europeans are therefore free to say only what the unelected judges of the European courts want to hear.
The Muslim world has taken note of the ECHR’s decision, notably with the Al Arabiya report. The long list for other news sites in the Middle East and South Asia, also include Pakistan.
The exact words spoken by Elisabeth concerning Mohammed’s marriage to Aisha, for which she was prosecuted and convicted, were: “What do you call it if not ‘pedophilia’?”
It was a question she had raised in a private conversation, and then recounted during a seminar in 2009, one of two entitled “Basic Information on Islam”. The entire case against her was built around this remark.
She also stated that the prophet of Islam “had a thing for little girls”. Since the verdict, it is no longer legal to mention such things in Austria, the ECHR confirmed.
Sabaditsch-Wolff had appealed the initial ruling and fine, relying on Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. That provision is to safeguard “freedom of expression”.
The Higher Court of Vienna, in December 2011 noted: “Muhammad’s wife Aisha entered the marriage at age 6, which was consummated at the age of 9,” implying much the same but not stating an opinion.
The high-court judge in Vienna actually allowed the quoting of the authoritative Islamic hadith in the courtroom. The court then acknowledged that the passage was already public knowledge, and thus repeating it could not be punishable under the law.
But the court upheld Elisabeth’s conviction, based on a somewhat peculiar interpretation of Austrian law: to say “Mohammed had a thing for little girls” was an “excess of opinion” that cannot be tolerated. It constitutes ridicule, which was not justifiable.
Sabaditsch-Wolff has extensive knowlegde of Islam. She is the daughter of an Austrian diplomat, and was partly educated in Iran. She was the assistant to the Austrian Vice Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, and served at the Austrian embassies in both Kuwait and Libya.
In 2010 Sabaditsch-Wolff was a speaker at a conference sponsored by the Freedom Defense Initiative at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, DC, entitled: “Jihad: The Political Third Rail — What They Are Not Telling You.”
All rights reserved. You have permission to quote freely from the articles provided that the source (www.freewestmedia.com) is given. Photos may not be used without our consent.
Consider donating to support our work
Help us to produce more articles like this. FreeWestMedia is depending on donations from our readers to keep going. With your help, we expose the mainstream fake news agenda.
Keep your language polite. Readers from many different countries visit and contribute to Free West Media and we must therefore obey the rules in, for example, Germany. Illegal content will be deleted.
If you have been approved to post comments without preview from FWM, you are responsible for violations of any law. This means that FWM may be forced to cooperate with authorities in a possible crime investigation.
If your comments are subject to preview by FWM, please be patient. We continually review comments but depending on the time of day it can take up to several hours before your comment is reviewed.
We reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, contain slander or foul language, or are irrelevant to the discussion.
Europe
New App Helps Locate Sweden’s Historic Runestones
A new app called Swedish Runestones will help locate historical gems.
Swedish military wants to remilitarize the Åland Islands
The demilitarized autonomy has previously been known as 'the islands of peace.
NOAA Predicts Zero Sunspots for Almost the Whole 2030s
CLIMATEThe United States' government scientific organization, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), predicts zero sunspots from 2031 to 2040. This is an extreme situation that has not occurred in as long as humanity has been counting sunspots, and it leads us into uncharted territory in terms of our solar system. However, this prediction aligns with the warnings of the world-renowned solar researcher Valentina Zharkova for many years, who indicated in 2019 various signs of this catastrophic phenomenon, including the extreme hailstorms we have seen in Europe and the world this summer. The forecast and various observations this year give cause for very significant concern. In this unique analysis, Free West Media explains why.
European Nationalist Parties Forge Cooperation Ahead of EU Elections
EUROPEAN ELECTIONSOn Saturday, August 26, representatives of six European nationalist parties gathered in Budapest. The meeting was initiated by the Hungarian party Mi Hazánk and took place in the national parliament. Representatives of the parties signed a joint declaration that not only reaffirms the parties' friendship but also their unity on a range of complex political issues. A surprisingly clear and radical manifesto was established. The hope is that this cooperation will lead to success in the EU elections and eventually result in the formation of a group in the European Parliament. For Swedish nationalism, this meeting marks a success as Sweden, for the first time, has a party represented in a leading nationalist cooperation in Europe. Free West Media was present at this historic event.
Turkey Believes Sweden Hasn’t Done Enough
Sweden will have to wait a bit longer for NATO membership, according to Turkey's Justice Minister Jilmaz Tunc. First, Sweden must extradite the "terrorists" Turkey wants and stop the desecration of the Quran.
Swedish Weapon Takes Down Russia’s Best Attack Helicopter
The Russian attack helicopter Ka-52 is considered one of the world's best and has struck fear in Ukraine, where it has hunted down tanks and other armored vehicles, often beyond the range of many light anti-aircraft systems. However, it has met its match in the Swedish air defense missile system RBS 70, which has quickly led to significant losses for the Russian helicopter forces.
The Sun Drives Earth’s Climate, Not Carbon Dioxide
Top Researchers Push Back Against Climate Lies."The correlation is as clear as day," explained the Israeli astrophysicist Nir Shaviv, who was hailed by the establishment, before his interview with Forbes was hastily deleted. What he says contradicts the climate narrative, which points to humans as responsible for Earth's climate. Shaviv firmly asserts that it is the sun that controls the climate, something that can be scientifically proven in many ways. Contrary to the popular belief, the sun's influence on Earth has, in recent years, caused unusually cold and rainy weather, a trend that solar researchers warn will worsen significantly in the coming decades. The sun has exhibited an unusually low activity since 2016, during Solar Cycle 24, which was the weakest in a century.
Strong Confidence in German AfD
Alternative for Germany (AfD) held a party conference on July 29-30 to select candidates for the upcoming EU election next year. EU Parliament member Maximilian Krah, belonging to the party's more radical, ethnonationalist faction, was appointed as the top candidate. The party's two spokespersons delivered powerful speeches criticizing the EU's failed migration policy and trade sanctions that isolate Europe and Germany from the rest of the world. They argued that it's time for the EU to return a significant portion of its power to national parliaments. However, they have dropped the demand for Germany to exit the EU.
The Establishment Wants to Ban Germany’s Second Largest Party – for the Sake of Democracy
The rising popularity of AfD has raised strong concerns within the establishment. Despite lies and demonization in the media and isolation from the overall political establishment, the party continues to grow. Certain representatives of the party are accused of becoming increasingly "extreme," and in an unusual move, the influential weekly newspaper Der Spiegel demanded that AfD be "banned."
Dutch FvD break through the media blockade
What is happening in the Netherlands? It is often difficult to follow events in other countries, especially when distorted by system media. We give Forum for Democracy (FvD) the opportunity to speak out on the political situation in the Netherlands and the staunch resistance they face in trying to save the country.
No comments.
By submitting a comment you grant Free West Media a perpetual license to reproduce your words and name/web site in attribution. Inappropriate and irrelevant comments will be removed at an admin’s discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only, it will never be shared.