This action was taken after Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadan Foundation, called on Smith to 'apologise immediately', insisting 'our faith is not to be mocked'. Other, similar, demands followed.
British Gymnastics has made a serious error here, in my view.
Whether what Smith did was reprehensible, wrong, etc. is certainly a question with many facets, but I think the verdict is clear on whether he should have been disciplined by British Gymnastics. He should not.
I have heard well-meaning people say about this case that religion should be treated like race. We wouldn't allow Smith to take the piss (as we say in the UK) out of some ethnic minority. But then we shouldn't allow him to take the piss out of the religion of such an ethnic minority either.
But a religion is not a race. Mocking a belief system may not always be wise, nice, etc., but it is not something anyone should be disciplined for. Unless, of course, you think that religious belief systems are 'special' and merit special treatment compared to e.g. political belief systems more generally (and make no mistake religious belief systems invariably are political belief systems). [Conatus News] Read more
