Postal Letter

How can The Daily Mail get away with this?

An internet article states this as a theoretical finale to a cynical Britain Day. "In a stunning finale, four members of the Provisional Wing (Bradford Chapter) of Islamic Jihad celebrate diversity by spontaneously combusting on the last bus home." See http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/columnists/columnists.html?in_page_id=1772&in_article_id=460648&in_author_id=322 How can these people get away with such racism and "Islamophobia"?

Public Comments

1. The Daily Mail is a rubbish, sensationalist, fear-peddling paper aimed at right wing old women. They get away with what they say because no one takes them seriously as a newspaper.
2. what did you expect from the daily mail and richard littlejohn?
3. I don't think this is extremely (stress the extremely part) rasict. It is probably a light attempt at humor given that those people who go on Jihads (Holy Wars) will probably not wish to celebrate 'Britain Day' and it would be the day that terrorists would cause an awful lot of chaos and harm by blowing them selves up (spontaneously combusting) on. If you take it seriously then yes it could be seen as racist but in context with the rest of the article mocking the plans for a 'Britain Day' it is an attempt at a joke.
4. How can the media 'get away' with so much? Not just that, but over many years, other things.. But it's about time the WHOLE world regained its sense of humour in a lot of respects................
5. amazing. made me chuckle just reading it, but I do agree it does appear to be a pop of the many nationalities and cultures that make up our Great Britain. Just a thought, I wonder what takeaway he uses, or what countries he visits on his jolly holidays. He might have to think twice now and stay in good old Blighty eating cockles and whelks.
6. I can't stand the Daily Mail. I would never buy it or read it (mainly as it spouts nonsense like this). The fact is though that the Daily Mail has to be able to voice such 'ideas', as this is an intrisic part of British History, the Freedom of the Press: a privilege that has been gained over hundreds of years. The principle states: John Stuart Mill approached the problem of authority versus liberty from the viewpoint of a 19th century utilitarian: The individual has the right of expressing himself so long as he does not harm other individuals. The good society is one in which the greatest number of persons enjoy the greatest possible amount of happiness. Applying these general principles of liberty to freedom of expression, Mill states that if we silence an opinion, we may silence the truth. The individual freedom of expression is therefore essential to the well-being of society. I agree that the comment was intended to be a 'joke', a scenario envisaging the worst possible outcome of a Britain Day where a horrific event demonstrates the failure to successfully integrate individuals into Britain and make them 'British'. I do do not agree with the sentiments expressed at all, but someone always has to have the right to imagine and state the worst as this inspires debate and response. The fact is that there was a terrorist attack on this country, which was perpertrated by individuals who claimed to be 'muslim'. Therefore these views are at least credible and so the author has to have the right to say them.
7. i thought it was brilliant extremely humorous that is what Britain is like today multiculturalism
8. i dont buy crap,waste of money dont buy news papers.
9. Because they ain't afraid to be un PC. Or do you want free speech to be barred?
10. It's called 'black humour'; i.e. laughing at something that is true and sad and scary. I don't see why people are objecting to it; it's not as though things like this don't happen!
11. OK just read it, its meant to be a send up of modern day Britain. As such it is not only quite humorous,but sad to say almost quite true. Today's Britain, our version of democracy, is government by the minority.
12. We British have always managed to laugh at what we fear. On the grounds that we have enough to fear from Islamist, loss of identity etc, why can't we have a laugh? There's not much else we can do. It's certainly more readable than the left/liberal press'pontifications.
13. What can I say...I think it's supposed to be black and ironic and I am very much a believer in free speech...well done Ed for highlighting the piece from Stewart Mills regarding liberty...freedom of expression is one of the greatest things about our country, for now that is! But thinking about other articles I have read in th DM I very rarely expect anything other than racist, xenophobic, sexist and mysogynistic nonesense from this newspaper. I ask myself how they get anyway with perpetuating racism and hate in their so called newspaper, often accompanied by blatent untruths and printing its rhetric with very little critical or balanced review without losing some credability. OK rant over, can you tell I don't like this newspaper much? haha
14. i don't read this rag myself. but I'd say its some type of satire lots of left wing comics mock right wingers in a similar why (just listen to Ricky gervais or bill hicks) this is just a neo cons pathetic attempt at humour
15. It's the Daily Mail.It's a right wing paper.Richard Littlejohn is even more right wing than the rest of them.Except maybe that Hitchens guy-gods I hate him.
16. So now the truth is racist? That's news to me.