More on “Elder Pastitsios” and blasphemy laws in Greece. The links are to sites in Greek.
Four days before the arrest on September 17, MP Christos Pappas from the neo-nazi Golden Dawn party had brought the page to the attention of the justice minister and submitted an official inquiry into why the Facebook page was not being addressed by the Eletronic Crimes Unit. According to site NewsIt*, the police claim they had already concluded their investigation two days before the question was raised in parliament. Following the publication of the arrest, Greece’s leftist primary opposition party SYRIZA strongly denounced* the arrest as did its offshoot and now ruling coalition junior partner Democratic Left as well as the Greek Communist Party. Center-left party PASOK – also a member of the ruling coalition – issued a more tepid response opposing the arrest but affirming the need to “protect religious and national identity”. Golden Dawn lauded the arrest stating* that their MP’s question “mobilized the government into taking action”.
It’s International Blasphemy Day in two days. I trust you are preparing.
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Marcus Ranum
September 28, 2012 at 12:38 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Ah, yes, the Greeks executed Socrates for “impiety” in 339BC and have apparently managed to avoid learning anything since then.
UnknownEric
September 28, 2012 at 1:03 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
International Blasphemy Day? Can’t goddamn wait.
simonsays
September 28, 2012 at 1:10 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Greeks also invented satire but that nuance has evaded the authorities in this case…
Walton
September 29, 2012 at 4:20 am (UTC -7) Link to this comment
I agree with you on this. Offending religion should not be a crime, anywhere.
shouldbeworking
September 29, 2012 at 4:37 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
Offending religion should not be a crime, but nor should it be so easy. There’s little challenge anymore. The rotten spoilsports…