Judicial thuggery

In today's Observer there is a fine review by William Skidelski of a book by Stefan Collini.  Skidelsky quotes from Collini: 'While there are various ways to show respect for people some of whose beliefs and practices differ from our own, exempting those beliefs and practices from criticism is not one of them.'  Agreed.  As the dreadful saga of the murder of Salmaan Taseer in Pakistan, and the sentence of death handed out by judicial thugs to Aasia Bibi demonstrates, criticism in even the most oblique fashion carries with it enormous risks.  By remaining silent however the silent majority condone the murder of Salmaan Taseer and condemn Aasia Bibi to a bleak and  uncertain future.  As Stephen Fry memorably observed, religion is shit.  So too is the society that allows religious intolerance to victimise the innocent.