There are many circumstances in which one has to say ‘no’ – no other answer is possible – but will probably want to do so nicely. This might involve disappointing a child who wants an inappropriate pet, turning down an unsuitable suitor, or leaving for a better job when your employer very much wants you to stay on. Thus, although I thought the only appropriate answer to the Ahmadiyya’s letter requesting that the cartoon of Jesus and Mo be removed was ‘no’, I tried to engage with other parts of their argument which I could agree with – their insistence that they were sincerely upset and their rather refined, but not unreasonable point, about the use of the phrase ‘Muslim-led’.
Inayat Bunglawala believes in dealing more directly with offended religious people. Following a post poking fun at the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, he received a couple of critical comments, such as this:
It’s not very nice to go out of your way to insult others’ religious beliefs as ‘mad’. Is it? And apropos of what? Besides which, to an atheist, all religious beliefs are quite bonkers – yours included.
to which he responded pithily:
Peter J & KMH: If you don’t appreciate the thread, then, kindly fuck off!
