Having a different belief system is not a crime, but having a belief system that belittles other belief systems, is not just a crime, but downright dangerous to peace and progress.
London is one of the world's centres of Arab journalism and political activism. The failure of left and right, the establishment and its opposition, to mount principled arguments against clerical reaction has had global ramifications. Ideas minted in Britain – the notion that it is bigoted to oppose bigotry; 'Islamophobic' to oppose clerics whose first desire is to oppress Muslims – swirl out through the press and the net to lands where they can do real harm.
Any kind of extreme in any religion is dangerous. It's just a way to control and violate the basic human rights of others. They diminish God in our world.
The most sensitive period of their developmental age, when the kids are supposed to be taught to question everything and nourish their reasoning skills, they are taught that God created the world in seven days – that the human race did not evolve from apes through millions of years, rather it came from the amorous congress between two God-made humans, named Adam and Eve. And if you ask why? The answers of the uneducated primordial teachers would be that the scriptures say so. And now if you ask, can’t the scriptures be wrong – do I have to take these stories literally? They would lash out with rage and shout at you – how dare you question the scriptures! Every single word in it is true. There is no greater truth than the truth of these sacred texts.
If a god, deity or scripture commands that being in love with a person of the same gender is a sin, then such god, deity or scripture is more dangerous to the wellbeing and progress of the human civilization than a dog with rabies.
Real religion can only be realized by lion-hearts who have the guts to go against all predominant prejudices of the society, not by sheep of books.
Science at least, is aware of its capabilities as well as shortcomings, whereas, organized religions, in most cases delude themselves with narcissistic glory.