What is blasphemy? Thanks for asking!

An act of blasphemy is an insult or offence committed towards a deity. Blasphemy is often a sensitive subject, and one which can lead to tragic consequences. So should insulting God or a religion be a crime or recognised as a basic right? The Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam have long condemned blasphemy. In the Middle Ages, the notion was written into law in certain places. It was feared that insults to god would anger him into causing natural disasters and contagious diseases. 

Is blasphemy still illegal in this day and age?

It is indeed in some places, such as Italy where blasphemy is clearly outlawed. gavel Meanwhile in Germany, Poland and Greece among other countries, there are laws against religious defamation which could apply to blasphemy. In Saudi Arabia or Iran, blasphemy is punishable by the death penalty. Other countries have actually gone the other way and scrapped previously existing blasphemy laws, like Denmark in 2017. That was the case in France too as far back as 1881, when a law on freedom of the press was introduced. 

Sometimes, the legal distinction can be subtle. While it may not be illegal to make general criticism of a religion, it is usually a criminal offence to insult somebody based on their faith.

There has long been a tradition of drawing religious figures in satirical cartoons or works of art. Think about the Piss Christ painting created by Andres Serrano back in 1987, or more recently the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, which has frequently published cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Mohammed.

Such works make national or even international headlines, generating significant public debate. Amid the controversy, there is often a violent backlash from religious extremists.

If national laws are clear on the subject, why is there still so much debate around blasphemy? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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