So reports BBC News; this is the prosecution I blogged about in September, when it was filed. A brief excerpt from the BBC story:
[Ericka Tazi] claimed the couple became enraged when she wore a hijab on her last day and accused Mr Vogelenzang, 53, of asking her if she was a murderer and a terrorist.She also told the court Mr Vogelenzang called the Prophet Muhammad a murderer and a warlord and likened him to Saddam Hussein and Hitler.
But the couple denied her version of events and claimed Mrs Tazi told them Jesus was a minor prophet and that the Bible was untrue….
The two-day trial ended when Judge Clancy ruled that the evidence against the hoteliers was “inconsistent” and dismissed the case….
Explaining his reasons for dismissal, Judge Clancy said Mrs Tazi’s claim that she was verbally attacked for up to an hour had not been backed up by the other witnesses….
Go here if you want to read the rest. Thanks to Religion Clause for the pointer.
ArrowSmith says:
What’s amazing to me is that all you need is a Muslim saying “I was harassed” in the UK to haul ass into court on criminal charges. Truly frightening stuff for liberty-lovers.
December 10, 2009, 10:05 amgeokstr says:
That’s nothing (relatively). At least in a criminal case, you get all the procedural protections: a jury of your peers, presumption of innocence, the right to face your accuser, etc.
In Canada and a number of Euro countries, all a Muslim needs to do is claim to have been “offended” to introduce hell on earth to the “offender” in a kangaroo Human Rights Commission proceeding. There is no jury, the rules of evidence are made up as they go along, nearly always in favor of the accused, the accuser does not have to testify, the defendant needs to prove their innocence, all costs of the accuser are paid by the state, while the defendant must pay all their own costs, etc, ad nauseum.
Unless you happen to have deep pockets, even in those very rare cases where you are found innocent, you are now bankrupt and your life is ruined. But, what the hell, you may not have actually done what you were accused of, but the leftists just know you’re guilty of something anyway, so it’s cool.
Complaints by Xtians against Muslims are routinely dismissed, while the imams and their followers spew rage against the infidels every time they open their mouths.
This is lawfare at its finest, coming soon to a jurisdiction near you, and probably a lot sooner than you think.
December 10, 2009, 12:48 pmgeokstr says:
“…nearly always in favor of the
accusedaccuser…”My apologies. Anyone else having difficulty using the “EDIT” function here? It won’t lock onto a given space, but keeps scrolling back up to the top of the comment.
December 10, 2009, 1:16 pmBrian G. says:
Yet another example of the fear-mongering and hatred sowed by Bush against Muslims, who are nothing but innocent victims or unfounded hatred by the Religious Right?
What? It happened in England? That is immaterial. It is the narrative that counts.
December 10, 2009, 3:31 pmTweets that mention The Volokh Conspiracy » Blog Archive » “Christian Hoteliers Cleared in Muslim Woman Abuse Row” -- Topsy.com says:
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by CHRISTIAN_TWEET, Eugene Volokh. Eugene Volokh said: “Christian Hoteliers Cleared in Muslim Woman Abuse Row”: So reports BBC News; this is the prosecution I blogged.. http://bit.ly/8FnbgI [...]
December 10, 2009, 5:01 pmD.R.M. says:
OED, warlord:
a. A military commander or commander-in-chief. Often used to render Kriegsherr as a title of the German Emperor; also attrib.
b. [tr. Chinese jGnfà.] In China, a military commander who had a regional power base and ruled independently of the central government, esp. in the period 1916–28.
So, to support the claim that Mohammed was a warlord, you need merely quote the Koran, which clearly describes him in his role as the ruler of Medina who led his armies first in conquest of Mecca and then over the rest of Arabia.
December 10, 2009, 6:44 pmMatthew Carberry says:
I thought the British Code of Hotelier Ethics clearly stated “Don’t mention the war.”
December 10, 2009, 7:38 pm