Leader: Internet must be accountable for sectarian hatred

Sending mail bombs through the post to Neil Lennon, the Celticmanager, and to prominent Celtic supporters may well have been thework of a sick, deranged loner. But it is the fanatical websites andblogs that could have played a role as incubators of the toxicsectarian hatred that fuelled such action. And it is to these thatthe attention of the police should now turn. Race hatred is a crimein the UK, but so far there has been little evidence of prosecutionsbeing brought in Scotland for sectarian hatred, though a successfulprosecution was undertaken against Mohammed Sandia last year afterhe posted antisemitic comments on a website.Amid growing callsacross the political spectrum for a review of online sectarian hatesites, the Solicitor General is now considering the government'sintention to make internet sectarian hate crime an indictableoffence, and subject to the full force of the law. These moves willbe broadly welcomed. It is not just that sectarian hatred is deeplyoffensive to anyone who comes across it. It is the way in which itsdissemination to a wide public through the internet confers anutterly undeserved legitimacy and which can act as an incitement tocommit acts of physical aggression - and, as we learnt this week,mail bomb terror. Many of these websites are still up and running,despite the appalling events of recent weeks.However, calling forsuch prosecutions is the easy part. Embarking on successfulprosecution may be another. The law has both to protect the right offree speech and the expression of opinions which most would findoffensive while simultaneously drawing a firm and clear line whichshould not be crossed.It is not an impossible task - existing anti-racism law should be the guide for prosecutions. And it is a lawthat must not move only against written and spoken words thatencourage people to intimidate and harm individuals, but also thosewhich incite such behaviour against groups.Incitement to kill ormaim representatives or supporters of a particular football team arerelatively easy to identify. But what of enforcing the law againstoffensive chanting and the singing of songs? This should not standin the way of a concerted move to close down sectarian hate websiteswhich go well beyond the boundaries of tolerance. As the Green Partyco-leader Patrick Harvie, whose legislation extended hate-crimeoffences to gay and disabled people, has urged, the internet serviceproviders and hosting companies must take the same degree ofresponsibility as a newspaper company or magazine publisher. And ifthe law is not tough enough, it should be beefed up."Free speech"should never extend to calls for individuals or groups to be killedor maimed, and the violent sectarianism surrounding two of our mostprominent football clubs should not be exempt.Libya becomes mired ina military stalemateHow much further can allied intervention inLibya go, particularly now there are warnings that the conflict inthe country may be "moving towards stalemate"? That is the questioncoming from the latest assessment by America's most senior militarycommander, Mike Mullen, even though Nato strikes have destroyedbetween 30 and 40 per cent of Libya's ground forces.Rebel forceshave made a brave stand against the Libyan dictator, but have gainedlittle headway in recent weeks. Neither side seems able to land aknockout blow. Faced with an aggressive resort by Col Gaddafi to usewell-armed ground troops to shell rebel positions without mercy,allied intervention has continued to push up against the limitationsof the UN "no-fly zone" resolution, with the US using armed,unmanned Predator drones over Libya to give "precisioncapabilities".These are deeply worrying times for a largelyuntrained and poorly equipped rebel army. It has become chronicallydependent on air strikes and overhead cover to make the limited, andtemporary, gains that it has. If there is little more the alliedintervention can do, that can only mean higher casualties in therebel-held areas and growing calls from Col Gaddafi's opponents tostep up allied attacks. If these cannot smash Col Gaddafi's army toa standstill, pressure can only grow for greater military supportthan given so far. But direct military support on the ground isfraught with domestic political risk. It looks like stalemate here,too.Trying time for our boys in AfghanistanBefore too long, might itbe the Seven Nations? Scots-based Royal Marines have taken up thecause of teaching the finer points of rugby to the Afghan NationalArmy. Despite conditions rather different to Murrayfield - let'sstart with the 30C heat - the marines from 45 Commando, based inArbroath, are explaining scrumming, line-outs and drop kicks. Theyare starting with a clean sheet, as the Afghans have no knowledgewhatever of the game. They were, said Captain Stuart Maccrimmon, "abit reluctant to join in. I think they were just confused about therules". In this, they would be joined by most modern rugbyspectators.The great advantages, of course, are team work, fastrunning, ball skills - and developing serious muscle power. Forwardpassing is easy enough to understand. So too is the knock-on;offside is a little more difficult and the many infringements inscrummage and loose play utterly baffling. The Afghans could beexcused for withdrawing at night and discussing among themselves thecomplex tribal rituals of the Scottish commando tribe. Perhaps theScottish Rugby Union could send out some spare Ref Link sets to helpexplain the refereeing decisions, while a team from BBC Alba couldsupply commentary to the local spectators - in Gaelic.