Right to publish view of radical cleric? Your Say

Paste BN ran an opposing view by a radical Muslim cleric as a counterpoint to an editorial strongly defending free speech. Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

Thank you for publishing Anjem Choudary's piece "People know the consequences: Opposing view." As much as I thoroughly oppose his viewpoint, I strongly believe in the idea that one should "know thine enemy." Anyone who believes that God wants them to kill is my enemy.

— Steve Hall

I agree with printing the opposing view for two reasons:

• This is exactly what free speech means.
• We can more clearly see who the enemy to our way of life is.

I can believe Paste BN took a lot of flak because many consider this a sensitive issue. I applaud your courage to publish it. Let there be challenges written against it as well.

— Geoff Hart

The extremists' view is promoted daily by the atrocities they commit. I don't see that they are having any problems getting in the limelight. Why do you publish views that promote them even more?

— Dennis Bailey

Letter to the editor:

One of the things I enjoy most about reading Paste BN is that the opinion page always publishes two sides of an issue. That said, publishing the nonsense spewed by the "radical Muslim cleric" only legitimizes what is nothing more than hate speech calling for genocide.

Anyone willing to slaughter innocent people in the name of any religion should not be given one second of "fame," one column inch of printed space or one iota of respect.

Eric D. Brotman; Lutherville, Md.