John Cleese recently shared a post featuring a quote from Rowan Atkinson, drawing renewed attention to a speech delivered nearly two decades ago — and to a debate that remains unresolved.
The quote originates from Atkinson’s 2005 speech opposing the UK’s proposed Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, delivered in the House of Lords and later published in The Times. Atkinson supported the aim of protecting people from harassment and violence, but argued that the bill’s scope risked extending far beyond that purpose.
“As hatred is defined as intense dislike, what is wrong with inciting intense dislike of a religion, if the activities or teachings of that religion are so outrageous, irrational or abusive of human rights that they deserve to be intensely disliked?”
In the speech, Atkinson made a clear distinction between criticising people and criticising belief systems. He argued that race is immutable, while religion is a matter of belief and choice, and that the freedom to criticise — or even ridicule — ideas is a core democratic principle. He also warned that vague wording could encourage self-censorship, not necessarily through prosecutions, but through fear of legal uncertainty.
The quote was recently reshared by Angry Aussie, a prominent Twitter commentator. His account describes itself as follows:
“An Aussie sick to death of our moron politicians letting jerks that hate us into our country. AND we acknowledge our ancestors, convicts, & free settlers.”
By reposting Atkinson’s words, Angry Aussie framed the speech as relevant to contemporary debates around hate-speech legislation, online regulation and the limits of lawful expression.
Cleese’s decision to repost the tweet is consistent with views he has expressed publicly for many years. Like Atkinson, he has argued that satire and criticism depend on the ability to challenge ideas, institutions and belief systems without legal ambiguity. The repost did not add commentary, but its visibility brought the speech back into public discussion.
Nearly twenty years on, Atkinson’s speech continues to be cited not as a call to offend, but as a warning about the difficulty of legislating against hatred without also restricting legitimate criticism. The renewed attention highlights how debates first aired in Parliament in 2005 continue to echo in today’s cultural and political conversations.
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