Muslims could be 'FORCED' to print Prophet Mohammed images following gay marriage cake row

MUSLIM printers could be made to produce images of the Prophet Mohammed as a result of an ongoing legal row over a Christian bakery refusing to make a celebratory gay marriage cake, an influential lawyer has claimed.

Asher Baking Company in BelfastGOOGLEMAPS•IG

Ashers Baking Company in Belfast who refused to make a celebratory gay marriage cake

Aidan O’Neill QC believes a discrimination case against family-run Ashers Baking Company could pave the way for similar incidences, including making a T-shirt company with a lesbian owner print tops denouncing same-sex marriage.

The leading human rights barrister, employed by the Christian Institute to look into the implications of the bakers' case, argues action taken against the business could set a dangerous precedent for freedom of speech.

He suggested the case could also eventually lead to an atheist web designer being compelled to make a website about the virtues of God.

Image of the gay marriage cake which a Northern Irish bakery refused to makeIG

The cake, featuring Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie, was ordered by a gay-rights activist

The equality watchdog seems determined to force people to use their creative skills to promote a political cause they fundamentally disagree with

Colin Hart, director of the Christian Institute

The legal tussle began when a bakery in Northern Ireland was sent an order for a cake featuring characters Bert and Ernie from children's TV show Sesame Street.

Gay rights activist Gareth Lee ordered the £36.50 cake, which he requested to show the characters arm-in-arm under the slogan ‘support gay marriage’,  for an event to mark International Day Against Homophobia.

However, the company refused to bake the cake, sparking an angry reaction from the Government-backed Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, which wrote to the firm to say the refusal amounted to discrimination.

Lawyer Mr O’Neill accused the Commission of ignoring basic human rights protections.

“Their refusal to endorse this opinion – to protect their negative freedom of expression – has resulted in the State, in the form of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, funding court action against them which seeks to stigmatise as unlawful and render unactionable the defendants’ religious beliefs and political opinions,” he said.

Commenting on the legal precedents the case could set, he listed several other scenarios including “a Muslim printer refusing a contract requiring the printing of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed”.

For many Muslims, the Prophet Mohammed or any of the other prophets of Islam should not be pictured in any way.

Colin Hart, director of the Christian Institute, said: “It spells out the very real dangers and far-reaching implications for freedom of speech.

“But the equality watchdog seems determined to force people to use their creative skills to promote a political cause they fundamentally disagree with.

“This family-run bakers serve gay customers all the time but they didn’t want to promote gay marriage.”

The case is due to come before a court in Belfast later this month. 

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