Freedom of Expression

Certain incidents - two of them detailed below - make me wonder whether does it really exist!! 

The first is a case from India itself. On 3rd April 2010, Indian minister Jairam Ramesh termed wearing a gown during the convocation ceremony as a barbaric colonial practice.

"The practice of wearing a traditional colored gown during a convocation ceremony at any university is a barbaric colonial practice. Why can't we wear simple dress instead of these gowns," Ramesh said at the seventh convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) at Bhopal Friday. 

What happens next?

A religious group demanded an apology from Mr. Ramesh for his opinion. 

This is what they have to say.

"The minister spoke with utter irresponsibility and with lack of respect for the Pope and with a display of incredible cynicism towards the church and millions of people around the world." 

I fail to realize how not wearing a robe and respecting the Pope are connected.

The next incident - from Dubai - shows how "greetings" between two individuals can draw the ire of the police.

As per some news articles, two people were sentenced to jail for a month. Their offense - Kissing in Public!!

A British couple accused of kissing in public will spend a month behind bars as Dubai's appeals court today upheld their sentence, days after two Indians were sentenced to jail for exchanging steamy text messages here.

The pair - identified in British press as 24-old-year marketing executive Ayman Najafi and 25-year-old tourist Charlotte Adams - were convicted in January and sentenced to one month in jail followed by deportation, and fined $270 for consuming alcohol, the National newspaper reported. 

Makes me realize how laws are misused. If you wonder why, check the picture below.

This is English football star John Terry with his wife. Now is he and his wife doing something different from what the other two people are accused of?