British writer J. K. Rowling has strongly criticized the new Scottish law against hate speech and called on the authorities to arrest her if they believe she has committed a misdemeanor or a crime by posting on social networks.
The author of the novel about the little wizard Harry Potter, who lives in Edinburgh, described several transgender women as men in her posts on the networks, including convicted prisoners, trans activists and other public figures.
The new law came into effect on April 1 this year, although the Scottish Parliament did not approve it until 2021.
The law strictly prohibits inciting hatred based on age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or intersexuality (mixed male and female characteristics).
A sentence of seven years in prison is threatened.
Scottish Prime Minister Hamza Yousaf said the new law was needed to help the country tackle the "rising tide of hate".
However, the law does not protect women as a special social group from hatred.
It is expected that the Scottish Government will subsequently propose legislation that should prevent misogyny.
Rowling is stated several times that only those who menstruate can be considered women.
Thousands of comments were made and written against her, especially after she published a novel in which the main character commits atrocities by dressing in women's clothing.
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Tens of thousands of commentators believe that Rowling belittles transgender people and does not recognize their right to decide how to identify themselves.
She said that "freedom of speech and belief" is at an end if it is forbidden to accurately describe biological sex in the future.
On the day the law came into effect in Scotland, the writer, who has long been seen as an opponent of trans activism, wrote on the social network X a series of critical comments about the regulation.
"Scottish legislators seem to have placed more value on the feelings of men performing their idea of femininity... than on the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls.
"It is impossible to accurately describe or grapple with the reality of violence and sexual violence against women and girls, or address the current assault on the rights of women and girls, unless we are allowed to call a man a man.
"If an accurate description of biological sex is considered a criminal offense and hate speech, then freedom of speech and belief in Scotland has come to an end," she wrote.
She mentioned several serious criminal cases, including transgender rapist Isla Bryson, and Andrew Miller, who kidnapped and molested a girl in Scotland.
In a series of posts, she called and described them as men.
"I am currently out of the country, but if what I have written here qualifies as an offense under the provisions of the new law, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment," she wrote.
Police Scotland said it had not received any complaints about the posts.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that people should not be criminalized for stating "simple facts about biology".
In a statement to the Daily Telegraph, he said that his party will "always protect" freedom of speech.
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What does the new law in Scotland stipulate?
The maximum penalty is seven years in prison.
A person commits an offense if he presents content or behaves in a manner "that a reasonable person would consider threatening or offensive", with the intention of causing hatred towards protected groups of people.
In the UK, incitement to hatred based on race, sexual orientation and religion was previously banned under the Public Order Act 1986, but this offense will now fall under the new law in Scotland.
In England and Wales it is illegal to incite hatred because of race, religion or sexual orientation, as well as to make or utter threats.
Responding to criticism regarding the new law, Scottish Prime Minister Hamza Yousaf responded as follows:
"Unless your behavior is threatening or abusive and is intended to incite hatred, then you have nothing to worry about."
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