Epigraphs:
And if you are in doubt as to what We have sent down to Our servant (Muhammad), then produce a Chapter like it, and call upon your helpers beside Allah, if you are truthful. (Al Quran 2:24)
The hypocrites say, ‘If we return to Medina, the one most honorable will surely drive out therefrom the one most mean (Muhammad);’ while true honor belongs to Allah and to His Messenger and the believers; but the hypocrites know not. (Al Quran 63:9)
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3-4)
The Lead article is by Atif Mir, Talk show host for Rawal TV and Editor for the Muslim Times
The Muslim Times’ Chief Editor’s Message: In this publication, we are showing both sides of the coin, need for free speech and its possible limits, which need to be universally defined, not in a parochial fashion.
Shariah and Freedom of Speech and Expression
Source: Muslim Sunrise, Winter 2013 Volume Author : Atif Mir Introduction The phrase free speech is a deceptive one. It implies that speech is always free but it is not…
Freedom of Speech: A Core Islamic Value!
Epigraph: And if you are in doubt as to what We (Allah) have sent down to Our servant (Muhammad), then produce a Chapter like it, and call upon your helpers…
Freedom of Speech is not Absolute or ‘Gospel Truth!’
Epigraph Exceptions to freedom of speech, recognized in European Convention on Human Rights interests of national security territorial integrity or public safety prevention of disorder or crime protection of health…
A Critique of President Obama’s UN Speech
Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD First of all, let me applaud our great country, USA, it gives us freedoms, for an ordinary citizen like me, without any…
U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier: Blasphemy Laws and Discrimination in Pakistan Must Go
Epigraph: There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah, has…
Urdu Video: Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan Taking a New Turn
Epigraph: The hypocrites say, ‘If we return to Medina, the one most honorable will surely drive out therefrom the one most mean (Muhammad?);’ while true honor belongs to Allah and…
Why Blasphemy Laws Are Actually Anti-Islamic
Source: The Huffington Post By Faisal Kutty: Assistant Professor of Law, Valparaiso University and Adjunct Professor of Law, Osgoode Hall Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or…
#FreeDrMasood: The absurdity of blasphemy laws in Pakistan
Source: mena-post.com On a day when we are celebrating Martin Luther King day, I would like to ask the same question he once did « what are we doing for others…
As UN meets, apply pressure against blasphemy laws
Christian Science Monitor: Blasphemy and other religious-defamation laws in Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and even Russia put people behind bars and on death row. As the UN General Assembly begins,…
No to Blasphemy Laws
Daily Times: by Marvi Sermad. One is amazed at the audacity of the advocates of blasphemy laws, who think of themselves as vigilant guards of not only the Almighty, but…
PAKISTAN: A Historical Overview of Blasphemy Laws
Asian Human Rights Commission. The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to inform you about the research based report on historical overview of Blasphemy laws in Pakistan the Blasphemy published by…
Blind Faith: Video-Blasphemy laws in Pakistan
vimeo: Excellent documentary where even Mr. Farooq Maududi accepts that this is wrong according to Islam. He states that State should be secular. It also details how these laws target…
End blasphemy laws threatening minorities: U.N. faith expert
(Reuters) – Countries should repeal all laws punishing blasphemy and people who leave a faith, the United Nations’ top expert on freedom of religion said on Wednesday, thrusting himself into…
The Dark Box: A Secret History of Confession
A book by John Cornwell Reviewed by Dr. Naseer Tahir, Rochester, NY Published in March, 2014 by Basic Books, New York This book is intense but exhaustive and informative research work.…
Book Review: EXTREMIST: A Response to Geert Wilders & Terrorists Everywhere
Book by Qasim Rashid B.Sc. JD Reviewed by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times The book has been released on May 28, 2014 and is available…
Categories: Americas, Asia, eDigest, Free speach, Free Speech, Freedom, Highlight, Religion, Sharia, Sharia Law
Freedom of speech is not absolute. All of us want more of it for our own views and less of it for the views that we despise. This dilemma is perhaps best captured by one of the sayings of Jesus, may peace be on him:
The best criteria, for freedom of speech, are an ongoing struggle in every country, culture and religion.
Let me just link some materials as food for thought, in my comments here.
Freedom of Speech: A Core Islamic Value!
Freedom of Speech is not Absolute or ‘Gospel Truth!’
A Critique of President Obama’s UN Speech
Having said all of the above, my parting thoughts are below.
Remember a time when Michael Servetus was burnt on the stake for denying the official formulation of Trinity and William Tyndale was burnt on the stake for translating the Bible into English.
All cultures, countries, civilizations and religions should aim at building paradigms allowing for greater and greater freedom of speech, training their populace to distinguish good from bad speech, otherwise, in our Global Village, we will be spending, most of our efforts and energies on policing each other’s speech and very little in productive pursuits.
I believe that exceptions to free speech that the European Union has claimed for herself, should be allowed to each country or religion, until we can have truly a Global Village and then we will need a universal understanding of these issues.
European Convention of Human Rights
I think many of the exceptions for freedom of speech are tackled in the Article 10 of European Convention of Human Rights.
This Article provides the right to freedom of expression, subject to certain restrictions that are “in accordance with law” and “necessary in a democratic society”. This right includes the freedom to hold opinions, and to receive and impart information and ideas, but allows restrictions for:
We would certainly need the best legal minds humanity can offer to give concrete and legalistic details of the above exceptions that may be acceptable to people of all faiths, ethnicities and nationalities.
If the Supreme Court Justices do not come to our rescue, may be a good and an accomplished writer can help out with a best selling book. But, the key is to at least, win the moderates, in all the established religions of the world and among the agnostics and atheists.