Can blasphemy be part of freedom of expression ?

The blasphemous cartoons published by a Danish newspaper and its wide circulation by the newspaper brotherhood world over can in no terms be accepted as a solitary case of innocent exercise of right of free expression and opening of a dialogue.

The blasphemous cartoons published by a Danish newspaper and its wide circulation by the newspaper brotherhood world over can in no terms be accepted as a solitary case of innocent exercise of right of free expression and opening of a dialogue.

HT Image

Circulation of a hurting feature to millions cannot be treated to be exercise of a right but it is mischief committed knowingly. One of the 12 cartoonists, speaking anonymously, told Danish radio that "one of my thoughts by saying yes to the job was a wish to open up a dialogue" with Muslims in Denmark.

When one sits down to a discussion with someone, it is not expected of him of spitting on other’s face or calling his mother’s names first. In the unedifying din that has ensued, perhaps he and other journalists will be moved to contemplate their own approach to other cultures. Religious tolerance means to extend religious freedom to people of all religions,even though you sincerely disagree with their beliefs and practices. Whenever someone deviates from reality, others usually get hurt.

The West likes to frame this as a free speech issue, but there are many categories of restricted speech: for instance, eight countries in Europe ban speech denying the Holocaust. They can call our prophet a terrorist, but we cannot question the Holocaust a myth. France has once banned certain material about Hitler.

It will be appropriate to place here the case of Yahoo, Inc. vs. La Ligue Centre Le Recisme et L Antisemitism [169 F. Supp. 2d 1181 (N.D. Cal. 2001)], whereby the French court blocked a site of Yahoo.com, for the reason that it tends to sell by auction some banned materials in France about Hitler.

Two human rights organisations filed a law suit in France against Yahoo, alleging that its auction practices violate French law.In 1997, Bradley Smith, "director" of "Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust," (CODOH) launched a campaign to deny the reality of the Holocaust.

The purpose of this Holocaust mythology, he asserts, is the inculcation of a sense of guilt in the white,Western Christian world.

Those who can make others feel guilty have power over them and can make them do their bidding. This power is used to advance an international Jewish agenda cantered in the Zionist enterprise of the State of Israel.

Holocaust caused by the so called ‘civilised world’ upon Jews in Europe and not in Middle East or any other part of World.

It is strange freedom of expression where one type of people are not supposed to speak about one thing because it hurts the feelings and sentiments but in the same breath the prohibitor breaks its own rules and defends publication of certain hate materials in the name of ‘freedom of expression’.

To the so called ‘civilised world’ who wonder why Muslim sensitivities should trump free speech, Muslims respond with accusations of hypocrisy.

Richard A Posner says,’ A danger of the balancing approach to free speech is that the costs of freedom of expression are more salient than the benefits, and their salience may cause the balance to shift too far towards suppression’.
Omar Safi, associate professor of Islamic Studies at Colgate University in New York said “I would argue that the genesis of this whole controversy has a lot more to do with the position in which Muslims find themselves in Europe than with Islamic theology". He further says "I think that some of the same kinds of questions that Europeans asked about Jews a hundred years ago are now being asked of Muslims.

Namely, can these people ever be proper citizens of Europe if their loyalties and allegiances lie elsewhere?

" These are some of the questions which should be addressed by the Europe & West so that a just & equal society shall emerge in future.

The press is painting a gory and dim picture of only protests of Muslims without placing the background of overall controversy of West where ‘Nazism’ existing with a face painted with the name of “Civilised World”.

This term “Civilised World” is simply a camoflougue of ‘Nazis’, who now roam by using new terms like ‘free world’, ‘democracy’, ‘freedom of expression’ etc. The parallels of lone Holocaust can very easily be found in Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan, Abu Gharib Jail, Sabra and Shatila refugee camps of Lebanan, Vietnam, Palestine etc.

These are some of the questions which should be addressed by the Europe & West so that a just & equal society shall emerge in future.
The writer is an advocate at Allahabad High Court