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“Things should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” — Albert Einstein

New Definition for Freedom of Speech

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In a column, published in the Guardian , by Muslim girl there is a new definition for freedom of speech:

“Freedom of speech is not absolute. It has to be in service of something, like peace or social justice. How have these cartoons, and the hypocritical defence of them, served these ideals?
That the future of liberal democracy rests on defending the publication of these insulting caricatures is as ridiculous a claim as that Muslims can defend the honour of their prophet by unrestrained violence and rioting.”

Well… actually yes the future of liberal democracy is not to prevent the freedom of speech from these who offend us and make us really upset. Freedom isn’t in the service of anything; and you don’t grant or give freedom you can only prevent it. this is basic, but I’m afraid that many people forgot it - and might find this new defintion somewhat compeling.

(via Objective Justice )

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Written by Rogel

February 12th, 2006 at 10:21 pm

Posted in In The News

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Viewing 2 Comments

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    Nice point. I'm afraid the notion of servitude is so deeply cut into the psyche of religious people, that they tend to subject everything and everyone to it. That's why she can write something as disturbing as "Freedom of speech is not absolute. It has to be in service of something, like peace or social justice." Disturbing because once you believe that any person's freedom is dependant upon some external, abstract idea like peace or social justice, you risk being forced to accept, down the line, ideals that are less "positive" in nautre - what is the Jihad if not a systematic opposition of any freedom that opposes and threatens the Muslim ideal?
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    This is a good point, however this attitude isn't limited to religious people. I saw they same attitude coming from the left under the belief that freedom (or anything as a meter of fact) should serve social justice (which it shouldn't)

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