Secular Values, Beyond Freedom of Speech

In today’s social structure the West in general has been considered as the beacon of freedom of speech and expression. People around the world mostly those who live under the oppression of authoritarianism fantasize about the individual freedom that Westerns enjoy. Although most people do not experience the freedom that they dream about in the West, they are quite comfortable in talking about it by what it has been presented to them in media and entertainment. The view of the West on people and countries that are different from theirs are often negative and influenced by prejudice and stereotypes. It sometimes gives the impression that some Westerners believe in the superiority of the so-called ‘Judeo-Christian’ civilization to other different civilizations.

One of the most valued freedoms in the West is the freedom of expression and speech. Freedom of speech and thought is very important for any society in order to elevate their people in creativity, education, and advancement in the modern world. The West deservingly got the recognition and praise in protecting these rights that have been essential for its rapid development and advancement in various sectors. In recent years, it seems freedom of speech has been disguised in bigotry and intolerance for people who have been considered for so long as ‘them’ or outsiders. In the name of freedom of speech and expression, people’s faith has been denigrated, revered figures in people’s lives mocked, and minorities have been attacked physically and emotionally. Therefore, the legitimate question that ensues is that, is the West interpretation of “freedom” of speech and expression flawed? or shall there be a boundary as the German Chancellor Merkel herself recently declared, “expressing an opinion does not come at zero cost. But freedom of speech has its limits. And those limits begin where hatred spreads. They begin where the dignity of other people is violated” (McGrath, 2019).

Historically the Jewish community has been the subject of hate and antisemitic attacks in Europe for so long and has been persecuted as minorities living in a majority of the white population. That ultimately resulted in the killing of millions from the Jewish community of Europe by the Nazi and white nationalists (Taylor, 2011). Today, antisemitism is recognized and governments in the West have been taking decisive actions against it. Although there is a need for more work to tackle antisemitism in the world, there has been significant progress in addressing the issue and many people are becoming more and more aware of it. It is often the case where politicians and public figures have been called out whenever they make remarks that are labeled as antisemitic and promptly forced to apologize and take ownership. Today, even people who are critical of the Israeli state are called out to be antisemitic and the state has been immune from all kinds of criticism mainly in the West and has gotten away with impunity in its actions against the Palestinian people (BBC, 2019). Nonetheless, in the post 9/11 world, Muslims have been the subject of controversies, attacks, humiliating experience, and subject to bigotry, and other forms of intolerance and oppression. In all fairness, many people in the West have also become aware of Islam and as a result some of them even accepted the religion. As some people become more open and understand the religion, there are others who are content with their own twisted view of Muslims and their religion as incompatible with their view of the world.

After 9/11 Muslims have been the subject of occasional attacks and onslaught on social media and other outlets. It is no hidden fact that there are religious fanatics that do not have any relation to the teaching of their religion, but by taking scriptures out of context wants to pursue their own agenda and evil goals. There are religious extremists in Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and even the non-religious atheists. The world’s most criminal, violent, and brutal killers such as Stalin of the Soviet Union, Mao of China, and Pol Pot of Cambodia were all convinced atheists responsible for the lives of millions of people (SALLYH, 2010). Even Hitler of Nazi German was a maniac who hated religion and promised to “root out and destroy the influence of Christian churches” after he was done with the Jewish community of Europe (Rosenwald, 2019). Today, in the United States some white people who call themselves Christians also believe in the superiority of the white race over any other society and they are demonstrating themselves without any form of shame publicly and with Trump in leadership, these groups’ commitment has increased tremendously. However, to collectively blame a group of people for the misfortunes that happened in the past is inconceivable. How can the world have forgotten so quickly about the atrocities that were committed around the world by white Europeans? The trace for the atrocities committed by the white Europeans can be found everywhere in the world.

Today, Islamophobia is a global phenomenon from the democratic West to authoritarian China. The media even does not bother to give it the attention that it deserves at least based on humane values. Leaders of some Western states have gotten away with derogatory statements about Muslims and their religion. It is terrifying when people in power and higher levels of government hold the view that Muslims are somehow cannot be trusted and must be held accountable to different standards. For instance, when a crime is committed by a person who happens to be a Muslim and a much worse crime committed by a Nazi sympathizer, the latter will have the privilege of being investigated before being labeled anything. Whereas, the former will be labeled as ‘extremist’ and ‘terrorist’ within a matter of hours. The Western Media will start investigating the origins of the Muslim man than treating him as a criminal and as one of its own. This problem is mainly because people who look different from the majority are considered outsiders but the white man committing a much worse crime could only do such a thing because of his mental state or affected by his environment. The problem emanates from the same crimes being committed but the perpetrators are distinguished based on their belief and identity. This schism has created a narrative that one group or community is inherently destructive and the other just influenced by their environment. What is more interesting is how hate speech against Muslims and their religious figures have been defended in the name of freedom of speech and tolerated in the West.

French has been at the center of controversies regarding the interpretation of freedom of speech and secular values, particularly on the issues that involve its Muslim community. For instance, the satire weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo published a derogatory picture depicting it as the prophet Muhammad. The majority of Muslims around the world have shown their discontent and condemnation of any depiction of their revered prophet. The publication was defended by the French government as an exercise of Freedom of speech and expression, despite the clear provocation and intent to offend billions of Muslims around the world. France was not the only country in Europe who pioneered this kind of controversy, Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, 2007 published a similar depiction degrading the religious figure of minority Muslims in Europe and billions around the world (refer, 2012). Thus, is the depiction of Islam’s prophet a mere expression of freedom or a deliberate plan to provoke and insult minorities and transgress their dignity by humiliating such a revered figure? Angela Merkel in her speech in 2019, as mentioned above clearly indicated that freedom of speech has its own limitations when it comes to violating other people’s rights and dignity. However, the French definition of secularism and freedom of expression sanctions the denigration of people’s faith and mocking other religions and way of life, if it involves minorities like Muslims of Europe, who don’t have a voice or are underrepresented.

Despite Muslims being at the forefront in condemning violence and also as the first victim of violence, extremist attacks by minorities are always associated with Islam and Muslims. The cartoonist work is not even for entertainment but rather a deliberate attempt associating violence with Islam and its founder. It is one form of bigotry and intolerance by using the cover of freedom of expression to perpetuate hate against minorities in their country. Europeans and France in particular, interpret freedom of expression in different ways when it involves minorities. Thus, what is freedom of speech to begin with? Is it the freedom of what you want to say without any consciousness or is it promoting hate that could endanger other lives?

Let us begin with the definition of freedom of speech. The Oxford dictionary defined it as “the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint.” Many people in the West have the same understanding of freedom of speech. However, that understanding seems to be distorted in the context of some constitutions in the West and the general view of secularism and liberal values. For instance, let us take one of the oldest ‘democracies’ in the world, the United States. According to the Freedom Forum Institute, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution “only protects your speech from government censorship. It applies to federal, state, and local government actors.” Therefore, based on this definition the essence of freedom of speech in the American constitution context is to prevent the government local, state, or any other level from impeding people from expressing what they want without limitation. However, there are several categories that are not protected by the First Amendment including, “threats, blackmail, defamation, obscenity, child pornography, fighting word, solicitations to commit crimes, incitement of imminent lawless action, perjury, and plagiarism.”

Now, if we see the case in Europe who has the same values in terms of freedom of expression as the United States and other secular values, the interpretation is different when it involves certain communities just like the U.S. For instance, in 2011 the French government banned Muslim women from wearing headscarves and veil in public citing French secular law. In light of the context of their own secular values, anyone can express themselves without any hindrance and are immune from the state’s persecution. In other words, if a woman walks on the street with swimming suits (bikinis) no one has a right to call her anything, and no one even the government can impose a law against the way she dresses. However, the French lawmakers and government have argued that when a free Muslim woman decides to wear a head or face veil that is against the law because she is expressing her religion and identity. The very essence and widely accepted definition of secularism is the separation of the state from the church or any other religious institutions. Meaning, religious institutions do not have the right to impose anything on the state and the state doesn’t have the power to impose anything against religious or non-religious values. The National Secular Society of the UK defined Secularism in three distinct terms, separation, freedom, and equality. It defines freedom as, “to practice one’s faith or belief without harming others, to change it or not have one, according to one’s own conscience” (National Secular Society, 2019).  However, the French case study shows that the law can be reinterpreted when it involves minorities or people who do not have a voice in the state’s decision-making process.

Islamophobia is a chronic problem that some people and governments espoused, and it has resulted in the persecution of millions of its adherents. The West’s obsession with the Muslim world didn’t start after 9/11, it goes back centuries and even in the modern era influential scholars like Samuel Huntington (notable work, “Clash of Civilization and the New World Order”) and Bernard Lewis (The Crisis of Islam) have written extensively about the threat that Islam poses to the Western so-called “Judeo-Christian civilization.” This obsession has created an environment where people in the West have bought the notion of “us” and “them” and increased the antagonism towards Muslim communities in Europe and America. It is interesting that even some people do not recognize their deep-seated islamophobia. Including politicians, governments, and celebrity personalities that have clearly expressed their hatred of Islam and Muslims to their Western audiences and worldwide. Notably, Sam Harris who declared his distaste about Islam on different occasions claimed that “Islam is especially belligerent and inimical to the norms of civil discourse” (Harris, 2013). Bill Maher in 2014 told his laughing audience that, “Islam is the only religion that acts like the mafia” (Salon, 2014). In fact, the former has a dedicated website vilifying Islam and its adherents reaching millions of audiences worldwide spreading hate. It is their right to say whatever they want to say, however, their action could lead to “incitement of imminent lawless action” that is not protected by the first amendment according to the American constitution in this instance. So, should there be any consequence for their action? That is the question for the reader. The reader will likely answer, there should not be any limitation on freedom of expression. However, what if that speech is a reason for the incitement of violence against certain communities?

In today’s social media and misinformation era, there is no accountability for whatever people are saying and doing. Technological companies have become the most powerful in the entire world. People are stuck to their smartphones and electronic devices reading to information that is not backed with evidence. Media outlets where people in the West rely on to get information about the world are not doing their job properly. They are only concerned about putting the news first without thinking about the consequence of their action without verifying the source or disseminating it in a responsible manner. The world must have forgotten that misinformation was the reason that has given us the Iraq war and tens of thousands of people eventual death. In the name of freedom of speech and expression, people are doing more damage to the world. It is prejudice and stereotype that has resulted in the extermination of six million European Jews in the holocaust. The current tolerance in hate speech against Muslims and the lack of recognition that Islamophobia exists will eventually be the cause for dire consequences. It is time to recognize the widespread Islamophobia in the West and elsewhere and do something about it. As antisemitism is recognized as a hate speech, Islamophobia deserves to be recognized as such in the West and must not be tolerated. Freedom of speech and expression must always be protected, the freedom to criticize any religion or belief should be protected as well, but not the freedom to perpetuate hate and incite violence that would allow for certain groups to be marginalized and exacerbate the socio-economic issues that the world is facing today. All the progressive movements around the world today is about protecting and defending the marginalized and minority rights. There is no harm to the religion of Islam whether people talk about it negatively or in a positive manner. In addition, just like any other religion it is not immune to criticism and people can criticize it, discuss, or debate about it. However, the spread of hate under the guise of “freedom of speech” and “expression” has consequences for its adherents. Hence, Muslims need protection from violence, persecution, emotional and physical attacks, and their right to freely practice their faith and express their identity must be respected as any other people of faith or non-religious people.

Islam, the Prophet, and other figures in the religion of Islam are revered by Muslims and is part of identity for almost 2 billion Muslims around the world. If the liberal values of the West are about tolerance and respecting human dignity and identity, the West should start by acknowledging the widespread Islamophobia in their territory and beyond before it’s too late. Propose a law that will criminalize hate speech against their minority Muslim communities of the West and defend their rights equally as their citizens. Civilization is measured first and foremost by embracing differences and respecting other people and cultures who are different from ours. The engagement between different communities must be to uplift and elevate one another by respecting differences and embrace what binds us together, humanity.

References

BBC (2019). Jeremy Corbyn and Labour’s anti-Semitism row explained. BBC. [online] 27 Nov. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-43893791 [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020].

Harris, S. (2013). Response to Controversy. [online] Sam Harris. Available at: https://samharris.org/response-to-controversy/ [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020].

McGrath, G. (2019). Angela Merkel delivers fiery speech condemning rise of hate speech. [online] Extra.ie. Available at: https://extra.ie/2019/11/28/news/politics/angela-merkel-extreme-speech [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020].

National Secular Society (2019). What is Secularism? [online] Secularism.org.uk. Available at: https://www.secularism.org.uk/what-is-secularism.html [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020].

Referl (2012). Swedish Muhammad Cartoonist Says “World” Created Controversy. [online] RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Available at: https://www.rferl.org/a/swedish-muhammad-cartoonist-says-world-created-controversy/24769811.html#:~:text=Swedish%20cartoonist%20Lars%20Vilks%20says [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020].

Rosenwald, M. (2019). Hitler hated Judaism. But he loathed Christianity, too. The Washington Post. [online] 20 Apr. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/04/20/hitler-hated-judaism-he-loathed-christianity-too/ [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020].

SALLYH (2010). 10 People Who Give Atheism a Bad Name. [online] Listverse. Available at: https://listverse.com/2010/06/05/10-people-who-give-atheism-a-bad-name/ [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020].

‌Salon (2014). Bill Maher: Islam’s “the only religion that acts like the mafia, that will f**king kill you if you say the wrong thing.” [online] Salon. Available at: https://www.salon.com/2014/10/04/bill_maher_islams_the_only_religion_that_acts_like_the_mafia_that_will_fking_kill_you_if_you_say_the_wrong_thing/ [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020].

Taylor, A. (2011). World War II: The Holocaust. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/10/world-war-ii-the-holocaust/100170/ [Accessed 29 Oct. 2020].

‌Freedom Forum Institute (n.d.). IS YOUR SPEECH PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT? IS YOUR SPEECH PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT?.