Free Expression March - 8 comments
Steve from Pub Philosopher has asked what the feeling is among Labour supporters about the upcoming Free Expression march.
To be honest I haven't found much evidence either way. Norm has mentioned the venues for the various worldwide marches, and the other entry I remember seeing among our blogs is no longer available to the public.
I suspect it just hasn't had the publicity - though there's plenty of time before the 25th March. No shortage of Labour bloggers reacted on to the "cartoons business", with perhaps half those who contributed - if I recall - backing publication, a quarter backing publication in principle, though not those particular things, while perhaps the other quarter of posters criticised the motives behind publication and could not support those who backed it. So there shouldn't really be any absence of supporters for those who feel the issue is worth marching over.
The statement of principle is hard to fault:
The strength and survival of free society and the advance of human knowledge depend on the free exchange of ideas. All ideas are capable of giving offence, and some of the most powerful ideas in human history, such as those of Galileo and Darwin, have given profound religious offence in their time. The free exchange of ideas depends on freedom of expression and this includes the right to criticise and mock. We assert and uphold the right of freedom of expression and call on our elected representatives to do the same. We abhor the fact that people throughout the world live under mortal threat simply for expressing ideas and we call on our elected representatives to protect them from attack and not to give comfort to the forces of intolerance that besiege them.You do get the impression, though, with these things (i.e. any geopolitical issue) that it's a case of "our lot" and "that lot", and that some will regard this is a bash for the "Decent Leftists and their new friends on the Right", with an anti-Islam and anti-Muslim subtext. Sure, there's an awful lot of anti-Muslim hatred and contempt in the blogosphere at the moment (Steve has a stronger stomach than I for it), but why should the extremism of one class of dangerous idiots - British Nationalists, white supremacists, etc. - distract us from opposition to another class of dangerous idiots - theocrats and book-burners - especially when one's own government seems too swift to forgive the latter?
Britain had called for the EU to show regret over the publication of the 12 cartoons...I'm not really a marcher, but I'm interested to know what others think on the issue.
P.S. True, the somewhat-creepy, and suspiciously-awful-website-operators The Freedom Association are backers. On the other hand, so are Democratiya, the National Secular Society, and the guys behind the enquiring Little Atoms radio show, whose shows you should all be downloading.
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8 comments so far...
It's all very well to speak out against the theocrats on the one side and the BNP on the other, but it wasn't just theocrats who were offended by the cartoons, it was a lot of decent people.
Although I support free speech in principle, I feel the reaction would have been different if a newspaper had printed something offensive about jesus: lewd sex acts anyone?
I never used to understand responsibility or bad taste:- as a punk , I like the band 'Bad Religion' (the lyrics read like a biology textbook), and used to wear a t-shirt of their with a 'crossbuster' (imagine the no-smoking sign, that's right).
The comments i used to get... Though now I expect them to be offended, as naturally I would be. A lot of those people will be out marching.
I think their motives are mixed, and although some of them are principled, the logic of many is flawed. accordingly, I can't support this.
We should be against the BNP, against theocrats, against racial/religious division, and for proper excercise of editorial discretion.
I'm not denying that some ordinary people were offended - though bear in mind that many of those will have seen or been told about the *other* photos, the genuinely offensive forgeries - but the purpose of the march is to stand up against the threats of violence and intimidation that can result from a tiny, extremist minority (how tiny is a matter the marchers will disagree on). There can't be any excuse for fatwas or national boycotts, however offended people might be.
All this about editorial descretion: you're a blogger, don't you feel the need to be able to express yourself fully? Politeness is a good and worthy thing, but when you start seeing laws to enforce it - especially when there are some groups who can be so easily offended that one's right to free expression becomes seriously constrained - that's not liberty at all. We ought to be encouraging tolerance and free expression everywhere - raising the bar - not lowering it in order to accommodate people who actually reject democracy.
Do the people supporting the march want us to get rid of existing laws limiting freedom of speech - such as incitement to racial hatred?
The row about the cartoons suited right-wing loons in Denmark and across Europe who want to pretend that there is a 'clash of civilisations' and that Western civilisation and Islam are incompatible, and Islamist loons who are also up for a clash of civilisations.
Can we be against the Islamists and also against right-wing people who insult Muslims as part of their strategy of promoting racial divisions? I'd go on a march for that.
Take care
Dan xxx
Hi Dan,
Well, as I mentioned, I've come across a lot of very unpleasant anti-Muslim stuff recently, and I've no doubt that some highly unpleasant people have, and will continue to, exploit the issue. If we're aware of that, and concentrate on the free speech aspects and opposition to violence, while emphasising that militant Islam is not the only target, then that seems like the best way to go. Plenty on the Left, however, think that the presence of the racists undermines the entire campaign. Well, by acting in such a frightened manner, the result will be no change, except a greater likelihood that more things will be constrained in future in the name of keeping the peace, and more interest groups will lobby to have their own sacred cows protected.
yes, true. I just think it's difficult for non-muslims to understand the reason for or intensity of the offence caused to people. once again, if it were jesus, the queen or some other figure, how would most people react? admittedly not by inciteing violence, but I'm sure they would be angry.
Of course, I'm not advocating legislation to stop things like the cartoon. there are many rights that I hold that I choose not to exercise for the benefit of others, and I would encourage such an approach.
Even as a blogger, I try not to offend, though I reserve my right to do so...
This is not about whether the cartoons were insulting or tastless or whatever.
Muslim militants mounted a campaign to intimidate a European government into repressing its own media. They demanded that the Danish government punish the journalists. It was the Danish PMs refusal that led to the campaign of violence.
Muslims in the UK supported the protests and our government did nothing to back up its European partner and defend the principle of a free press.
I will be marching against the government's cowardice as much as anything else.
Yes, well you're obviously in the right there, its no excuse to go targeting governments, what private individal say is their own responsibility, and it should remain as so (I think there is a lack of understanding of this distinction in the dictatorships out there).
theres no excuse to go around burning embassies and all that.
its just such a pity that this perfectly fair point is getting mixed up in many quarters with the genuine and correctly targeted protest of others. these muslims let their siblings down.
They are indeed the football hooligans of faith.
I'm one of the organisers of the free expression event. I hope you'll support us but you ought to know that Democratiya have withdrawn their support because they don't want to share a platform with the Freedom Association.
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