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Post by terefere on Apr 10, 2014 17:27:22 GMT -5
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Post by terefere on Apr 12, 2014 4:25:47 GMT -5
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Post by terefere on Mar 30, 2015 10:11:12 GMT -5
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Post by Mrs Allonby on May 2, 2015 6:05:43 GMT -5
I was reading an article about Managing Risk in an Unstable World,when a friend send me the news about the Charlie Hebdo row regarding the American PEN Award.
After reading what happened, I wasn’t certain whether I should write about
- Managing the Right to Freedom of Expression in an Unstable World?
or
- Managing the Right to Give ‘the Free Expression Courage Award’ in an Unstable American PEN World?
People exist as members of a society, and in the highly populated regions of Western Europe and America a glance at literature will show what rights in this sphere the individual would demand.
The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms can be described as one of the greatest achievements of the Council of Europe and an essential tool for the contribution it makes to the status of the individual in the International legal system. The Convention secures the freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to manifest religious and other beliefs. Whilst Freedom of Expression is a right befitting the effective political democracy to which the Convention is dedicated, in fact it has been proved that such protection is not an easy thing. Because the Right to Freedom of Expression is easily open to abuse, as the Convention states, “..... it carries with it duties and responsibilities”. It contains not only the right to express your thoughts and opinions and to give information, but also the right to receive information. (NOTE: to receive information - NOT A BULLET). The right to seek information may be seen as an important element by those campaigning for dialogue, debate and open government.
Equally important, of course, is the right of weaker members of the society to be protected from the expression of harmful ideas, and it is for this reason that Laws of Defamation, those for the protection of health and morals and for the protection of national security exist. I have argued in the past that the Russian punk collective was lawfully arrested inside the Orthodox church. I strongly believe that there are some ethical rules we all, regardless of our religion, should follow. The punk collective could have protested outside the church holding Putin’s picture or inside a studio next to icons(?), but NOT inside a sacred place where millions of Russians worship their God. Even when Larkin, a known atheist, wondered about the ‘use of churches’ concluded that we’ll always be drawn towards such ‘abandoned sites’ because of ‘someone’s hunger to be more serious’. How much fuss was internationally caused for their arrest and imprisonment? And have you wondered what would have happened if the punk collective protested inside a mosque? I bet that they would have had the same fate with the murdered Charlie Hebdo’s cartoonists ?!!
I don’t know whether it would be useful to see how different IDEOLOGIES, political or not (from Conservatism to Liberalism, from Socialism to Capitalism, from Communism to Fascism and from Feminism to Anarchism ,even from Christianity to Islamism ) interpret “ Individual Liberty”. As a Socialist, a Feminist and a Christian I have learned to listen ,respect and try to understand other people’s opinions. I have listened and read both Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, whom I loathe; I have also read History ,a History of genocides caused by either Christians, Muslims or Jews, by either Fascists or Communists, caused by different Religious or Political Ideologies.
The need to share my views with others through the manifestation of my beliefs and convictions amounts to an exercise of my freedom of expression. The others could either agree with me, argue with me or simply ignore me. But they have no right to abuse me or KILL ME. This is exactly what the cartoonists in Charlie Hebdo were doing that day; this is exactly what they have been doing for many years: drawing satirical cartoons and provoking the society with their themes about inequality and corruption, fascism and colonialism, racism and sexism, fanaticism and violence. This is what the Palestinian cartoonist NAJI SALIM AL-ALI was doing(criticizing Israeli and Arab politics) when Israeli Mossad agents shot him(22nd July 1987) and MOHAMMAD SABA’ANEH, who was imprisoned in 2013 on allegations that he’d drawn cartoons associated with Hamas.
So what exactly are these wise(?)Americans PEN PALS telling us? “We are sympathetic to their right to sketch freely, but they have been really ticking off the Muslims? Or the Jews? Or Putin? Or Erdogan?”
If the standard being sought is a declaration that no one can put anything down on paper that offends Muslim fundamentalists, then neither Michel Houllebecq should ever publish another book , otherwise he should get shot?! Right Peter Carey? Francine Prose? Teju Cole and the rest Co??
It is a FREE EXPRESSION COURAGE AWARD, because unfortunately still in 2015 one needs to be courageous to express freely his opinion…..
SALMAN RUSHDIE
Now, as to Salman Rushdie’s use of language, I need to remind him that God gave Men a penis and a brain, but only enough blood to run one at a time!! It’s so obvious which one he has used MOST of his life?!! Don’t forget to pay some ‘pussies’ to stand next to you and the other ex- sex- symbol Jay McInerney , wearing your tuxedos and holding glasses with champagne, and take some photos for the readers of ‘ Cow-boy’ , ‘Sixty and Me’, ‘Flat Belly’ and ‘Old Rider’.
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manosd
Junior Member
Posts: 91
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Post by manosd on May 4, 2015 4:07:30 GMT -5
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