| Freedom of Speech – At What Price? |
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| Tuesday, 07 February 2006 | |
.jpg) MPAC exclusive! Fiyaz Mughal, Vice Chairman of the Liberal Democrats challenges it's leadership on the issues of the Danish cartoons scandal.The recent events regarding the ‘cartoons’ that depicted the Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist, have caused outrage across Europe. That same Europe that not so long ago sent millions of Jews to their deaths simply because of who they were. That same Europe that colluded and signposted the Sturm Abteilung (Storm Troopers) to the homes of those practising Shul (Sabbath prayers). The key driver to these actions were the cartoons, fallacies and stereotypes that Goebbel’s had formulated in alliance with Goering – that morphine addicted compliant architect of the Final Solution. Now the above comment may seem harsh. Yet, it is meant to be since we have still not learnt the lessons of 60 years ago. As we recently rightly commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day and as I sat in the crowd looking at Rwandan refugees and Holocaust survivors talk about the sanctity of life, I was taken aback in the cheap manner in which some Liberal Democrat Parliamentarians and one leadership contender within the Party, stated that whilst offensive, the ‘cartoons’ should have been printed. Tell that to young Muslims who are stopped and searched on our streets, at the immigration desks where officers strip search those whose beards, clothing and skin fit a certain profile and those women who have to undress and be searched because they choose to wear the Hijab (head covering) and Niqab (full face covering). At what price do we spout the line of ‘defence of free speech?’ The freedom to practise, to speak freely, to dissent and to defend minority rights is part of the cornerstone of a civilised society, yet when a minority community like the Muslim community already feels under threat, is it right merely to print something to stoke up the embers of fear and division? Most recently, the Home Office set up 7 working groups to tackle extremism as part of the Extremism Task Force that was set up post 7/7. The Home Office recently published the work of these groups and within it many of the working groups suggested that the negative images of Islam must be redressed. Lo and behold – counter to such constructive suggestions we as a Party have decided to defend those who pour fire on an already volatile suggestion. When will we take a more informed view on such matters and take into account the fractures that such events cause within our backyards. Freedom of speech? At what cost I say? There is 1 test as to whether we would be happy to defend such caricatures at this moment in time. If the cartoon was changed to show an Orthodox Jew and the cartoon mocked his faith – would we willing to defend it bearing in mind the past experiences that this community has had? I for one, would not! Since the Jewish community has suffered and we have learnt very little in the same Europe that give us Himmler, Goebbels, Goering and Milosevic, then what right do we have to defend the ‘freedom’ of individuals who print for the sake of their personal prejudices. Are we not accomplices in malice and mischief? Is not the Muslim community attacked just because they are from a certain faith group? On this matter, I am afraid that we are accomplices and freedom does come at a price. That price includes permanent and long-term fractures in race relations and a sense of futility within a (Muslim) community that we touted hard for votes from post Iraq. I am sure that their memories will be long, something we have suddenly forgotten. {moscomment}    |
