Free Speech Vs. Hate Speech

The topic on this morning’s edition of “World Have Your Say” on NPR was the debate between freedom of speech and religious hate speech.   Many Muslims feel that there is an overwhelming air of Islamaphobia around the world that has occurred in various democratic societies, and they are right.  There is definitely an epidemic of Islamaphobia in the world today.  Even though I’m an atheist, I never think it’s okay to be disrespectful to attack a person for their religious beliefs alone.    And realize here, I said “beliefs.”  I can disagree with your beliefs and still be respectful, but I can and will attack your behavior and the gloves come off.  I haven’t seen the video that is causing such a stir in the Muslim world and I refuse- out of respect to my Muslim friends.   Many non-Muslims agree that it is truly insulting, and I refuse to give it anymore play time, since that is exactly what the losers who made it are hoping will happen. 

In America, we find many things truly offensive.  The Civil Rights movement in the 60’s was a prime example of how we had to shift attitudes.  There was a growing awareness that certain types of speech were not okay, because they led to a tolerance of certain types of behaviors.  Today, we are very aware of what is acceptable and what is not.  I like to point out the Civil Rights movement because for the most part, African Americans changed attitudes peacefully.  Had they responded to the violence with violence, I think they would have defeated the movement completely.  Instead, by being peaceful- yet insistent- in their demonstrations and actions, they proved not only that they were stronger, but that they were right. 

So here are a few things that we in our free speech society realize about the right to say and publish anything we want:

1.  Idiots exist.  You can’t get away from them.  They are everywhere and you can’t escape them.  They say and do stupid things, and if you aren’t strong enough to withstand their onslaught of babbling bovine dung, then you are one too. 

2.  Freedom of Speech cuts both ways.  The same right I have to write something that, hopefully, some of you find intelligent is the same right Harry the Hater has to sling his particular brand of verbal detritus.  But here’s the beautiful thing about communication:  it has to make sense to be effective.  In other words, logic and intelligence will always triumph over stupidity and hatred.  But they can only do that when people are free to exchange ideas.  It helps when the people who are communicating have open minds, but I refer you to number 1 above:  Idiots exist. 

3.  No one has ever died by being insulted to death.  And this is the cornerstone of a free speech society.  As long as your speech doesn’t call for or demand, out and out violence, then really you have nothing to fear from anything anyone says.  Someone can say something truly offensive, and while we in America will demonstrate, protest and even force someone to resign a high profile position, but only those who fit number 1 above will resort to violence. 

Now getting back to Muslims and the movie- the violent reactions are not okay.  And I know most Muslims agree and have denounced those actions.   However, there is still a fatwa for Salmon Rushdie just because he wrote a book some 20 years ago (or was it 30 years ago?) that the Ayatollah Khomeni found offensive.  And it very well may have been, but Rushdie is now a bestselling author, most likely because the boost in his popularity following the call for his death.  In fact, it’s very hard to defend people who call for violence when words have been the only weapons lobbed.  It’s hard to have sympathy too. 

So let me explain logically why violence in the name of religion is perhaps the stupidest thing one can ever espouse.  The argument goes like this:  you believe your God is omnipotent.  However, when S/He’s insulted, S/He needs you to go fight His/Her battles and kill the person who insulted the all-powerful and almighty one, because S/He is unable to do it for Him/Herself.  Seriously?  Do you see how absurd that is?  Not just absurd, but I would argue that in itself, a call for violence on behalf of a deity is blasphemy.  If you believe that your deity can be insulted (which I have an entire argument about that itself- but that’s not the point here) and yet cannot fight His/Her own battles, then you are actually saying that you doubt the strength of that deity.  By definition, God is omnipotent.  Doubting His omnipotence doubts His existence. 

To my Muslim friends, I love you and respect your right to believe.  And I will defend your right to be insulted on behalf of Allah, up to the point that you advocate violence.  At that point you cease being a victim and end up justifying the very Islamaphobia that you are rallying against.  It’s just a lose/lose situation.