What should we protect – free speech or religion?
Should religion be protected from criticism? Or should writers, artists, playwrights and filmmakers be free to express controversial views even if that means offending deeply held beliefs?
The issues
- Freedom of expression is seen as essential to any democracy.
- Most countries have laws restricting free speech, for example if it would damage reputations or undermine national security.
- Blasphemy means insulting or ridiculing God or sacred things.
- Britain's blasphemy law makes it an offence to insult the tenets of the Church of England but does not protect other religions or churches.
- Some people think the blasphemy law should be abolished and religions should be expected to defend themselves.
- Some people want the blasphemy law extended to cover religions other than Christianity.
- The harshest blasphemy law of any Muslim country is in Pakistan, where insulting the prophet Muhammed incurs the death penalty.
- Religious groups have often protested, sometimes violently, against artistic works they claim are offensive, blasphemous or provoke religious hatred.
- Defenders of free speech say art should express controversial ideas and provoke debate, and that artistic significance outweighs any offence caused.
Some examples
1977 |
Mary Whitehouse won a blasphemy libel case against Gay News for publishing a poem about a Roman centurion's love for Christ at the Crucifixion. |
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1979 |
Monty Python's Life of Brian generated huge protests from Christians, and was banned in many British cities. |
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1989 |
The Iranian Islamic regime issued a fatwa calling for the death of Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses. |
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2004 |
The play Behzti (Dishonour) closed following violent protests by a group of Sikhs. |
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2005 |
Evangelical Christians protested against the BBC's broadcast of Jerry Springer the Opera and persuaded a cancer charity to turn down a donation from the show. |
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2006 |
At least five people died in worldwide protests against cartoons of Muhammed published in a Danish newspaper. |
What do you think?
Should faith be protected from insult or offence? Or should writers and artists be free to say they think and feel about religion?
Have your say in our Culture Forum >
