Freedom of expression and human rights in islamic perspective by. The term freedom includes all its aspects as freedom of religion, expression, justice, political achievements and all what can be considered of to be under its. Page 1 abstract now a days freedom of speech has become a way to spread hatred and hurt muslims. Parvez manzoor perhaps the best point of entry in this highly seminal field is mohammad hashim kamalis original contribution to the debate over freedom of expression in islam that is truly a labour of love and a work of devotion and piety. Quran also mentions some important areas and it objectives of the freedom of expression.
Islamic way of freedom of expression is the only means which can poise the society and preserve communal concord. Freedom of expression from the islamic perspective hilaris. Freedom of expression,human rights,islam,democracy,religion. According to the universal declaration of human rights, freedom of expression is the right of every individual to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of front. Freedom of religion acquires special significance in the shari ah, a system of law which recognizes no clear division between legal and religious norms. Islam considers freedom to be a natural right of the human being. Freedom exists in the sense that everyone can freely express his or her opinion as a prerequisite of fundamental human rights. Each country and territory receives a numerical score from 0 the most free to 100 the least free, which serves as the basis for a status designation of free, partly free, or not free. Ethical limits on freedom of expression with special reference to. On the contrary, the quran encourages people to discuss matters.
Freedom of expression and freedom of religion under the european convention on human rights 2. Kamalis article which is available in full in the files section in connection with accuracy. Restrictions on freedom of expression to spare religious feelings 5. Relying on witness testimony from former government officials, authors and journalists, this report examines different aspects of the iranian governments. Freedom and its concept in islam abdul hai madani assistant professor, ned university of engineering and technology karachi, pakistan dr.
These voices are relatively absent in the netherlands due to its dominant secularity for the sake of socialnational integration. Pdf islam and four essential freedoms muqtedar khan. It protects the right to freedom of religion under article 11, including the right to profess, practise and propagate ones religious beliefs, with the possibility that federal law may impose certain limits on the right to propagate the islamic faith among muslims. Freedom of expression from islamic perspective request pdf.
The rights granted by the kings or the legislative assemblies, can also be withdrawn in the same manner in which they are. Freedom of expression is a right that belongs to every individual in expressing their views. Critique of mh kamali article freedom of expression in islam. Pdf download freedom, equality and justice in islam fundamental rights and liberties in. Many western scholars and some western influenced muslim scholars also raised finger against the islamic concept of freedom of expression. Freedom of expression in islam is part of a series dedicated to the fundamental rights and liberties in islam and should be read in conjunction with the dignity of man. In this report ihrdc describes the legal framework within which the iranian state limits freedom of expression and imposes censorship.
Islamic law is essentially a superstructure that concretises the ethical norms of islam. Islam, which literally means submission, was founded on the teachings of the prophet. Read freedom of expression in islam fundamental rights and liberties in islam series ebook. Within the quran, there is no text that forbids the freedom of expression, limits it to certain extents, or suppresses it by any means. Islam from within, and hamper just implementation of islamic laws.
It is therefore hardly surprising that the recent film attacking the honor of the prophet saw has drawn escalating outrage from muslims all over the world. Freedom of association is the natural corollary to freedom of expression. People have the right to organize political meetings and gatherings. Islam limits freedom of expression where it is blasphemous or creates social disorder 1. The term freedom of expression, in a broad sense, has a lot of meanings and concepts. Allah almighty grants the freedom of expression due to human dignity, honour and free thinking.
Islam, every muslim was given the freedom and rights to defend their. The concept of freedom has been limited by the democratic mindfulness according to certain schools of thoughts. Freedom of expression in islam by mohammad hashim kamali. Freedom of expression today is almost exclusively a global phenomenon. Freedom of expression from the islamic perspective abstract. Freedom of expression and religious hate speech in europe. Since the creed of islam lies at the root of many a doctrine and institution of the shariah, the freedom of whether or not to embrace and practice islam is the most sensitive and controversial area of all individual liberties.
Geneva 9 march 2016 any attempt to fight intolerance, stereotyping, stigmatization, discrimination and incite to violence based on religion or belief should make use of both the rights to freedom of religion and freedom of expression, today said united nations human rights expert heiner bielefeldt. In islamic perspective freedom of expression is not only a right but sometimes it also becomes an absolute duty of a muslim. The freedom of the press report assesses the degree of media freedom in 199 countries and territories, analyzing the events and developments of each calendar year. Freedom of expression from islamic perspective academic journals. Methodologically, the core differences between the universal and islamic understanding of freedom of expression are explained. Quranic concept of freedom of expression a descriptive. The big debates is an independent platform that seeks to build a. Too many works have been written on the theological discourses revolving around particular shariah injunctions allegedly clashing with human rights norms and particularly with the universal and absolute human rights provision of freedom of thought. Right to liberty and freedom of expression in islam. Free speech, religious tolerance, incitement, defamation. Restrictions on freedom of expression in the islamic. You write but comes with responsibility and respect not to offend.
Muhammad shahrur syria i come to the ibnkhaldun center for development studies because, among other things. Life becomes devoid of worth when freedom is not present. Throughout history and till today many call for freedom, especially freedom of speech because the call to freedom is something attractive, and attracts the attention of the entier world at various levels, however the concept of freedom differs, so. In this paper an analytical approach is taken into to confirm islam s elucidation and the innate phenomenon of freedom of expression in order to keep people away from illogical. Project muse hisba law and freedom of expression in. Mohammad hashim kamali, freedom of expression in islam. For muslim jurists, law and ethics are ultimately concerned with moral. The religionstate relationship and the right to freedom. Indeed, in systems of government where authority actually requires responsible use, this is essentially a basis for a system of formal censorship.
Freedom of speech in islam and its connection with street. Therefore, we point out here the obligation that those who would like to study islam objectively, should do so by studying. Read pdf freedom, equality and justice in islam fundamental rights and liberties in islam series prof. For a spiritual, moral and ethical awakening in muslim societies, the four freedoms i identified are essential. Freedom of speech and expression is acknowledged in islamic legal theory and is a component of its incredibly high ethical base. The findings of freedom in the world 2012, the latest edition of freedom houses annual report on political rights and civil liberties, showed that slightly more countries registered declines than exhibited gains over the course of 2011. Islam, globalization, and freedom of expression muhammad daiyabu hassan the exercise of freedom of expression by a segment of the secular establishment, mainly among members ofthe literary andintellectualelite inthewest, inrelationto islam, constitutes a major obstacle in the search for common grounds between the islamic world and the west. An islamic perspective and freedom, equality and justice in islam. The concept of freedom in islam paper presented by dr. Freedom of expression in islam fundamental rights and. However, as the discussion below will demonstrate, even this type of speech is not curtailed in islam. It is not based on a singular human right, rather it covers a wider range of rights such as the right of speech, opinion, conscience, press, thought, choice, religion, and culture, etc. Right to express ones ideas and opinions freely through speech, writing, and other forms of communication but without deliberately causing harm to others character andor reputation by false or misleading statements.
They are not examples of the defense of the human rights in islam. Freedom of speech and freedom of press are parts of the freedom of. Rather, it has been extensively elaborated upon and widely applied to all social, cultural, and political spheres of society. Islam has given to the people the right to freedom of association and formation of parties or organizations. Freedom of speech or freedom of expression is a right but we should keep in mind that it.
They challenge institutionalized levels statechurch relations, multiculturalism, and communitarianism and social and cultural forms debate on freedom of expression and islamophobia. Pdf download freedom, equality and justice in islam. Today ihrdc has released its latest report entitled restrictions on freedom of expression in the islamic republic of iran. The conclusion highlights the point that there are disagreements within the muslim community as to how the issues of unbelief can be dealt with in the sharia, and as to the boundaries which can be set to limitallow freedom of expression in islam. Freedom of expression in islam by gfh i found many problems in dr. The danger of the call for responsible use of freedom of expression when applied to the ordinary citizen is that it can amount to a pressure for selfcensorship. Similarly, countries with islam as the declared state religion may maintain constitutional provisions protecting the related rights to freedom of expression. Within the quran, there is no text that forbids the freedom of expression, limits it to certain extents. I am surprised that you live in the us and make the above statement.
Religion and freedom of expression oxford scholarship. Freedom of speech means freedom to speak without worrying about whether it offends somebody or not. Challenges to freedom of religion or belief in malaysia a. This research is aimed to discuss overall sketch of freedom of speech and hate speech and those ways which hurt muslims and how this can be stopped. What is freedom of expression and why is it important. This has led to the development of a new culture in which individuals enjoy freedom of expression, dissent and criticism without any fear or restriction. Freedom in the world 2012 freedom house championing. No muslim can ever bear the insult of the beloved prophet of islam saw. According to many muslim scholars, the primary offence which justifies such a curtailment of free expression is blasphemy. What we mean by freedom here is freedom of belief, freedom of decadence, and freedom of expression, and these also have many negative impacts on muslim societies, because matters have gone so far that aspersions are cast upon the messengers and the messages, and upon the quran and the sahaabah, on the grounds of freedom of opinion.
Islam gives everyone right to exercise freedom of expression, as long as he. Religious hate speech and religious hate speech laws 4. In islam, freedom of expression is restrained only where the failure to do so would result in harming the cause of truth. Mohammad hashim kamali, freedom of expression in islam cambridge.