Paris Attacks/Freedom of Speech Nick Clegg has written an article in the Telegraph today on liberalism and freedom of speech, in the wake of the Paris attacks. You can read the full version here: telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/11334000/We-must-always-be-free-to-criticise-ideas-like-Islam.html Here are some extracts: “Sadly, attacks like these can lead governments, sometimes with the best of intentions, to introduce measures in the name of public safety that undermine the very freedoms we cherish, and which our enemies despise. Which is why, at moments like these, amid the understandable clamour that ‘something be done’, the liberal instinct against knee-jerk authoritarianism is something we would be well-advised to heed.” “Every so often we are confronted by events that force each of us to take a clear stand - and a side. The attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo was just such a moment, demanding a straight answer to a simple question: “are you Charlie?” You don’t have to agree with everything, or even anything, that Charlie Hebdo published to “be Charlie” – you only have to wish to protect the freedoms and rights that define liberal societies like ours.” “The freedom that allows someone to criticise an idea - even a religious idea - is the same freedom that allows others to promote it. We are all free to agree or disagree, believe or disbelieve, support or oppose. That we in Britain can do so, usually in a spirit of tolerance, makes us a beacon for the world’s oppressed.” “Some of those who died on Wednesday had drawn cartoons which they knew were offensive to others. But no one ever deserves to be killed just because they have caused offence. This is the bottom line: in a free society people have to be free to offend each other. There is no such thing as a right not to be offended. You cannot have freedom unless people are free to offend each other. “As this debate plays out we should remember that, in the end, we will win this struggle not by increasing our security but by protecting our liberty. This was an attack on who we are and the values we hold. Now, more than ever, we must fend off the forces of hatred, intolerance and division. We must stand up for our values and ensure our society remains open rather than closed. If we abandon or qualify our liberties, then we will have lost the struggle.”
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 09:15:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015