KHUTAB III - 13. ISLAM AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH

13. ISLAM AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Freedom of speech or expression in Western media is protected by law. A journalist in the West is free to ridicule any authority including through cartoons. But common people apparently have no such freedom. You can be sued here in Australia if you insult someone, but you are free to insult someone through caricature. Even Jesus Christ has been mocked so often in Western media without any reaction among Christians. The last conviction of defamation of Jesus in Britain was in 1922 for a man who compared Jesus to a circus clown. Since then, we haven’t heard any protest against any caricature insulting Jesus Christ.

In September 2005 twelve cartoons were first published in the Danish paper Jilland-Posten one of which depicting Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. wearing a turban which is looked like an explosive. As these caricatures are interesting in Western mind they were reprinted in a Norwegian magazine four months later, in January 2006.  They were also reprinted in newspapers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain as solidarity for free expression. Apparently the Dominion Post newspaper in New Zealand also reprinted the cartoons. These caricatures of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. sparked protests and boycott calls in the Muslim world, especially in the Middle East.

Such unrestricted freedom of speech and expression could lead to the infringement of the rights of Muslims and of other communities and could antagonize some of their religious beliefs and institutions. The freedom of speech could be more destructive than the freedom of thought. If someone is mistaken in exercising freedom of thought he himself may be at risk. But if he exercises his freedom of speech and makes a mistake the society could be at stake. A rumour could create confusion and disturbance in our community. 

It is true that freedom of expression could be rendered through speaking, writing, and drawing, including caricature. Yet, this freedom should not be abused with defamation and insult. Caricatures often cross this boundary and become offensive to some people, especially the Muslims. Muslims are not allowed to express bad things, either verbally or through writing and picture, because it is a sinful act.

The tongue is sharper than the sword. A wound caused by a sword can be healed in a few days, but the wound caused by a tongue takes more time to heal, it may never heal. The bad thoughts and feelings expressed through cartoons are worse than through speech. What you hear you hear once only (unless you record it), but the caricatures you see in the cartoons remain there in the paper unless you destroy it. Moreover, a picture could explain the thought more clearly than words. If you want to explain the word “dragonfly” to a person who does not know the meaning of the word, it is not enough to say that “it is an insect with stick-like body and two pairs of large wings”, but if you show him the picture of the insect he will understand what you mean, even without saying a single word. A picture can translate a thousand thoughts. No wonder that the caricatures ridiculing Prophet Muhammad, the most respected and beloved person by Muslims, have been responded to with protests in the Muslim world.

There are restrictions in expressing one’s feelings and thoughts in Islam. We Muslims do not even have full freedom to do whatever we like with our body. We are not even allowed to abuse and harm our own body, let alone others, and therefore self-mutilation and suicide are prohibited in Islam. We are not allowed to ridicule others, as those whom we ridicule might be better than we are. Criticism could give us false sense of superiority over those whom we criticize. Allah says in the Qur’ān,

   يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِنْ قَوْمٍ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَاءٌ مِنْ نِسَاءٍ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِنْهُنَّ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِ بِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَتُبْ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ    (الحجرات : ١١)

O you who have believed, let not as people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames.

Wretched is the name [i.e. mention] of disobedience after

 [one’s] faith. And whoever does not repent—then it

 is those who are the wrongdoers. )Q. 49:11).

Muslims are not allowed to say bad things. The Prophet said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say good things or keep silent.” He also said, “A friendly word is charity”.  Evil should not be broadcast in public unless injustice has been done. Allah says in the Qur’ān,

 لَا يُحِبُّ اللَّهُ الْجَهْرَ بِالسُّوءِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ إِلَّا مَنْ ظُلِمَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ سَمِيعًا عَلِيمًا (النساء : ١٤٨)

 Allah does not like the public mention of evil except by one who has been wronged. And ever is Allah Hearing and Knowing. (Q. 4:148).

          However, observing patience is much better than uttering the evil in public. The early commentator of the Qur’ān, al-H.asan al-Bas.rī said that one should not curse or invoke Allah against the one who wronged him, but rather pray to Allah to help him take his right from the wrong-doer. And he should not transgress the limit in his retaliation. Moreover, it is highly recommended to forgive an evil, as it will bring us closer to Allah and increase our reward with Him. Allah continued the above verse saying,

إِنْ تُبْدُوا خَيْرًا أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ أَوْ تَعْفُوا عَنْ سُوءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَفُوًّا قَدِيرًا (النساء : ١٤٩)

Whether you disclose a good deed, or conceal it, or pardon an evil; verily, Allah is Ever Pardoning, All-Powerful. (Q. 4:149)

Unrestricted freedom of speech could lead the speaker to sin, such as shouting (except when injustice has been done), cursing, backbiting, lying, and revealing one’s secret. The Arabic proverb says, لِكُلِّ مَقَامٍ مَقَال                              “For every situation thre is a proper expression.” It is improper, for example, to say something dirty even if it is true to people who are eating, such as, “The smell of feces is bad, rotten, putrid.” Such true expression could destroy his appetite. (ANUMA, 10 Feb. 06)