How West Plays Free Speech Card to Justify Hate Speech
Swedish police gave the green light to a protest on Thursday in which an Iraqi refugee living in Stockholm desecrated the sacred book of Islam, outside the Iraqi Embassy.
Muslim-majority countries expressed their fury at the blasphemy of a copy of the Quran in Sweden. Some took to the streets after Friday prayers to vent their anger.
This was the second Quran desecration involving the extremist in Sweden in less than a month. Last month, the man set fire to a Quran outside a Stockholm mosque during the major Muslim holiday of Eid al Adha, sparking widespread outrage in the Islamic world.
The Western states claim that the act is a manifestation of freedom of speech and expression, ignoring the calls of millions of Muslims across the world to stop the provocations.
While the West claims to uphold the values of tolerance, diversity and human rights, it also tolerates and protects the acts of intolerance, bigotry and discrimination against Muslims and their religion.
Freedom of speech is a cherished principle in the West, but it seems to have different meanings for different groups. When it comes to criticizing or insulting Islam and Muslims, the West invokes freedom of speech as an unlimited right that cannot be questioned or challenged. However, when it comes to criticizing or mocking the West and its values, the West invokes hate speech as a crime that must be prosecuted and prevented.
This double standard is evident in the way the West reacts to different forms of expression. For example, when a Danish newspaper published cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a derogatory manner in 2005, the West defended it as an exercise of free speech and artistic expression. However, when a French magazine published cartoons depicting Holocaust victims in a derogatory manner in 2008, the West condemned it as an act of hate speech and anti-Semitism.
Similarly, when a US pastor burned a copy of the Quran in 2010, the West justified it as an expression of his personal opinion and religious freedom. However, when a German politician burned a copy of the Israeli flag in 2017, the West denounced it as an act of hate speech and anti-Zionism.
The same double standard applies to the legal framework and policies of the West. For example, in many Western countries, some laws punish denying or minimizing the Holocaust, insulting national symbols or leaders, or inciting hatred or violence against certain groups. However, there are no laws that punish denying or minimizing the atrocities committed by the West against Muslims, insulting Islamic symbols or leaders, or inciting hatred or violence against Muslims.
This selective application of free speech and hate speech reveals the hidden bias and prejudice of the West against Islam and Muslims. It also shows that the West is not interested in fostering dialogue and understanding among different cultures and religions, but rather in enforcing its worldview and interests on others.
This approach is seen by experts as the continuation of the policy of Islamophobia that Western countries have pursued especially after 9/11.
The Quran is not just a book for Muslims; it is a source of guidance, wisdom and mercy for all humanity. Burning it is not only an insult to Muslims; it is an insult to God and His creation. The West should respect the Quran as a sacred scripture that deserves reverence and protection, not as a target for hatred and provocation.
The West should not use freedom of speech as an excuse for Islamophobic acts such as burning the Quran, but rather respect the red lines of other cultures and religions. This is essential if we want to live in a harmonious world.
By Arman Saadat
