Democracy cannot exist without the right to free speech.
Free speech should be robustly defended as a fundamental freedom.
The National Secular Society has defended free speech from religious threats since our founding. We played an instrumental role in abolishing "blasphemy" laws in Britain, but serious concerns remain. Blasphemy laws still exist in Northern Ireland. And throughout the UK, religious fundamentalists seek to impose their blasphemy taboos on others through violence and intimidation.
There are also increasing attempts to categorise offending religious sensibilities as 'hate speech', making criticism, mockery or perceived 'insult' of religion a criminal act akin to racial hatred or inciting violence – in other words, a 'blasphemy law by the back door'.
Without free speech no search for truth is possible; without free speech no discovery of truth is useful; without free speech progress is checked… Better a thousand fold abuse of free speech than denial of free speech.
We are further concerned by a developing 'culture of offence' in which any speech or action deemed likely to offend religious sensibilities is considered taboo. Enforced by a toxic mix of terrorism and religious deference, this is chilling free speech through self-censorship.
We also campaign against blasphemy laws around the world, where they continue to be used to target religious and political minorities. These are sometimes described by UK politicians as 'misuse' of blasphemy laws, but we contend there are never any legitimate uses for blasphemy laws.
Being offended from time to time is the price we all pay for living in a free society. Rather than trying to silence those we disagree with, we believe the answer to speech we don't like is more speech – better speech.
We therefore campaign to protect and preserve freedom of expression, including offensive, critical and shocking speech.
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2. Join us
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
New Charlie Hebdo editor speaks out to defend secularism
Posted: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 16:13
Gérard Biard, editor of Charlie Hebdo, has spoken out on the virtues of a free press and on the importance of satirising religion.
Biard was asked about comments made by Pope Francis after the Paris attacks, when the pontiff said: "To kill in the name of God is an aberration… We have the obligation to say openly, to have this liberty, but without giving offence, because it is true, one cannot react violently.
"But if … a good friend, says a bad word against my mother, then a punch awaits him. But it's normal, it's normal. Once cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people's faith, one cannot make fun of faith."
Mr Biard said: "Every time that we draw a cartoon of Mohammed, every time that we draw a cartoon of the prophets, every time that we draw a cartoon of God, we defend the freedom of religion.
"We declare that God must not be political or public figure, he must be a private figure. We defend the freedom of religion, yes it is also the freedom of speech, but it is the freedom of religion.
"Religion should not be a political argument. If faith, if religious arguments, step into the political arena, it becomes a totalitarian argument. Secularism protects us against this. Secularism guarantees democracy and guarantees peace. Secularism allows all believers and non-believers to live in peace and that is what we defend."
The Pope's comments after the attack on Charlie Hebdo were widely criticised. Prime Minister David Cameron said: "in a free society, there is a right to cause offence about someone's religion. I'm a Christian, if someone said something about Jesus I might find that offensive, but in a free society I don't have a right to … wreak my vengeance on them.
"We have to accept that newspapers, magazines, can publish things that are offensive to some, as long as it's within the law.
"That's what we should defend … my job is not to tell a newspaper what to publish or what not to publish, my job is to uphold the law."
Meanwhile, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is planning legal action against Charlie Hebdo. The head of the OIC said that the new edition of Charlie Hebdo, which features a cartoon of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed, was "an idiotic step that requires necessary legal measures."
According to the Independent, "OIC is studying Europe[an] and French laws and other available procedures to be able to take legal action against Charlie Hebdo.
"If French law allows us to take legal procedures against Charlie Hebdo, OIC will not hesitate to prosecute the French magazine."
French blasphemy laws have previously been used to prosecute critics of Islam. Charlie Hebdo was itself prosecuted last year, by the League of Judicial Defence of Muslims, after the magazine printed a front cover with the slogan "the Koran is crap, it doesn't stop bullets."
Sky News cuts-off live interview and “apologises” for airing image of Prophet Mohammed
Posted: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:50
Caroline Fourest, former writer for Charlie Hebdo and honorary associate of the National Secular Society, was cut off during a live interview with Sky News after she held up a copy of the Charlie Hebdo magazine cover whilst on air.
Fourest denounced those who "kill in the name of a religion" before saying that she was "very sad that journalists in the UK do not support us" and that she felt journalists in the UK "betray what journalism is about by thinking that people can't be grown[-up] enough to decide if a drawing is [offensive] or not because you are not even showing it."
At that point in the interview, Fourest picked up a copy of the front cover in question and said it was "completely crazy that in the UK you cannot show a simple drawing… with Mohammed."
At that point, the camera began panning up away from the magazine cover before it cut away back to the Sky News studio. The host said that "at Sky News we have chosen not to show that, so we would appreciate Caroline not showing that."
The presenter then turned to the camera and said "I do apologise for any of our viewers who may have been offended by that as you know here at Sky News we have taken an editorial decision not to feature the cover of Charlie Hebdo."
The French satirical magazine published a record five million copies this week, in its first issue since the attack which claimed the lives of ten of its editorial staff.
NSS President Terry Sanderson said: ""Even the BBC is prepared to show the cover of Charlie Hebdo, it seems extraordinary that Sky News has permitted the fanatics and extremists to dictate its editorial policy. I am very disappointed that such a prestigious news channel has chosen to cave in to the threats of terrorists. Caroline Fourest is right to call out the British media for its cowardice and hypocrisy."
Since the attack, some UK publications have finally decided to publish images of the Charlie Hebdo cover featuring the Prophet Mohammed. The Guardian reprinted the cover in an article on Tuesday 13 January, with a disclaimer which read: "Warning: this article contains the image of the magazine cover, which some may find offensive."
The BBC came under fire after its editorial guidance was discussed on Question Time. The guidance read "due care and consideration must be made regarding the use of religious symbols in images which may cause offence. The Prophet Mohammed must not be represented in any shape or form."
The NSS called for the restrictions to be abolished, and the guidance has now been withdrawn. Since then the BBC has shown depictions of Mohammed on News at Ten.
The interview with Caroline Fourest on Sky News can be seen here.
