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.
What you can do
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2. Join us
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Latest updates
NSS welcomes court decision on Christian man’s Facebook comments
Posted: Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:18
The National Secular Society has welcomed a High Court ruling that a Christian man who made anti-gay marriage comments on his private Facebook page should not have been demoted by his housing association employer.
Adrian Smith was demoted from his managerial position, had a 40% salary cut and was given a final written warning by his employer, Trafford Housing Trust (THT), after he posted a comment on the social networking site.
Mr Smith had written that gay weddings in churches were "an equality too far". The comment was posted outside working hours and was not visible to the general public. Read the full story here.
Commenting on the case, Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, said: "This is the right decision and we welcome it. Mr Smith is entitled to his private opinions on any topic. Although we may not agree with those opinions he must surely have a right to share them on his private Facebook page.
"It is vitally important that everyone has the freedom to say what they think and for those who don't agree to express their own opinions in turn. What Mr Smith said about same-sex marriage was measured and could not be considered as inciting hatred. His opinion is shared by a substantial number of people in this country. He should not have been punished for saying what he did."
Mr Sanderson said that permitting people the right to express opinions that you may profoundly disagree with is the very basis of democracy.
"If Mr Smith could be punished for saying what he thought, we could all fall into the same black hole at some time in our working lives. Free exchange of opinions in the only way," he said.
We must defend freedom of speech, says United Nations expert
Posted: Thu, 8 Nov 2012 13:05
In a statement issued by the United Nations, its special rapporteur on freedom of expression, Frank La Rue, said that it is essential to create an environment conducive to critical discussions of religious and racial issues and to promote understanding and tolerance by deconstructing negative stereotypes.
In his report[1] to the United Nations General Assembly Mr La Rue highlighted the phenomenon of hate speech and discussed State responses to this challenge.
"The struggle against intolerance is both an urgent and permanent task. Regrettably, incitement to hatred continues to be found in all regions of the world. The question is when and how States can legitimately limit freedom of expression."
The Special Rapporteur noted that the right to freedom of expression should only be restricted in extreme cases, such as incitement to genocide and incitement to hatred, stating that "any restriction to freedom of expression must be provided by a law that is clear and accessible to everyone. It must also be proven as necessary and legitimate to protect the rights or reputation of others, national security or public order, public health or morals; and it must be proven as the least restrictive and proportionate means to achieve the purported aim."
Mr La Rue described the efforts of many governments to combat hate speech as misguided, and referred to the adoption of ambiguous legislation with disproportionate sanctions that are frequently used to silence criticism and political expression.
"Anti-blasphemy laws, for example, which are inherently vague and leave the entire concept open to abuse, are often used as a means of quashing the right to freedom of expression," Mr La Rue said, calling upon States to repeal anti-blasphemy laws and to initiate legislative and other reforms that protect the rights of individuals in accordance with international human rights standards.
The Special Rapporteur also highlighted alternative means of tackling the root causes and various facets of hate, including broad-based societal programmes to combat inequality and structural discrimination. "States must invest more in the promotion of human rights education and must continuously promote open public debate as the best antidote to combat discriminatory patterns," Mr La Rue said.
"Laws to combat hate speech must be carefully construed and applied by the judiciary so as to avoid excessively curtailing legitimate types of expression. At the same time, while laws are certainly necessary and an important component in addressing hate speech, they should be complemented by a broadest of policy measures to bring about genuine changes in mindsets, perception and discourse," Mr La Rue added.
[1] United Nations General Assembly: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the interim report of the Special Rapporteur on promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; A/67/357 (pdf) (link is unreliable; see here and click on the link "A/67/357" near the bottom)
See also: Russia plans new law that will crack down hard on critics of religion
