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
1. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
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
Turkey sentences opposition journalists to prison over Muhammad cartoon
Posted: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 12:22
Two Turkish journalists have been sentenced to two years in prison for republishing a cover of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo with a cartoon of Muhammad, amid rising concerns about freedom of expression in Turkey.
The court in Istanbul convicted Cumhuriyet newspaper columnists Ceyda Karan and Hikmet Cetinkaya of inciting "hatred and enmity." The pair were however acquitted of the separate charges of "insulting religious values."
The journalists' lawyers immediately appealed the verdict.
The pair went on trial in July 2015 after featuring the cover image of Charlie Hebdo's survivors' edition – which featured an image of a weeping Muhammad – in their columns for the secular, opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper in an act of support for freedom of expression.
The verdict was met with cries of "Allahu Akbar" in court, according to Cumhuriyet reports.
When the edition was published Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu condemned the publication of cartoons of the Muslim prophet as an "open provocation".
The convictions come amid fears of a worsening government crackdown on press freedom in Turkey with an alarming number of journalists facing criminal sanctions or violence and opposition news outlets being officially harassed or obstructed.
Meanwhile, Index on Censorship has warned of a "stark deterioration" of press freedom' across Europe. The group's Mapping Media Freedom project has identified a 30% rise in incidents involving journalists, voicing particular concern about Turkey and Ukraine.
Earlier this week the Turkish Prime Minister sought to calm fears that the country's secular constitution is under threat after parliamentary speaker Ismail Kahraman, who is overseeing the redrafting the country's constitution, said the Muslim-majority country needed a new "religious constitution".
Bangladeshi government must act over killings and defend free speech
Posted: Wed, 27 Apr 2016 14:07
The National Secular Society has written to the Bangladeshi High Commission criticising their government's inaction over a spate of Islamist killings.
The most recent murders on Monday 25 April claimed the lives of Xulhaz Mannan, the editor of an LGBT magazine, and his friend, in a brutal attack. Previous killings have seen numerous secularist bloggers hacked to death by jihadists.
President of the National Secular Society Terry Sanderson urged the government of Bangladesh "to take concrete action to identify, find and prosecute the killers."
"An atmosphere of general impunity has been allowed to form in Bangladesh – in part due to your government's perceived unwillingness to act," he told the High Commissioner.
Because of this, Mr Sanderson wrote, "a corresponding escalation in in the frequency of these reprehensible crimes has been seen."
"We very much regret that Government of Bangladesh has implied that the writers should not be writing 'filthy things about our religion and our Prophet', thereby placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the victims. It is no wonder then that the murderers continue to act with impunity silencing liberal and secular voices."
The letter said that action "taken by the Government has cemented the prohibition sought by the killers on criticism or open discussion about religion and its role in Bangladeshi society."
Shortly after the most recent murders it was reported that two Hindu teachers had been jailed in Bangladesh for 'insulting' Islam.
According to Associated Press reports, students at a high school in southern Bangladesh complained after an assistant teacher 'dismissed' the Quran and said there was no heaven.
A mob of parents, students and villagers then attacked the teachers with sticks, AP said.
After a rapid judicial process, the two were imprisoned with sentences of six months each under a colonial-era law which criminalises insulting religion.
The NSS wrote to the Bangladeshi High Commission that cases like this enforced the agenda of the killers by destroying freedom of speech in the ostensibly secular nation.
"Statements made by Bangladeshi officials and the prosecution of the two teachers sends a dangerous and deadly signal that the Government tacitly endorses the ends of the killers, while turning a blind eye to their mean," the Society told the High Commissioner.
The NSS has also made representations to the Foreign Office and called on the UK Government to express its concerns about the killings in the strongest terms to the Bangladeshi government and to demand an end to the Bangladeshi government's criticism of those exercising their freedom of expression, while urging a concerted effort to apprehend and punish the perpetrators behind the murders.
