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
Egyptian cleric warns of “new wave of hatred” over Charlie Hebdo cartoon
Posted: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 16:20
The Egyptian Grand Mufti, Shawqi Allam, has strongly criticised Charlie Hebdo's decision to print a new cartoon featuring the Prophet Mohammed. The magazine is printing a new cartoon of Mohammed on the cover of the first issue published since the deadly attack on its Paris office, and it is due to be released tomorrow morning on Wednesday 14 January.
The Grand Mufti has said the planned publication is racist, and that the cartoon would incite racial hatred and upset Muslims all over the word, according to Reuters.
In a statement, the cleric warned of a "new wave of hatred" in French society and "Western society in general" if Charlie Hebdo goes ahead with publishing a new caricature of Mohammed.
The religious leader said, "what the magazine is doing does not serve coexistence or a dialogue between civilizations."
As Grand Mufti, Allam is one of the foremost clerics in the region, with considerable influence over Muslim opinion. He has branded the planned front page an "unwarranted provocation against the feelings of … Muslims around the world."
Allam also said that the magazine was trying to create "religious strife" and "deepen hatred."
Charlie Hebdo has drastically increased its print-run, which will consist of almost 3 million copies, compared to a usual circulation of around 60,000.
The Grand Mufti is not alone among Muslim leaders in criticising Charlie Hebdo or the Western world's reaction to the attack.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday 12 that the "West's hypocrisy is obvious." President Erdogan, who has moved Turkey away from its secular roots and embraced an increasingly political form of Islam, said that "as Muslims we never stood up for terrorism. We never stood up for massacres." Erdogan said that the West was hypocritical because it did not denounce anti-Muslim attacks in France.
Erdogan said "racism" and "Islamophobia" were to blame for attacks on mosques and described anti-Muslim violence as "provocations."
BBC restrictions on depicting Mohammed must be abolished, says NSS
Posted: Fri, 9 Jan 2015 10:38
The National Secular Society is calling on the Government to compel the BBC to remove a restriction on any depiction of the prophet Mohammed.
The BBC's editorial guidance that forbid any representation of the prophet Mohammed came under fire on Thursday's Question Time on BBC1. During a response to a question about the Charlie Hebdo massacre, chairman David Dimebleby told panellists that the editorial guidelines of the BBC say "The prophet Mohammed must not be represented in any shape or form."
The immediate reaction from one of those on the panel, broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer, was "I think that's absolutely outrageous."
Tory MP David Davies, a well-known advocate of free speech who was also on the panel, said it was a "serious reflection of the state of free speech in Britain."
But Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, said that the BBC's whole deferential approach to religion was a barrier to free debate and discussion of religion and called on the Government to compel the BBC to remove the restriction.
Mr Sanderson said: "We have been raising concerns for years about the way the BBC impedes critical discussion of religion. Too often it fawns over clerics and gives up far too many resources to a topic that does not interest the vast majority of its viewers and listeners.
"Its prohibition of the depiction of the prophet Mohammed in 'any shape or form' is just part of that culture of deference. It represents a complete capitulation to the demands of the extremists – the very people who everyone is talking about at the moment.
"How are we – the recipients of the BBCs coverage of the news – supposed to make sense of a story when a vital part of it is censored from our screens? How are we supposed to assess the cartoon unless we can see it?"
Mr Sanderson said that the BBC was an important national institution which had become an essential pillar of our democracy, in that it brought us what we thought was impartial news.
"But when the Corporation allows itself to be controlled by sectional interests and its output can be dictated by theocrats, then all this highfalutin talk of free speech from the government means nothing."
Mr Sanderson called on the Government to stand by its supposed commitment to free expression and tell the BBC to throw out this editorial restriction.
Last year, the NSS criticised Channel 4 News after it censored Mohammed from a Jesus & Mo cartoon, which was shown as part of an item on the controversy which followed after Liberal Democrat candidate Maajid Nawaz tweeted the image, saying he wasn't offended by it.
UPDATE: The BBC has removed the guidelines prohibiting depictions of Mohammed from its website. We hope a revision will be forthcoming.
UPDATE 2: The BBC have confirmed that the guidelines have been withdrawn. In a statement the BBC Press Office said:
"This guidance is old, out of date and does not reflect the BBC's long-standing position that the programme makers have freedom to exercise their editorial judgement with the Editorial Policy team available to provide advice around sensitive issues on a case-by-case basis. The guidance is currently being revised."
