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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Latest updates
NSS urges government to review its language on blasphemy laws
Posted: Thu, 15 Aug 2019 17:07
The National Secular Society has asked the government to review its stance on blasphemy laws amid concern that ministers only criticise their "misuse" rather than their existence.
In recent months several ministers have condemned the "misuse" of blasphemy laws in Pakistan in parliament without condemning the existence of the laws.
Last month Foreign Office minister Tariq Ahmad responded to a question in the Lords by saying the government "regularly" raises its "concerns about the misuse of the blasphemy laws" with Pakistan's government.
The question concerned the treatment of Shaghufta Kausar and her husband, who have been sentenced to death on blasphemy charges in Pakistan.
Other ministers who have used similar language include Mark Field, also on behalf of the Foreign Office, and Susan Williams and Liz Sugg of the Department for International Development.
In a letter to Ahmad, NSS chief executive Stephen Evans called for a review of the government's public statements on the matter.
"Blasphemy laws and religious restrictions on speech are incompatible with a genuine commitment to human rights.
"Around the world blasphemy laws continue to be used to target religious and political minorities. Responses that criticise only the 'misuse' of blasphemy laws suggest there may be legitimate uses for blasphemy laws.
"We urge the government to review its language to ensure a more robust approach to the defence of fundamental human rights. The best way to champion the rights and freedoms of people like Shaghufta Kausar, Asia Bibi and the many others who live in fear of religious persecution in Pakistan and elsewhere is to demand the repeal of blasphemy laws, without apology or qualification."
Asia Bibi was a woman sentenced to death for blasphemy in Pakistan in 2010 who spent eight years on death row before being freed last year. The NSS named her lawyer, Saif ul Malook, as its Secularist of the Year for 2019 in May.
Official data has shown that more than 1,500 people were accused of blasphemy in Pakistan between 1987 and 2018, with religious minorities heavily targeted.
In 2017 a report from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom found laws restricting freedom of expression on religious issues in 71 countries. Most countries which had the laws punished blasphemy severely.
Free expression is a universal human right enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Read more: Why won't the government condemn the existence of Pakistan's blasphemy laws? – NSS blog by Chris Sloggett.
Government admits it’s struggled to define extremism
Posted: Tue, 23 Jul 2019 16:52
The government has "struggled" to define extremism, the home secretary has said, after a consultation found significant public opposition to the government's current definition.
In a speech to the Commission for Countering Extremism (CCE) last Friday, Sajid Javid said the government had "struggled to come up with a definition" of extremism.
He added that the issue was "not black and white", extremism "can be the thin end of a wedge" and "the challenge is being able to identify where an opinion crosses the line into extremism".
His remarks came as the CCE published the results of a recent call for evidence on the subject. Seventy-five per cent of public respondents to the commission said they found the government's current definition "very unhelpful" or "unhelpful".
The government's current definition is: "Extremism is the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also regard calls for the death of members of our armed forces as extremist."
National Secular Society chief executive Stephen Evans said the home secretary's remarks and the results of the CCE's consultation were "a reminder of the difficulties created by attempts to define extremism".
"The government is right to stress its commitment to democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and tolerance. But adopting a vague official definition of extremism risks undermining free expression - particularly for both those with strong religious views and those who strongly criticise religion."
The NSS warned against seeking to criminalise the expression of 'extremist' views or adopting a broad definition of extremism in response to the CCE's call for evidence in January.
The NSS also said the government should prioritise secularist principles, particularly free speech, human rights and common citizenship, in its attempts to challenge extremism.
The NSS has long resisted attempts to define extremism through its work as a member of the Defend Free Speech campaign.
