Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum – ‘So great are the evils that religion can incite’ (Lucretius, first century BC).
The Freethinker condemns yesterday’s attack on Salman Rushdie, which was terrible though not, alas, unexpected. We will be reflecting further on the attack and the relationship between religion and free speech in the coming week.
In the meantime, here are some of our previous articles on related subjects:
‘The best way to combat bad speech is with good speech’ – interview with Maryam Namazie
Secularism and the Struggle for Free Speech, by Stephen Evans
The price of criticising Islam in northern Nigeria: imprisonment or death, by Emma Park
Free speech in Britain: a losing battle? from our Faith Watch series
The radicalisation of young Muslims in the UK: an ongoing problem? by Khadija Khan
Religion and the decline of freethought in South Asia, by Kunwar Khuldune Shahid
Blasphemy Month at the Freethinker, editorial
On trial for blasphemy: the Freethinker’s first editor and offensive cartoons, by Bob Forder
From the archive: imprisoned for blasphemy
And finally: Cannibal Speaks Out, a satirical piece by Modus Tollens on the difficulties of getting the balance right in matters of free speech and religious and cultural freedom.
Addition (22/8/22): Silence of the teachers, by a secondary school teacher
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