Thou shalt not offend
Writer/broadcaster Sarfraz Manzoor has an article in the latest Index on Censorship entitled Thou Shalt Not Offend. Starting with The Satanic Verses protest – where Muslims were seen as isolated and marginal – through to Behzti watershed – where the Bishop of Birmingham expressed his support of the Sikhs in a kind of you-support-my-imaginary-friend-and-I’ll-support-yours show of religious solidarity – the article provides a useful summary of the growth in confidence and unity amongst religious groups when it comes to challenging the principles of freedom of expression.
The challenge for unbelievers is how to continue to ask awkward questions and uncover uncomfortable truths when the supporters of religion are armed with ever more sophisticated tools of protest. In this environment, the media and governments must be resolute in arguing that the right to offend might sometimes be the price to be paid to expose truths or produce challenging art.
Religious on the offensive
“The challenge for unbelievers is how to continue to ask awkward questions and uncover uncomfortable truths when the supporters of religion are armed with ever more sophisticated tools of protest. In this environment, the media and governments must be…