|
|
||||||||
 |
The Legal Project, an activity of the Middle East Forum, works to protect the right in the West to freely discuss Islam, radical Islam, terrorism, and terrorist funding. [More]
Commentary & Analysis
North American Muslims Join Effort to Support Husain Haqqani
by Ann Snyder • January 23, 2012 at 2:28 pm
 Send |
  
|
SharePolitics can be a dangerous business in Pakistan.
As the "memogate" controversy shows no signs of abating, a group of American and Canadian Muslims joined the push for U.S. government intervention on behalf of Husain Haqqani, the former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. In a January 12th letter to Secretary of State Clinton, the group called upon the Secretary and the Obama administration to "let Pakistan's military chief General Kayani and ISI boss General Pasha know that they will be held responsible for any harm that comes to Ambassador Haqqani."
Full Text...
by Adam Turner • January 17, 2012 • Front Page Magazine
| Send |
|
January 10, 2012 was a big day for terrorist Anders Breivik, the diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic (but now being reevaluated), who on July 22, 2011, bombed the Norwegian Prime Minister's office and, soon after on that same day, gunned down about seventy Norwegian teenagers at a political camp near Oslo. The Norwegian justice system will now permit him to receive visitors, ending almost six months of isolation. This will allow Breivik to give interviews to the media to expound his wild theories justifying his murderous actions, and even entertain adoring supporters. Undoubtedly, the resulting attention, stories and interviews will create outrage among the still grieving Norwegian population. And undoubtedly, the leftist, politically correct Norwegian elite will use this public outrage to continue their campaign to restrict, or even shut down, all speech they perceive as "Islamophobic."
Update on State Department-OIC Conference in DC: "The Istanbul Process"
by Ann Snyder • December 13, 2011 at 7:37 pm
| Send |
|
The Legal Project recently reported that the Obama Administration would be holding meetings this week in Washington on "implementing" UN Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18. (See Why is the Obama Administration Giving the OIC a Say in Our Right to Free Speech?) On December 13th, Nina Shea, Director of Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, reported on the first session of the three-day, closed-to-the-public conference called "The Istanbul Process."
Why is the Obama Administration Giving the OIC a Say in Our Right to Free Speech?
by Ann Snyder • December 10, 2011 at 2:27 pm
| Send |
|
Starting on December 12th in Washington, DC, a meeting is being held that jeopardizes freedom of speech as we currently understand it in the United States. The Obama Administration has invited the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation ("OIC," formerly, The Organization of the Islamic Conference) to a meeting of "experts" to discuss the implementation of a UN resolution ostensibly targeting "religious intolerance." Now, even if by combating "religious intolerance" the resolution were just targeting actual violations of freedom of religion (READ: violating rights, not hurting feelings), it still should raise a few eyebrows that the OIC is behind the resolution and was invited as a partner to these meetings. The Jeddah-based OIC includes as its members such "champions" of human rights and religious freedom and tolerance as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, and Iran.
Once Again, Islamists Bully Europe on Free Speech
by Adam Turner • November 19, 2011 • Pajamas Media
| Send |
|
Recently, French Islamists (presumably) firebombed the office of French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo for its speech. Simultaneously, Charlie Hebdo's website was also taken down in a cyber-attack by a Turkish hacker. The firebombing and hacking occurred just one day after the magazine, which has a history of equal opportunity offensiveness, cheekily announced that the Islamic Prophet Mohammed was going to be a guest editor for this week's edition, "(i)n order fittingly to celebrate the Islamist Ennahda's win in Tunisia and the NTC (National Transitional Council) president's promise that Sharia would be the main source of law in Libya."
GMU Law Holds its Ground on Free Speech
by Ann Snyder • October 4, 2011 at 2:03 pm
| Send |
|
At a time when many educational institutions have succumbed to mildewing political correctness and cower in the face of pressure to censor controversial speech, at least one school still maintains free and open debate on campus. That school is George Mason University School of Law. We applaud the school and its dean for their unequivocal and brave stance.
"GMU should be proud that the dean of its law school has issued such a strong statement defending freedom of expression," said Adam Kissel of The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
David Letterman gets it exactly right
by Adam Turner • October 3, 2011 • Daily Caller
| Send |
|
Kudos to American television comedian David Letterman! On June 5, 2011, Letterman smiled and drew his finger across his own throat on his CBS program "Late Show with David Letterman" to celebrate the U.S. military's reported killing of Ilyas Kashmiri, an Islamist terrorist who apparently was the head of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami and a senior al-Qaeda leader. Kashmiri reportedly was one of the leading organizers of the deadly November 2008 Mumbai attacks in India, which killed 164 innocent people and wounded at least 308. He was also recently indicted in U.S. federal court for conspiring with other terrorists to plan a Mumbai-style attack in Denmark, directed at the newspaper Jyllands-Posten, the newspaper that had published the infamous Mohammed cartoons. For good measure, Letterman also insulted Osama bin Laden during the same broadcast.
Geert Wilders' Acquittal: An Important First Step for Free Speech in the Netherlands
by Debra L. Feuer • September 24, 2011 at 6:23 pm
| Send |
|
On June 23rd, the Amsterdam District Court acquitted Dutch MP Geert Wilders, bringing to a close a nearly two-year ordeal. The decision was a clear victory for Wilders who had faced both fines and imprisonment for charges of "group defamation" and "incitement to hatred and to discrimination" on the basis of religion and race under article 137c and 137d of the Dutch Penal Code (DPC).
"I am delighted with this ruling," said Wilders. "It is a victory, not only for me, but for all the Dutch people. Today is a victory for freedom of speech."
by Adam Turner • June 10, 2011 at 3:24 pm
| Send |
|
At Big Peace, Ned May imaginatively compared the Austrian "hate speech" trial of Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff for her comments regarding Islam to the infamous Trial of the Stolen Tarts, in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This fictional trial is a hyperbolic vision of a "kangaroo court," meaning "1) a mock court in which the principles of law and justice are disregarded or perverted" or 2) a court characterized by irresponsible, unauthorized, or irregular status or procedures…".
Another Bite at the Apple: Hedegaard Found Guilty
by Ann Snyder • May 10, 2011 at 3:48 pm
| Send |
|
Last week, Lars Hedegaard, president and founder of the Danish and International Free Press Societies was convicted of "hate speech" under Article 266 b of the Danish penal code and fined the equivalent of about $1000. (See IFPS's press release here.) Beyond being an appalling assault on freedom of speech, if the conviction strikes you as a bit odd, perhaps it should. Just this past March, the Legal Project published an interview with Hedegaard following his acquittal on the very same charges. (Note: In December 2010, Danish MP, Jesper Langballe, of the Danish People's Party "confessed" to violating the same provision for remarks made in support of Hedegaard.)
It's Time to Take a Stand for Free Speech
by Adam Turner • April 29, 2011 at 2:56 pm
| Send |
|
In 2011, fringe Florida Pastor Terry Jones finally burned a Koran in Florida. He had first threatened to burn a Koran the year before but had been persuaded to desist by the pleas of numerous prominent Americans, especially members of our governing elite. However, perhaps bothered by his loss of public attention since then, Jones followed through with his original threat on March 20, 2011. Less than two weeks later, Afghanis learned of the incident after President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan – either wilfully or recklessly – publicly condemned the Koran-burning. Soon after that, his state employed radical Islamist Imams began to preach to the religious Afghani community, whipping them into a frenzy of anti-Americanism. Predictably, these Afghanis began to look for Americans to punish, and finding that the only Americans in the country were armed soldiers, they chose to broaden their anger to include less menacing Western targets. After more than a week of rioting, this government and Islamist instigated catastrophe has resulted in the deaths of at least 24 people, including the massacre of seven UN civilians, two of whom were beheaded, and there was widespread destruction in Afghanistan's major cities. Ironically, it has also resulted in the burning of multiple Korans.
by Adam Turner • April 17, 2011 • American Thinker
| Send |
|
These days, one word that symbolizes Pakistan for the rest of the world is "blasphemy." This is altogether fitting, for if there is one "modern" government whose actions are truly blasphemous to God (or to whatever your conception of a higher power is), then Pakistan is that country.
February was Hate Speech Month in Europe
by Adam Turner • March 14, 2011 at 2:05 pm
| Send |
|
February 2011 apparently was "Hate Speech Month in Europe," as a trio of "hate speech" trials in Europe made some big news. On February 15, Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff (ESW) was found guilty of hate speech against religion in Austria because of statements she made in a series of seminars about the dangers of Sharia law.
Eternal Vigilance in the Defense of Free Speech: An Interview with Lars Hedegaard
by Ann Snyder • March 3, 2011 at 1:50 pm
| Send |
|
In January Lars Hedegaard, president and founder of the Danish and International Free Press Societies, was acquitted of charges brought under Article 266(b) of the Danish penal code, a "hate speech" provision. Just this past December, Danish MP, Jesper Langballe, rather than endure a circus of a trial "confessed," pleading guilty to violating Article 266(b) for remarks he made in support of Hedegaard.
The Kevin Bacon of American Jihad
by Adam Turner • January 26, 2011 • Pajamas Media
| Send |
|
Revolution Muslim, a U.S.-based radical Islamic jihadist organization, has become the Kevin Bacon of Islamic fundamentalism. Whenever jihadist groups threaten free speech in America or Europe, you can bet an associate of Revolution Muslim is somehow involved.
by Adam Turner • January 13, 2011 at 1:55 pm
| Send |
|
During the last two months, all around the world, the Islamists are on the march:
· In Denmark, five Islamists were arrested for hatching what Danish officials called a plan to "kill as many people as possible" in an assault on the Danish newspaper the Jyllands-Posten daily, which was targeted for its 2005 publication of a dozen cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. According to one source, this is the "seventh attack or threat against the Jyllands-Posten building or someone connected with the newspaper since 2008."
· In Sweden, an Islamist suicide bomber prematurely blew himself up in Stockholm right before Christmas. The bomber was carrying a cocktail of explosives and probably meant to wreak tremendous carnage among Swedish Christmas shoppers.
The latest terrorist tactic: litigation
by Daniel Huff • January 11, 2011 • The Daily Caller
| Send |
|
On December 29, Scandinavian authorities arrested five terrorists planning an attack in Denmark. Almost as interesting as what they targeted is what they spared and the lessons it holds for future counterterrorism efforts.
The plot was to storm the Copenhagen newsroom of Jyllands Posten and murder its staff. It was the fourth attempt this year by Islamic extremists to punish the newspaper that published the Mohammed cartoons. But the terrorists are guilty of selective prosecution. They have yet to strike Politiken, which also published the cartoons, even though its offices are literally next door.
by Ann Snyder • December 31, 2010 at 1:01 pm
| Send |
|
Molly Norris was right, initially at least. The original idea behind "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" was simple. It was a message about the importance of solidarity in defense of something of great value—the cornerstone of our individual liberties—freedom of expression.
Comedy Central, Norris charged, had "cooperated with terrorists" when it censored an episode of South Park. If instead, everyone drew an image of Mohammed, Islamists couldn't possibly silence all of us. Her message echoed Benjamin Franklin's statement at the signing of the Declaration of Independence: "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."
by Ann Snyder • December 20, 2010 at 5:17 pm
| Send |
|
I must confess. Rhetorically, that is. I don't want to give European prosecutors any ideas should I travel abroad!
Perhaps you should confess, too. If you have ever publicly expressed an opinion that somebody, somewhere, might deem offensive, chances are you may have violated any one or number of the "hate speech" laws that have proliferated throughout Europe.
The language of some of these laws is sweeping. These perhaps once, well-intentioned efforts to prevent discrimination now no longer merely threaten to eviscerate free speech rights; they are eviscerating them. Europeans must speak up now, while they still can and remove these insidious laws from the books once and for all.
Unlearning the Lessons Being Taught
by Ann Snyder • December 9, 2010 at 10:49 am
| Send |
|
Islamists aren't the only threat to speech critical of Islam. Many European states, for example, have criminalized speech acts through legally enforced "political correctness" embodied in "hate speech" laws. In America, where it still remains (more or less) legal to think and speak, the assault on free expression is being waged on a different front, our universities. The target? The minds of America's youth.
Far from being bastions of free thought and critical inquiry, our universities, through speech codes, security fees, and other tactics, begin the "political correctness" indoctrination process early, teaching young Americans what they may and may not say (READ: think). Naturally, included in the realm of the verboten is expression deemed critical of Islam.
by Adam Turner • December 2, 2010 at 2:27 pm
| Send |
|
Austrian "hate speech" prosecutors are very busy these days. In addition to going after Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff for "prejudicial incitement," i.e., criticizing Islam and Sharia laws at a seminar, the Austrians found the time to crack down on yet another "Islamophobic" miscreant, a 63 year old Austrian retiree.
Islamic Extremist Targets Facebook Users
by Daniel Huff • October 29, 2010 • FrumForum
| Send |
|
Court documents filed last week reveal Islamic extremists have obtained personal contact information on members of the defiant Facebook group "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day." Zachary Chesser, who provided the information, pled guilty to "communicating threats" and renounced jihad, but the damage was done. Prosecutors say he "seriously endangered the lives of innocent people who will remain at risk for many years to come."
This lasting effect makes it all the more frustrating that authorities did not charge him sooner. He had made very similar threats against the producers of South Park weeks before. The case highlights the urgent need for better legal tools to protect free speech from extremist intimidation.
The Tide Turns for Geert Wilders?
by Ann Snyder • October 22, 2010 at 12:04 pm
| Send |
|
The tide may finally have turned in the trial of Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, who is being prosecuted for "hate speech" for expressing his views on Islam.
This week, Wilders' team has been presenting his defense in the afterglow of last week's statement by prosecutors that all charges against Wilders should be dropped, in part, on the basis that he made his remarks "as a politician…within the context of public debate."
However, the final decision remains in the hands of the court whose ruling is expected by November 5, 2010.
Cowardice Rules on Speech Rights & Islam
by Adam Turner • October 17, 2010 at 10:34 pm
| Send |
|
Recently, I contacted the ACLU of NJ to find out if they were preparing to defend Derek Fenton, the NJ Transit employee fired for burning the Koran. Granted, Mr. Fenton's Koran burning may be considered offensive by some. However, the ACLU is well-known for defending the free speech rights of even the most unsavory characters (e.g., Klansmen, neo-Nazis, communists, etc.). Moreover, experts (including an ACLU spokesman) agree that Mr. Fenton has a strong case.
It's Time to Fight Back Against Death Threats by Islamic Extremists
by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Daniel Huff • September 27, 2010 • Los Angeles Times
| Send |
|
Earlier this year, after Comedy Central altered an episode of "South Park" that had prompted threats because of the way it depicted Islam's prophet Muhammad, Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris proposed an "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day." The idea was, as she put it, to stand up for the 1st Amendment and "water down the pool of targets" for extremists.
The proposal got Norris targeted for assassination by radical Yemeni American cleric Anwar Awlaki, who has been linked to the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight and also to several of the 9/11 hijackers. This month, after warnings from the FBI, Norris went into hiding. The Seattle Weekly said that Norris was "moving, changing her name, and essentially wiping away her identity."
Why Is America Curbing Free Speech, and Giving Extremists What They Want?
by Daniel Huff • September 24, 2010 • FoxNews
| Send |
|
The struggle for civil rights forged a national commitment to preserving free speech in the face of hostile audiences. It is alarming how quickly the Koran controversy has melted that resolve.
Initially, everyone from Mayor Bloomberg to the White House affirmed a right to burn the book even as they condemned the act. Then Gen. David Petraeus got involved, followed by the FBI, and now Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer says Koran burning may not be protected speech after all.
To Secure the Blessings of Liberty
by Ann Snyder • September 18, 2010 at 6:37 pm
| Send |
|
You may not have known but yesterday was Constitution Day. It also marked the beginning of Yom Kippur. While our Jewish friends reflect on the Day of Atonement, let all of us, religious or not, reflect on the significance of September 17, 1787 in our nation's history. On that day, our nation, born out of revolution, underwent a radical restructuring of its national government and survived with its founding principles intact. We had endured our violent beginning and our first tumultuous years together as a people.
Pelosi threatens speech rights … and gets what she wants?
by Adam Turner • September 10, 2010 at 9:08 am
| Send |
|
On August 18, 2010 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi waded into the increasingly divisive Ground Zero Mosque & Community Center (GZMCC) debate by stating "There is no question there is a concerted effort to make this a political issue by some. And I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded. How is this being ginned up…" Perhaps after being told by her staff of the plain meaning of the First Amendment, the next day Pelosi "clarified" her prior statement, saying that she did not actually favor a blatantly unconstitutional "congressional inquiry" but instead merely supported "the statement made by the Interfaith Alliance that 'We agree with the (Anti-Defamation League) that there is a need for transparency about who is funding the effort to build this Islamic center. At the same time, we should also ask who is funding the attacks against the construction of the center.'"
OIC: Petraeus Guilty of Islamophobia
by Nathaniel Sugarman • August 20, 2010 at 12:52 pm
| Send |
|
The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) labeled Gen. David Petreaus's counter-insurgency manual a "manifestation of Islamophobia" in their latest bulletin. The bulletin includes text from an article titled "Petraeus wrote anti-Islamic manual" published by the Iranian news organization, PressTV. Presumably, the document is "Islamophobic" because, according to the article, it "details an alleged link between Muslim groups and terrorists" and utilizes terms such as "Islamic insurgents" and "Islamic extremists." Perhaps also a "manifestation of Islamophobia" from the OIC's perspective is Petraeus's flouting of the White House policy to ban the word "Islam" in describing America's enemies.
The SPEECH Act Should Not Pre-empt State Law
by Daniel Huff • August 9, 2010 • The National Law Journal
| Send |
|
A federal law passed in late July making it harder to enforce foreign libel judgments is great news for journalists in 46 states. Unfortunately, for those in the remaining four, it may have the unintended consequence of weakening the protection they already enjoy under analogous state law provisions.
Congress passed the Speech Act to combat "libel tourism," the practice of intimidating U.S. authors by suing them in foreign jurisdictions less protective of free speech rights.
Plaintiffs know American libel law provides broad protection for journalists, including a heightened burden of proof on plaintiffs and searching appellate review of jury awards, resulting in 70% of them being overturned.
Denmark: Prosecution of Free Speech Advocate May Prompt Changes to Racism Laws
by Nathaniel Sugarman • August 6, 2010 at 2:23 pm
| Send |
|
On August 4, 2010, the Public Prosecutor for Copenhagen charged International Free Press Society (IFPS) president Lars Hedegaard with racism. The IFPS describes itself as an organization "exclusively devoted to defending the right of free expression."
Geert Wilders Lauds Legal Project
"Last June, I was acquitted of all charges by an Amsterdam court. The Middle East Forum's Legal Project ... was always there to help, advise and assist ... The importance of the MEF's Legal Project in reclaiming free expression and political discourse ... cannot be overestimated."
— Geert Wilders, September 29, 2011
Latest Blog Posts
- North American Muslims Join Effort to Support Husain Haqqani
- Update on State Department-OIC Conference in DC: "The Istanbul Process"
- Why is the Obama Administration Giving the OIC a Say in Our Right to Free Speech?
- GMU Law Holds its Ground on Free Speech
- Geert Wilders' Acquittal: An Important First Step for Free Speech in the Netherlands
News
Recent Articles
Latest LP in the Media
- [Danish] Når det brænder i teatret
- Douglas Murray in Copenagen
- [Danish] Ytringsfriheden i Europa og USA: Kan vi lære noget af amerikanerne?
- LP Fellow Ann Snyder Speaks at Conference in Denmark, Free Speech in Europe and America: Can We Learn Anything From the Americans?
- [Danish] Amerikanske tilstande for det frie ord, tak
Most Viewed
Most Mailed
- Why is the Obama Administration Giving the OIC a Say in Our Right to Free Speech?
- Update on State Department-OIC Conference in DC: "The Istanbul Process"
- Thought Control on Islam
- Memorandum submitted by Brooke M. Goldstein, Director, The Legal Project at the Middle East Forum
- Anti-SLAPP Statutes in the US by State
© 2012 The Legal Project.