Free Speech? For whom?

Submitted by Vincent (United States), Jan 16, 2004 at 04:57

A testament to the liberal decadence and political correctness infecting the west is the ease with which neo-nazis and radical islamicists continue to get away with abusing western secular and enlightened rationalism under the cloak of those very values of toleration, mutuality and free speech. Of course, there is no quid pro quo in this: islamic societies continue to viciously persecute religious minorities and to lock up and silence secularists and dissidents just as the Nazis did. Try building a church in Mecca or a synagogue in Medina or try getting a license for a Christian TV channel in Saudi Arabia. The alliance between radical Islam and the rabid anti-semiticism of the Neo-Nazi far right is clear. The attacks, in countries such as France, upon Jewish synagogues, Jewish cemeteries and Jewish citizens are sometimes carried out by the neo-nazis of the Front Nationale and sometimes by radical Islamic groups.

They are indistinguishable in their contempt for enlightenment values and for human dignity: by their deeds shalt thou know them.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".