On September 30, 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published a series of twelve editorial cartoons, some of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, which sparked one of the largest collective shit-storms of censorship and free speech rights the world has seen to date. There were riots, threats of violence, death threats, front-page headlines, rallies, counter-rallies, and everything in between. This event served as the proverbial “shot heard around the world” for the present day dialogue on free speech, culminating in discussion of a non-binding “anti-blasphemy” resolution at the United Nations.
Blasphemy day, which takes place on September 30 to commemorate the publication of these cartoons, is a celebration of our right to free speech, and a reminder that there is still a very real threat in this world to people being able to express their ideas freely, and without fear of reprisal. It is my firm belief that all ideologies should be subjected to fair and open criticism, and that laws should exist to protect the rights of people — not sacred cows. Does that mean some people will get offended? Sure. However, the minute you step into a free and democratic society, based on the notion that not everybody does (or wants to) live their life in the same way that you do, you forfeit your right to not be offended.
With this in mind, the University of Toronto Secular Alliance, joined by the Centre for Inquiry, took to the streets yesterday to create a “free speech zone” on the University of Toronto’s campus. We set up an information booth, showed “blasphemous” videos, allowed people to write blasphemous messages on a public notice board, and generally allowed people to speak their mind. I am happy to say that we had a wide spectrum of people show up — not just atheists and agnostics. People chose to express their opinions in different ways — from shouting matches to quiet conversations — and it was all done in the spirit of free speech and diversity of opinions. The event was a huge success, and I am proud to have been able to take part.
Below are some of the photos from the event:
The full set can be found on Flickr, here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mgerskup/sets/72157622490928466/
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Also, while we’re on the issue of free expression, I’m happy to announce that I will be contributing to a new Canadian Skeptic’s blog called Skeptic North. The site just launched today, and I’ll be submitting my first contribution this weekend. There are some very talented people contributing to this blog, so why not go check it out?
