The Knife attack on a church in Nice, France is terrible. The killing of french teacher Samuel Paty is condemnable. Every time someone draws a picture of prophet muhammad (SW) or mock prophet muhammad (SW) muslims around the world gets upset and scared. Not only because the picture or cartoon hurts their feelings but few extremist are scoping out their opportunity to establish their name. A few extremists who does not follow Islam just uses the name of Islam to do these terrible attacks in order to establish themselves. These condemnable attacks are not related to Islam what so ever.
After the killing of french teacher Samuel Paty, President of France said it is freedom of expression and that is when I decided to write this piece.
Freedom of Speech and Freedom of expression are one of the most important tool for an oppressed population against a powerful adversary. The value of freedom of speech and freedom of expression are limitless if you don’t have it. In the year of 2020, If you don’t come from dictator ruled Bangladesh or don’t live in occupied Palestine or live in occupied Kashmir or not a muslim minority in India or a baloch in Pakistan or a uyghur muslim living in China or not living in communist Cuba, China, North Korea, Venezuela or living in Russia or an african american in the USA or not living in 17 dictator ruled African nation or part of LGTBQ community, It’s possible you may not know the true meaning of freedom of speech and freedom expression.
Before you think it is your freedom of speech and freedom expression to say or do something that may offend millions of people, you must ask yourself three questions, Could you? Should you? and Why not? Let me give you some demonstration.
Could you, call the “N” word to an african american person? Yes if you think it’s your freedom speech. Should you, call the “N” word to an african american person? No, you are being politically correct and considerate. Why not? because by saying that word you are going to offend millions of african americans and you don’t want to hurt their feelings. So you are not going to use that word anywhere.
Another example, Could you, say the “F” word in american national TV? Yes if you think it’s your freedom of speech. Should you, say the “F” word in american national TV? no, it’s frowned upon. Why not? because it is not polite to say the “F” word in front of young audience, in this case millions. You are not going to expose that word to millions of potential under aged viewer, you are being careful to save the feelings of young viewers and their parents.
Even though we could say or do many things to offend people, eventually we don’t do or say those things, because we are being politically correct and out respect to millions of people’s feelings.
Look no one stopping you to go around and start offending everyone comes in your way, you can do that, all we are (muslims of the world ) asking you to be politically correct.
If you take look at the number of large protests in last couple of decades where muslims around the world came out to the streets and start protesting, all of those protests came after someone draw a picture of prophet muhammad (SW) or made a parody movie mocking the prophet muhammad (SW) or published a book mocking prophet muhammad(SW) or similar actions. If those people took the feelings of billions of muslims into consideration and did not committed those actions, we would not see those protests.
Majority of the muslim world living a hard life, trying to make ends meet. They are peaceful people. they wouldn’t have to protest in the first place if some one was decent enough to took people’s feelings in to consideration.
All we are (muslims of the world) asking is please don’t draw or mock our prophet, thats it. Try to be politically correct and take people’s feelings in to consideration.
Even after you know your words or actions will hurt millions of peoples feelings and you do it anyway, that’s not freedom speech that’s WILLFUL OFFENDING.
