Back in 1989, when the publication of Salman Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses sparked a new phenomenon of protests from Muslims - particularly by those in the West - I was a student body senator at the University of California at Berkeley, where the Free Speech Movement was born in the 1960s. Two bookstores were firebombed - apparently in retaliation for the book - though without a claim of responsibility. Along with several other Muslim students, I appeared on local television to denounce the bombings and state our belief that while Muslims could understandably be offended, no one had the right to impose censorship or intimidate others with threats to their safety or property.

That situation put us in the unique position of being targets of abuse by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, who either painted us as whitewashing a desire to impose our beliefs on others (this from the public in general) or apologizing for a legitimate Muslim rage, regardless of whether it had crossed the line into violence (this from fellow Muslims). It was a paradox that has repeated itself many times in the 20 years since, most recently with the Danish cartoons and the violent reactions that some Muslims around the world had to them.

Some of the more abrasive encounters between Muslims and others during this time have not centered around politics or foreign policy, but rather in this arena of free expression. Muslims have naturally taken exception to the way their faith has been portrayed by some artists, writers, and academics. Non-Muslims have, in turn, criticized some books by Muslims that are offensive, along with the institutions that sell them (as have we, incidentally). In both cases, people often talk at and over each other rather than to each other. Ideas are not exchanged, and the cycle continues unabated.

So why do Muslims appear to be so sensitive about what the media says about them? Muslims have generally felt embattled during the past few decades as their media image becomes increasingly unrepresentative of the average Muslim. As they struggle against this imagery, they are told that the pre-requisite for changing it is for them to meaningfully change the behavior of extremist Muslims, who exist far outside their sphere of influence - often a half a world away. Muslims in this position feel they have no other choice but to push back harder against portrayals that are insulting or misrepresenting. Some, unfortunately, push too far. But Muslims aren't alone in this. Voices that seek to marginalize the presence of Muslims in public discourse routinely do the same.

Two recent examples illustrate this: the attempts by New York congressman Peter King and others to have "Why Islam" ads banned from NYC subways (based only on the reputation of an external supporter of them) and calls by some to prevent publication of the forthcoming book Jewel of Medina. Neither effort has succeeded in effectively dealing with controversy, which will remain dormant only to reappear another day.

Watching this exchange over time has taught me that the best response to free speech is simply more speech in return. Anyone should have the right to publish whatever they want about Islam or Muslims - even if their views are offensive - without fear of censorship or retribution. Muslims, however, shouldn't be expected to be passive consumers of these views. An offended Muslim has the right - indeed, the responsibility - to vigorously critique anything written about them or their religion, provided they do not cross the line into intimidation and coercion. In an ideal world, both parties would open their minds enough to understand the other point of view.

Getting people on both sides of this equation to follow these guidelines will take a lot of reconditioning. But the alternative - a hyper-sensitive Muslim community that is unable to constructively respond to external criticism (or internal criticism, for that matter), coupled with a journalistic/artistic/secular community that feels genuine fear and is prevented from free expression - cannot be an option. We are witnessing today the stagnation and increased misunderstanding that comes from a stifled discourse.

Ultimately, no one has the absolute right not to be offended, nor does anyone have the right to live without the uncomfortable opinions of others. This is true whether it concerns flag burning (which should harm nothing other than a piece of cloth) or non-Muslim views of the Prophet Muhammad (which should not have an impact on a Muslim's sincere belief). Religion and a universal sense of civility both dictate that emotions be kept in check to preserve social order. In such an environment, the freedom to speak openly - and all the benefits that come from it - can flourish.

To move forward, we all need to develop thicker skins, more open minds, and a common understanding of the principles of free speech, such as those that influenced me as a student and allowed me to subsequently influence others. Only then will everyone - Muslim and non-Muslim - be able to progress their societies and simultaneously preserve their rights.

(Photo: Michael Bina via flickr under a Creative Commons license)

"O you who believe! If a person comes to you with news, verify it, lest you harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful to what you have done." (Al-Hujurat 49:6)

Hijab baba, open up your hijab and listen for a change instead of shouting...Even if Europeans are as morally bankrupt as your madressah mullah has drilled into your numb-nut, it still is a life they chose for themselves. Who are you to come and tell them it is better for their women to wear burkas and men to wear hijabs like you?

Weisskopf ....

Also remember there are plenty of Muslims, myself included, who do not want to live under a taliban-style totalitarian regime. I have never owned a burqa in my life, and I only wear a head cover in a mosque, or when it rains. Be aware that, like the burning bra of the 1960s, hijab had undergone a renaissance of sorts as a symbol of either main stream piety or political solidarity, during which it has become the "logo" of Islam it seems. What saddens me is there is a profound and vast amount of important elements to Islam that are getting lost as it seems to become nothing but an Muslim Amish obsession with two issues: A frumpy head scarf that is nothing like the fabulous veils of head wraps of traditional cultural Islam, and a segragation of the sexes. This baffles me, although I understand that these two elements are easy to focus on, they are highly visible to both sides of the debate,and they often foster a sense of martyrdom and suffering silently for the faith when people think more about clothes than Allah. And perhaps most interesting, it allows for a complete lockdown on societies by governments who find such a lock down very, very useful.

>> Even if Europeans are as morally bankrupt as your madressah mullah has drilled into your numb-nut, it still is a life they chose for themselves. Who are you to come and tell them it is better for their women to wear burkas and men to wear hijabs like you? <<

Well dumbkopf, I must say you are a real headcase. Firstly, YOU are the one who has a problem with women wearing burqas and hijabs. Especially in your own backyard, it seems to bother you to no end why women are choosing to wear hijab when they could be running around buck naked without any reprecussions.

I personally have absolutely no problem with women in Western societies doing what they please, nor have I made any comments to the contrary. So get your head out of the sand and skewer in your own self-made misery. It gives me great pleasure to see you rotting in your own misery and lack of sprititual depth.

What I have a problem is with Western racism and hypocrisy and self-delusions. After murdering and raping and enslaving all corners of the world through colonialism for 200 years, and then killing each other (and everybody else on the planet) in a series of brutal world wars, and then using the third world as a weapons of mass destruction "practice range" for the past 50 years, I find it very annoying for someone like that to be giving a lecture to Muslims on how to treat their women or for that matter on any social or moral or judicial aspect of life.

The problem is compounded by self-deluded "Dumbkopf Wannabes" like =Akenanubis= who pop up in America after being granted a visa, move into rich uppity parts of NY State, and pretend that they are now some cultured enlightened being free from "Taliban-style totalitarianism". The Burqa is not on their heads, its covering their eyes and clouding their brain. Its better to have a burqa covering ones head then a burqa covering ones brain.

Freedom of speech? No such thing. A convenient lie of great political import. Wonder what David Irving has to say about that...

Hajibaba .....

You are clearly on a pre-recorded rant and are not listening to the people you are responding to. You have passionate ideas to put out and that's great. I was never granted a visa to come to the United States because I am an American citizen born and raised in the United States of European parentage. But I am curious which part of the US you are referring to when you say the alternative to the burqa is US women running around buck naked without any repercussions. I have never seen a naked person of either sex on the streets of any US city. But you do seem more interested in flinging snarky names at posters as a segue to resubmit your rant. A lot of people, myself included, probably agree with what you are saying about about US imperialism etc. But I suppose it's more fun to have a having target to fire at rather than just calmly sharing views with others. I'm done.

Looks like hijab baba's hijab is coming undone! Watch out! we may see the bald-headed monster unveiled!

>Watch out! we may see the bald-headed monster unveiled!<

Your rabbi's been mooning people again?

The courts are corrupt and settign goods up to fail. Kids that would have been great productive citizens grow up in an environment that changes their values and morals they once had. please read story, sign petition, and help.
Please sign the petition if you agree. Please send the petiton to all you know.The link is below: Please copy and paste URL into your browser. Thank you.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savethemuhammedkids1234/


The petition

The court has not repsected the kid's rights to have a safe, drug free,sex abuse free, nurturing environment. Instead they have been subjected to drug abuse, felony sex abuse, neglect, mental abuse, and physical abuse. Kids were told by mom that she wouldn't ever want to see them again if dad got custody so they opt to not say anything when given the chance because of the pressure of what mom said- the mental abuse. The kids have said without saying that they do want help but they don't want to be the reason why they are saved or taken away from mom since this is something they would have to live with but can and will accept it being done by the hands of someone else- the cry out for help. With all the evidence against the mom, the courts did not remove the kids yet they did take summer's away from dad but allowed him to keep his every weekend parenting time and increase child support to mom as a result of him taking her to court about the drug abuse and sex abuse. Both mom and minor have failed drug tests, furthermore,Father had to find out of the abuse from the mom's own mother whom had to hear it from someone else. Her own mom has called CPS on her, doctor's have called CPS on her, neighbors have called CPS on her, and the cops threatened to call CPS on her because she wouldn't cooperate with the investigation, but to no avail. She didn't even take the minor to the hospital after learning of the repeated felony sexual abuse-the neglect. Also these disgusting acts happened during the times that the dad was suppose to have minor but mom did not send her out of vengence.-Kept child from loving and caring dad but failed to protect minor from felon who lived at their home. Lets save these kids, godwilling. All it takes is a signature. If you feel as though if evidence can prove all the above allegations are indeed true, again, only if the evidence presented to the court does indeed prove all the abuse above to be true, then the kids should very well be removed from this custodial home then please sign this petition. Again the evidence presented to the courts include, repeated felony sex abuse of a minor in mom's custody during the dad's parenting time weekends(the felon aka cousin's live in boyfriend at mom's home is in jail awaiting trial right now), drug use/abuse of adult and minor(test were given to both and both mom and child failed for same drug also mom's van was confiscated by police in 2007 because of the same drug in van)-courts gave a sob story as to why she can't take kids to doctor's or get employment because of no transportation when the same courts have evidence and knows that the van was impounded on drug offense so now she's the victim and still didn't learn her lesson because she failed a drug test on June 18, 2008, physical abuse of minor, mental abuse of minor, and neglect of minor(minor was not taken to doctor's, hospital or nothing after sexual assault until dad found out about the assault over a month later, then he took the minor right away; she was more concerned about dad finding out and losing custody than the possibility of the minor being pregnant or have a STD),so because of this lack of evidence this also makes the case weak so the felon may very well get off. The Friend of the Court's solution to all of this was to take summer time away from the dad so the kids are forced to be in this environment even more so and to increase his child support payments, and take his legal custody away. Dad is drug free, has religious morals, Works and Goes to school, currently has one son and three step kids.The kids in his care are on honor roll and doing well.This man had tears in his eyes when he asked for my help, he wonders if one of the kids would have to die before they finally help them, so here I am trying to get him help. Please sign petition and please pass it on. These kids need our help.THERE IS MORE TO THIS STORY BUT YOU HAVE TO GO TO PETITION FOR THE REST OF IT.

This isn't a petition, it is a list of allegations.
Why should we believe your side?
What exactly re you doing here, anyway?

If the courts didn't accept the evidence presented, and gave custody to the mother- how can we make a decision based on one side's perspective?

In no way is this a list of allegations. The courts have the evidence and unfortunately the courts are biased. As stated in petiton, if evidence proves all this to be true then sign petition and I say this with conviction because we have the evidence. Drug tests failed at the court is evidence they have for themselves????? Drug confiscated for drug trafficing?????? Man in jail right now awaiting DNA off of a mattress because mom didn't take girl to hospital??????? Mrs. A, its people like yourself that are keeping the kids in this environment. Evidence pretty clear. I'm 29 and had my license since 16. Never had a caqr taken away for one, especially for drugs. Never been on drugs let alone failed a drug tests for jobs. Oh yea and oddly enough I have never put my kids, Thank God, in a position to be raped by a felon. He was a felon before the rape, now he is a 2 time felon. So if you think there is a side to believe after all these events then hey thats on you but for all those who want to help and like I said only if evidence can prove all the abuse and I stressed only if evidence shows these are indeed true then these kids need to be removed out of harms way then sign petition. I sure hope you don't have kids of your own Mrs. A. Allegations are something that needs to be proven, these incidents have taken place. The courts knows she failed the test, minor failed tests, cops have the van, felon in jail, hope you figure all this ut one day but unfortunately the kids can't wait that long. Please help save these kids. thank you.

There are always 2 sides to every story. If the evidence presented didn't convince the court- why would you imagine it will convince strangers on the net?
You're not telling a story that is understandable- but listing things.
Why not tell your story?
There is no way to verify if you are presenting information that is true- you may just be an angry ex-husband or relative of an angry ex-husband.


"Mrs. A, its people like yourself that are keeping the kids in this environment. Evidence pretty clear."

Do you really imagine that insulting a stranger will strengthen your allegations? They are allegations to me as I don't have any idea if what you say is fact or fiction.

I also now the damage one can cause with petitions in court.
Put your energy into making sure the child, and the mother too- get some counseling.

Surely the court gave a reason when it rendered it's decision to keep the children with the mother.
What was that reason?

Yea the reason is they are biased. The reason is in the state of Michigan they profit off the neglect and abuse of kids. I am a mother and I know these kids. I have witnessed these kids cry on many occassion and witnessed dad try to get couseling for minor but mom refused to let the child get help since she's with mom during the week. It may be hard for you to believe this woman is that sick but it is what it is. i have nothing to prove to you but as you say you know the damage petitions can do which I already figured you are just another biased person who have been affected by someting and just another person not thinking about the kids just about what petitions can do. To all others, all the evidence is self incriminating. Noone told the mom to do drugs, the minor is influenced by the mom, noone told the mom not to take minor to doctor's after rape, mom chose not to do this, no one told her not to take minor to police for report, this is something mom chose to do on her own, no one told mom to have drugs in the van, this is something she chooses to do, so EVERYONE who are willing to help will sign petition. We hope mom does get help she needs but the kids dont have to suffer, be on drugs because of their mom's influence, get raped because of who she lets live in the house, not get taken to the doctors because mom needs help herself. Noone, no child deserves to suffer because a grown person can't get themselves together. Again, if you were insulted,you came at me calling real events,allegations so whatever response you received was well deserved. you are not my focus but helping these kids are, and the more remarks you make out of ignorance, gives me more reason to share more of the story. If you are not signing the petition, then I am okay with that. Maybe its your own conscious of knowing that you should but wont, take that up with yourself. Again to others with a sound mind, if you understand the words, only if evidence proves all the above allegations are true then indeed the kids should be removed from the home then please sign petition.

No court of law is going to consider the signed petition of a bunch of strangers off the internet. If they do, then we are in worse trouble than we already know. In any event, that is not the purpose of this web site or this thread.

Well my petition is a civil liberty of free speech, expression, and yes it is a two way street. The petition has nothing to do with the strangers on the internet yet their concern about whats being said about the environment of the kids. Whats frightening are people who don't get that. Its about these kids environment no matter the who, what, when, where, or why. I don't need to know anyone to recognize abuse when I see or hear it. Also because you are not the all knower you can not speak on what a court of law will and will not consider. I'll keep my faith in God and not what you think. So there you go. My petition is a reflection of the THREAD at hand because although I have freedom of speech, religion, freedom to petition, you still have people who instead of just not signing the petition and moving on, they just feel the need to put it down. I pray that you will never need help like this in your life time because it may come back to bite you in the behind. I try to watch how I treat people because you never know when you may be in their shoes. NOW THATS FREE SPEECH FOR YOU.

Well Stayc- we still don't know what decision the court rendered-
And, as you stated- free speech abounds and that includes mine, as well as everyone elses.
In case you haven't notcied, the title of this thread is "Free speech is a 2 way street".
Indeed.

I DID actually ask you with an open mind to present your opinion.
I sign many pettitons, but only because I am fully cognizant of their position.

May ALLAH bless you as you deserve to be blessed.

And May Allah bless you as well. Ameen.