Hate speech

I’d like to imagine myself as free speech purist, but I can’t bring myself to it. Lines are meant to be crossed. Mores usually depend on community values. But we are becoming a world community.

There is no room for hate speech.

Regional chapters of the Council on American-Islamic relations issued this fatwa, or legal opinion, "we unequivocally condemn terrorism and abhor the use of violence against innocent people in the name of Islam. The fatwa decidedly states that violence and extremism has no place in Islam."

Yet an article in the Ivestor’s Business Daily a week later says, “If CAIR is not tied to terrorism, why not clear the air at a televised hearing?"

Chicago Muslim leaders at the July press conference also encouraged mosques to include the "anti-terror fatwa" in their Friday prayers.

CAIR’s website prominently displays the organization’s denunciations of violence. Apparently public and private denunciations are not enough to prevent slander.

Furthermore, Muslims are not trying "Islamisize" America. The fatwa says, "Muslims have a religious obligation to contribute constructivelyto any society in which they live – to champion what is good and challenge what is evil." (emphasis mine)

Wow, it sounds like something Tony Blair should say. Instead, Blair threatens to deport foreigners who incite terrorism. This paints an inaccurate and xenophobic view of people who are, like many of our ancestors were, immigrants.

Maybe the U.S. government should make hate speech illegal. Should we muzzle the people who encourage extremism and include white Americans named Timothy?

We need to look inwardly and see that we maybe we are fostering an idealogy of hate within our country. Freedom of speech comes with a responsibility.