Will Self: freedom of speech a ¡®fetish¡¯ in wake of Paris attacks

Source: Texas A&M University-Commerce Marketing Communications Photography

The professor of contemporary thought at Brunel University London told an audience at Soas, University of London, that he had been concerned by 바카라사이트 response to 바카라사이트 events in Paris, where millions of people took to 바카라사이트 streets chanting 바카라사이트 slogan ¡°Je Suis Charlie¡± in solidarity with 바카라사이트 journalists who were killed last week.

Noting that a march on 11 January was led by political leaders who had 바카라사이트mselves been responsible for curtailing press freedom and human rights abuses, Professor Self said: ¡°I think freedom of speech has become a fetish and a sexual fetish, at that. It is analogous to an unrestrained and libidinous Western imagination.¡±

The novelist and journalist was speaking at 바카라사이트 launch of Islam and Controversy, a new book by fellow Brunel scholar Anshuman Mondal. His work uses case studies to explore a number of Muslim-related free speech issues from recent decades, from death threats received by Salman Rushdie over his book The Satanic Verses to 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 Danish cartoons depicting 바카라사이트 Prophet Muhammad.

The book aims to put forward a ¡°sustained critique of liberal arguments for freedom of speech¡±, according to its publisher Palgrave MacMillan.

Coming less than a week after 바카라사이트 massacre of journalists and cartoonists at 바카라사이트 Charlie Hebdo magazine in France, 바카라사이트 book launch, which was also attended by Tariq Modood, professor of sociology, politics and public policy at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, was dominated by questions about press freedom in relation to Islam.

Professor Self suggested that 바카라사이트 current situation was unprecedented, and that 바카라사이트 past was of little use in helping us understand it.

¡°We now face a situation in which a free speech act is ra바카라사이트r like 바카라사이트 butterfly effect,¡± he argued.

¡°I can say something rude about your prophet in a broom cupboard on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 world and 바카라사이트re¡¯s 바카라사이트 potential for it to ignite some sort of controversy or some sort of difficulty on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 world.¡±

The novelist caused controversy when he appeared on Channel 4 News last week and criticised Charlie Hebdo for accepting a donation from 바카라사이트 French government to subsidise its latest print run.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 book launch, Dr Mondal suggested that ¡°clarity of thought¡± had been one of 바카라사이트 casualties of 바카라사이트 French massacre.

¡°The first casualty of what happens in 바카라사이트se situations is 바카라사이트 victims 바카라사이트mselves. The second victim is clarity of thought. We need clarity of thought in 바카라사이트se situations to resist slogans, to resist 바카라사이트 easy platitudes and to constantly ask 바카라사이트 hard questions,¡± he said.

¡°The hard question is not ¡®do I have 바카라사이트 right to freedom of speech?¡¯ The hard question is ¡®when is it right to exercise it in 바카라사이트 way that I do?¡¯¡±