What Price Freedom?

As an academic institution, devoted to freedom of

inquiry and speech, it is not possible for the IHC
o
u ity to ig ore last eek s tragi e e ts i
Paris and the global outpouring of solidarity that
they provoked.
Now that we have had a few days for reflection, it
seems to me that we can all learn some important
lessons. Here are some things I feel are important
to remember.

We must not be afraid. If we cease to

speak out for freedom, if we censor
ourselves, the terrorists win.
We must defend freedom of speech, not when we agree with the speaker, but when we
strongly disagree. In the US, the Supreme Court protects the right to speech of Nazis, the Ku
Klux Klan and others whose views are shameful, because freedom is indivisible. Both Islam (in all
its forms), and critics of Islam, have a right to be heard and to be answered with speech, not
with violence.
We must never equate Islam with terrorism. At the same time we must acknowledge reality: it is
tur oil i Musli o
u ities that is ge erati g this e il. I the ords of ajid Ja id, Britai s
Secretary of State for Culture quite likely the next leader of the ruling Conservative Party, and
from a Muslim background himself There is a spe ial urde o Musli
o
u ities,
because whether we like it or not, these terrorists call themselves Muslims. It is no good for
people to say they are not Muslims: that is what they call themselves. They try to take what is a
great pea eful religio a d arp it for their o
ea s. BBC, Ja uary 11 . Those of us ho are
not Muslims must support our Muslim friends and encourage all who struggle for decency and
understanding, but avoid preaching or meddling.
We must be grateful to the many Islamic leaders who spoke out quickly and forcefully against
the terrorists, and who marched in Paris in solidarity i ludi g the UAE s Foreig Mi ister,
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan. Leaders from Jordan, Egypt, Algeria and elsewhere joined
him. Thank you!
We must remember that it is not only freedom of speech that must be defended, but the basic
rights of millions in places where the conflict between extremism and civilization is being fought.
While the world turned its eyes to Paris, in the same week it paid little attention to, for example,
the killing of more than 2,000 people by Boko Haram in Nigeria, or the reopening of the school
in Pakistan where last month the Taliban killed 140 students. The right to education and
indeed, the right to life is as important as the rights to freedom of speech and belief.

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In response to the murders in Paris, the head of my own faith, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin
Wel y, t eeted: The respo se to su h de o i iole e is lo e for those who suffer, and virtuous
a tio agai st e il. For IHC, our irtuous a tio is to pro ote tolera e a d u dersta di g through
critical thinking, discussion and debate: the essence of a 21st century education. It is through education
that the evils of ignorance and fear will be overcome, and overcome they surely will be.

- Chris Hall
President, International Horizons College

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