Blasphemy Laws and the Threat to Free Speech

It was only when the late Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of the novelist Salman Rushdie that many westerners realized the dangers of being accused of blasphemy or 'insulting religion' in the Muslim world. Currently, accusations of "blasphemy," "apostasy," or "insulting Islam" are increasingly used by authoritarian governments and extremist forces in the Muslim world to acquire and consolidate power. These accusations, which traditionally carry the death penalty, intimidate not only converts and heterodox groups, but also political and religious reformers. Despite the repressive effects of these restrictions, many Western governments are adopting similar restrictions. They are usually called anti-'hate speech' or 'discriminatory speech' restrictions. However, they are de facto blasphemy laws in the West and threaten to stifle commentary on and within Islam and other religions.

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Dr. Paul Marshall is a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom and the author and editor of more than twenty books on religion and politics, especially religious freedom. His most recent book is "Silenced: How Apostasy and Blasphemy Codes Are Choking Freedom Worldwide".