FREEDOM OF SPEECH / FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION


FREEDOM OF SPEECH / FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak without censorship and/or limitation. The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes used to indicate not only freedom of verbal speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used [United Nations, 1966, 1976]. The right to freedom of speech is recognized as a human right under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized in international human rights law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The ICCPR recognizes the right to freedom of speech as "the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression". Furthermore freedom of speech is recognized in European, inter-American and African regional human rights law [United Nations, 1966, 1967]. Freedom of speech, or the freedom of expression, is recognized in international and regional human rights law. The right is enshrined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights [Andrew Puddephatt & Hodder Arnold, 2005; Kumar, Ambika, 2006].

In Islamic ethics freedom of speech was first declared in the Rashidun period by the caliph Umar in the 7th century. In the Abbasid Caliphate period, freedom of speech was also declared by al-Hashimi (a cousin of Caliph al-Ma'mun) in a letter to one of the religious opponents he was attempting to convert through reason.

According to George Makdisi and Hugh Goddard, "the idea of academic freedom" in universities was "modelled on Islamic custom" as practiced in the medieval Madrasah system from the 9th century. Islamic influence was "certainly discernible in the foundation of the first deliberately-planned university" in Europe [Boisard, Marcel A., 1980].

* Selected REFERENCES / Sources:


Amnesty International: Annual Reports: URLhttp://www.amnesty.org/ailib/aireport/index.html Andrew Puddephatt & Hodder Arnold. (2005). Freedom of Expression: The Essentials of Human Rights. United Publishers. Boisard, Marcel A. (July 1980), "On the Probable Influence of Islam on Western Public and International Law", International Journal of Middle East Studies 11 (4): 429–50. Goddard, Hugh. (2000). A History of Christian-Muslim Relations. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Kumar, Ambika. (2006). ‘Using Courts to Enforce the Free Speech Provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.’ Published by Chicago Journal of International Law. Summer 2006. URLhttp://www.allbusiness.com/corporate-governance/4082846-1.html United Nations: ‘International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.’ Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16th December 1966: Entry into force 23 March 1976, in accordance with Article 49. URLhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/ccpr.htm (United Nations) Wikipedia. (2010). ‘Freedom of Speech.’ Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. URLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_expression

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15 January 2010

Burj Khalifa (Burj Dubai)






Burj Khalifa (Burj Dubai)




Thousands of cheering, clapping spectators watched as a tally projected on huge screens at the opening ceremony revealed the tower's most closely guarded secret -- its height of 2,717 feet (828 metres). That made it more than 1,000 feet (305 metres) higher than the skyscraper known as Taipei 101 in Taiwan, which at 1,667 feet (508 metres) had been the world's tallest since 2004.




Comment:

IT’S A brilliant and excellent achievement, the ‘tallest building’ in the world, right here in Dubai. It’s a monumental landmark since the fall of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey, and the continual downfall of Muslim intellects, but their raise especially in the 1990s and 2000s are also encouraging. With Muslim countries producing many local intellects.

Thus, I would just wish that Dubai, United Arab Emirate, Saudi Arabia, and other oil rich countries in the middle-east would provide generous ‘International Scholarships’ to international students (especially Muslim), so that they can take up academic candidature (or residential) at established universities in the middle-east and/or in Europe, USA, UK, Japan, South Korea, and so forth.

It is only through generous scholarship offers to deserving Muslim that the world Muslim intellect can grow and prosper, and once again redeem the excellency of the teaching of Islam, which promote not only the teaching of the verses of the Quran and Sunnah, but also the development of science and technology - knowledge and innovation.

The tallest building doesn’t mean anything to other Muslim if it just stand where it is and not baring any ‘fruits’ to its inhabitants or other Muslim.

The tallest building doesn’t mean anything if it was just mean only for ‘showmanship’, that costs billions of dollars.



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