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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09 February 2010

Australian Police Lame Job ?!

(9th February 2010)
Bashing victim waits hours for help
AAP February 9, 2010, 9:08 am

A mother was put on life support after a horrific domestic assault that Gold Coast police took several hours to respond to. The woman's nine-year-old son witnessed the attack and told police his mother was like "a rag doll" following Saturday's sustained, 90-minute attack, The Courier-Mail reports.

Police are under fire for their handling of the incident. Officers were responding to a triple-zero call reporting the domestic dispute when they were diverted to another job.

By the time they arrived at the Burleigh Waters unit, up to three-and-a-half hours after being called, the woman was unconscious in a pool of blood, The Courier-Mail said.

The attack was so violent that her blood was found on the ceiling, it said. She was put on life support and remains in hospital in intensive care.

Police have launched an internal investigation into the handling of the incident.

The bashed woman's partner faced Southport Magistrates Court on Monday, charged with grievous bodily harm.


Comment:
Another lame job by the Australian Police. To say that the police salary is inadequate, hence leading to job complacency is not true as the salary scale in Australia for police officer is among the highest in Europe. So what could be the result of the lame job? IT’S the ‘attitude problem’ that need immediate reformation. Police tend to write-off small cases, and assume the incident will fix on its own… Hence it has, resulting in a woman in the ICU.

Also IF you are an Asian, or African, or Muslim, your case would also be brush off too! I heard of Mosque’s Imam complaining of incidents of stealing around the mosque, and an Asian reporting to police on minor car accident (that authentically occurred !) in order to claim for car insurance (to have his car fix), and others, have been brush-off and delay, with no result, till now.

Yeh right, police solved big jobs, such as, drug smuggling, etc... But small cases are important too, and that need a little professionalism and the 'right attitude'!
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