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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22 October 2010

Top Canadian Commander to Admit Murders and Sex

Comment:

Wonder why sometimes soldiers from U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Italy, to name a few, when they were sent overseas to countries such as, Afghanistan and Iraq, to fight a war and rid of terrorists, and they were mostly not successful… The reasons are pretty simple, its attitude problem, its moral problem, its vision and mission problem… They mostly don’t have these ‘attitude and moral’ virtues, to fight such a war, so its not strange if you heard them swearing, and cursing, and trashing civilians, and do some wired stuff.

I don’t know if they have learnt anything from the wars in Vietnam, Cambodian, and such.
In the case below, the Colonel (and I belived his is not the only case). Clearly show a man with very low moral, arrogant, power-hunger, and sex-maniac, but was promoted to a very high rank... congratulation!

In Islam, promotion is grant based not only on skills and experiences, but also 'good moral and attitude.' .... And in Islam, Muslim usually married the girl or girlS they like, and not indulge in 'out of sex' affairs and other sexual manic activities.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/mp/8093143/top-canadian-commander-to-admit-murders/ (9th October 2010)

Top Canadian commander to admit murders
Charmaine Noronha and Rob Gillies, AAP October 8, 2010, 2:19 am

The lawyer for a military commander who flew Queen Elizabeth II and other dignitaries around Canada says his client will plead guilty to murder, sexual assaults and dozens of breaking and entering charges. Colonel Russell Williams was the commander of Canada's largest air force base until he was charged earlier this year with the murder of two women, the sexual assault of two others and 82 break-ins, during which he stole women's panties.

Michael Edelson, Williams' lawyer, told a judge on Thursday Williams intends to plead guilty to all the charges at his next court appearance on October 18. The case shocked the country, hurt soldiers' morale and prompted fears that the commander of Canada's most high-profile military base and the man who once flew the country's prime ministers could have been a serial killer.

In 2005, Williams was pictured with the Queen and Prince Philip on the front page of the newspaper of Canadian Forces Base Trenton after he had served as their pilot during a visit. Williams waived his right to a preliminary hearing in August and was ordered to stand trial and return to court on Thursday.

The 47-year-old is charged with the first-degree murder of Jessica Lloyd, 27, whose body was found in February, and Marie Comeau, a 38-year-old corporal under his command who was found dead in her home in November last year. Both women were asphyxiated. He is also charged with forcible confinement, breaking and entering and sexual assault after two other women were attacked during separate home invasions in the Tweed, Ontario area in September 2009.

Williams is also charged with breaking into 47 homes 82 times, beginning in 2007, including one home nine times. Most homes were burglarised repeatedly on the same street. Most of the homes Williams was accused of breaking into were in Ottawa, where Williams has a house with his wife, and in the Tweed, Ontario, area, where Williams lived while he worked at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Trenton, Ontario. "He's just a very twisted individual; there's no two ways about it," said retired lieutenant-general Angus Watt, who once promoted Williams.

"He was able to lead an elaborate double life and was able to keep it successfully concealed. This was the act of a depraved individual and really has no reflection on the men and women of the Canadian Forces." Angela McCanny, whose Ottawa home was broken into on consecutive days in 2008, said all the women's underwear in the house were stolen.

Anne Marsan-Cook, whose Belleville home was broken into on consecutive days in 2009, said her sex toys and all her underwear were taken. She also said a chilling message was left on her computer: "Go ahead, call the police. I want to tell the judge about your really big dildos."

"I was one of the lucky ones," Marsan-Cook said on Wednesday. The Ottawa Citizen cited police sources as saying police seized 500 women's undergarments from Williams' Ottawa home. Court documents allege Williams broke into Comeau's home days before he killed her. Another alleges Williams twice returned to the home of one of his victims to steal items after he sexually assaulted her.


http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/8178159/canadian-colonel-gets-life-for-murders/ (22nd October 2010)
Canadian colonel gets life for murders
AAP October 22, 2010, 3:06 am

A Canadian court on Thursday sentenced Colonel Russell Williams to two consecutive life sentences for a spree of murders, sexual assaults and burglaries of women's homes. Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Scott described Williams as a "sick and dangerous man".

Williams will not be eligible for parole for 25 years. Police arrested Williams in February for the disappearance and death of 27-year-old woman, last heard from the previous month. He was later charged with the November 2009 murder of a female corporal under his command at the Trenton military base, as well as in two home invasions in which women were confined and sexually assaulted, and an additional 82 counts of break-and-enter and attempted break-and-enter in Ottawa, Belleville and Tweed.

A stash of women's undergarments taken by police from Williams' Ottawa residence was linked to the burglaries near his home and job. Police also seized hundreds of photographs and videos of the sexual assaults and murders from his home computer.