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

.

25 January 2018

Policy on schooling for stateless children worries Suhakam


Comments:

Malaysia is well heading towards a developed nation by 2020, therefore it needs to resolve several issues:

1- Stateless children (of Malaysian origin, especially in Sabah, Sarawak, and a few cases in the peninsula)

2- Stateless children (of foreign origin), and their rights to education and work.

3- "Anak Tidak Sah Taraf" or illegitimate children, and their rights to education and work, and marriage.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Source:
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/409855

Published: 

image: https://i.malaysiakini.com/1113/ee41e6ff34d465575bde8c088c67090c.jpeg

Policy on schooling for stateless children worries Suhakam
Putrajaya's decision to allow only stateless children with pending citizenship applications to enrol in public schools will deprive many, said the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam).
Suhakam chairperson Razali Ismail said this meant that stateless, undocumented and refugee children would have no access to public education and be on equal footing with other children.
"Suhakam has received and continues to receive many complaints from families of children who have been denied public education.
"Suhakam is of the view that it is unacceptable that a distinction of their right be made on the basis of their citizenship status," Razali said in a statement today.
Pointing to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Razali said all children, regardless of their citizenship status, have a right to access free and compulsory primary education.
This was also in line with Putrajaya's commitment to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to not leave anyone behind.
In view of this, Suhakam urged Parliament to enact laws to ensure that all children have a right to receive public education.

.


Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)