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

.

31 May 2020

‘No face masks allowed’: American shops prohibit customers from wearing crucial Covid-19 protective gear ?!


SOURCE:
https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2020/05/29/no-face-masks-allowed-american-shops-prohibit-customers-from-wearing-crucia/1870602


‘No face masks allowed’: American shops prohibit customers from wearing crucial Covid-19 protective gear

Friday, 29 May 2020 05:40 PM MYT
BY ANNE GRACE SAVITHA

American stores have been putting up signs forbidding customers from donning their face masks. — Picture courtesy of Facebook/DanHensonandJacobMatthewLopez

American stores have been putting up signs forbidding customers from donning their face masks. — Picture courtesy of Facebook/DanHensonandJacobMatthewLope
May 29 — While organisations across the globe are combating the spread of Covid-19 using protective measures, some have chosen to ignore these crucial methods.
Some of them, including restaurants and convenience stores in the United States have raised eyebrows among its citizens for publicly disallowing the use of face masks in their stores.
American citizen Dan Henson shared a sign outside an American convenience store on his Facebook page that caused an uproar in the comments section.
“No face masks allowed in the store. Lower your mask or go somewhere else,” read the description in the post.
His post has garnered mixed responses from netizens with some saying that it was important to wear a face mask as it showed compassion, care, concern and love for the people around.
Others, on the other hand, were not bothered by the urgency of this issue and told him to mind his own business.
“What is the point in wearing a mask two months after the pandemic started? It’s like wearing a condom after a woman is already pregnant,” commented one user.
Another citizen also took to his Facebook to share how a Californian hardware store, Ramsay One Construction and Flooring displayed wooden signs with similar messages outside the shop.
“No masks allowed. Handshakes are okay, and hugs are very okay,” read the description on the wooden signs.

.
Posted by at