عنوان

Charlie the Freethinker:

LA125904

انگلیسی

Charlie the Freethinker:

[Article]

Religion, Blasphemy, and Decent Controversy

Susan Benesch

Leiden

Brill

This comment examines the tension between freedom of expression and freedom of religion by embedding the Charlie Hebdo cartoons in a wider, century-old European tradition of publications mocking religion, including Christianity. It describes, and draws lessons from, the 19th century blasphemy case against the British Freethinker newspaper, whose "technique of offense" was similar to that of Charlie Hebdo. Finally, the comment tackles the problem of violent response to text or images that mock religion, pointing out that malicious intermediaries often carry such messages between social groups or across national borders-greatly escalating the risk of violence. This comment examines the tension between freedom of expression and freedom of religion by embedding the Charlie Hebdo cartoons in a wider, century-old European tradition of publications mocking religion, including Christianity. It describes, and draws lessons from, the 19th century blasphemy case against the British Freethinker newspaper, whose "technique of offense" was similar to that of Charlie Hebdo. Finally, the comment tackles the problem of violent response to text or images that mock religion, pointing out that malicious intermediaries often carry such messages between social groups or across national borders-greatly escalating the risk of violence.

2015

244-254

Religion & Human Rights

10/3

1871-0328

Blasphemy (history of English law of)

Charlie Hebdo

Coleridge

freedom of expression

freedom of religion

human rights law

lawful attacks on religion

The Freethinker

Susan Benesch

10.1163/18710328-12341291

p

[Article]

275578

a

Y