Hi Mac (Freedom of expression in France), we will not call you Mac or Ron. Instead, we will call you Mr. President.
We the people living in the UK whole-heartedly condemn the recent and previous terrorist attacks in France, in response to the caricatures of Prophet Muhamad Salallaho alihe wasalum.
We understand the Freedom of speech is considered an “essential freedom” in France. It is protected by the 1789 Declaration of Human and Civic Rights, which is incorporated by reference into the French Constitution. It is also protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, to which France is a party and the French Law on the Freedom of the Press of 29 July 1881.
Mr. President, recently in a letter to a British Newspaper, Financial Times you said, “If France is primarily attacked by Islamist terrorists, it is because it embodies the freedom of expression, the right to believe or not to believe, a certain art of living as well.”
You also proclaimed, “The people of France have stood up to say that they will not give up on their values, their identity, and their imagination. None of these human rights that one day in 1789 were proclaimed for the world.”
Mr President, we the Muslim community living in Newcastle upon Tyne-UK are writing to draw your attention to your self-privileged statements which are contrary to the Freedom of expression and human rights that are given to the people under Article 4 & Article 11 of the French DECLARATION OF HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS OF 26 AUGUST 1789 and the Article 10 & Article 3 of Human Rights Act 1998, of the European Convention on Human Rights (France was part to it and this law is still in force today) and the French Law on the Freedom of the Press of 29 July 1881, just in case you wanted to review your bratty statement. Not only has it harmed two billion people around the world but also, it has put in question the dignity of your own French constitution and the French president (the way you will be remembered in history).
Nevertheless, it is indecisive yet if the French President has limited knowledge about the freedom of expression and human rights laid down in the constitution or if he has prejudice against a community because the 1789 Declaration of Human and Civic Rights defines freedom in general as “being able to do anything that does not harm others.”[15] Consistent with that definition, freedom of speech in France is limited by the right to privacy, the presumption of innocence, the right to “human dignity,” and by rules prohibiting defamation and insult.[16]
Furthermore, the Law of 29 July 1881 on Freedom of the Press, which is still in force (although it has been amended numerous times since its original adoption), prohibits defamation and insults, both written and verbal.
Mr. President, it is therefore illegal to incite others to commit a crime as mentioned in the French constitution and you have protected the right to publish offensive and provoking cartoons contrary to what is written in the laws and these cartoons were the main incitement of terrorist attacks in France.
We respectfully request the Prime Minister of the Islamic republic of Pakistan, Imran Khan to act on this letter to raise this issue in the parliament that has emotionally harmed two billion Muslims around the world, particularly many millions of Muslims living in Europe, to take this matter to the Human Rights Commission to put restrictions on France, on any type of drawing, publication and exhibition that may depict God/ Allah, any prophet, any person, community, belief or color, for the sake of protecting privacy, dignity, fame and beliefs with no exceptions and reassure that France executes liberty, human rights and freedom of expression in lines with the above mentioned French constitution.
We demand to act immediately in the best interest of international security, public safety and the very most dignity of Muslims around the world.
*The writer is a journalist.
November 22, 2020
The viewpoints expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of Aequitas Review.
