Hate Speech or Free Speech: Study of Salman Rushdie'sThe Satanic Versesand Taslima Nasrin'sLajja
Date
2013
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Central Department of English
Abstract
How the hate speech should be separated from the free speech and why the blasphemous
laws should be banned to shield free thought and freedom of expression from any danger or
damage? The dissertation examines the argument that whether blasphemous art should be
publicly displayed, and if yes, in what manner artist are free and to what extent they should be
responsible while exercising their artistic freedom. The dissertation argues against those who say
blasphemy is an offence, an attack on religion and sacred, toaver that blasphemy shouldn't be
understood merely on the moral and ethical lines, but through the contextual and philosophical
understandings of the issue. Particularly, the dissertation criticizes the blasphemy laws, including
fatwas and death threats issued against two writers--Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasrin.
Finally, the thesis discusses how the notion of blasphemy itself is the product of
misunderstanding andmisreading the free speech as the hate speech. The thesis concludes that
the line between aesthetics and ethics, between art and religion, should be drawn only by the
rationalistic judgment of the contextual issues and for that artist's intention should be realized at
first, before colligating it with the religious matters, ethical issues and falselyapprehending
freedomofthought as a sacrilege and profanation.
Description
Keywords
Artistic Freedom, Hate Speech, Free Speech