Dipetik dari USA Today:
By : Anthea Butler
Words have consequences. I know that because one of my
tweets asking "when Sam Bacile would be arrested" drew wide attention
on Wednesday.
My initial tweet about Bacile, the person said to be
responsible for the film mocking the prophet Mohammed, was not because I am
against the First Amendment. My tweets reflected my exasperation that as a
religion professor, it is difficult to teach the facts when movies such as
Bacile's Innocence of Muslims are taken as both truth and propaganda, and used
against innocent Americans.
If there is anyone who values free speech, it is a
tenured professor!
So why did I tweet that Bacile should be in jail? The
"free speech" in Bacile's film is not about expressing a personal
opinion about Islam. It denigrates the religion by depicting the faith's
founder in several ludicrous and historically inaccurate scenes to incite and
inflame viewers. Even the film's actors say they were duped.
Bacile's movie is not the first to denigrate a religious
figure, nor will it be the last. The Last Temptation of Christ was protested
vigorously. The difference is that Bacile indirectly and inadvertently inflamed
people half a world away, resulting in the deaths of U.S. Embassy personnel.
Bacile's movie does not excuse the rioting in Libya and
Egypt, or the murder of Americans. That is deplorable. Unfortunately, people
like Bacile and Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who provoked international
controversy by burning copies of the Quran, have a tremendous impact on
religious tolerance and U.S. foreign policy.
Case in point: Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, called Jones on Wednesday to ask him to stop promoting
Bacile's film. Clearly, the military considers the film a serious threat to
national security. If the military takes it seriously, there should be
consequences for putting American lives at risk.
While the First Amendment right to free expression is
important, it is also important to remember that other countries and cultures
do not have to understand or respect our right. My condolences and prayers go
out to the families of the U.S. Embassy employees killed in Libya.
Anthea Butler is an associate professor of religious
studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
KOMEN
Pengaruh kebebasan bersuara yang konon diperjuangkan di bawah hak asasi manusia sedang menular dalam negara ini dan sedang menyelinap dalam beberapa NGO antarabangsa dan dalam negara.
Pengaruh kebebasan bersuara yang konon diperjuangkan di bawah hak asasi manusia sedang menular dalam negara ini dan sedang menyelinap dalam beberapa NGO antarabangsa dan dalam negara.
Peristiwa haru ini merupakan satu kes klasik pertembungan yang tiada kesudahan antara kebebasan bersuara dan menghormati sensitivi agama.Kedua-dua sama kuat. Satu mahu ada hak boleh menyuara apa saja dan satu lagi mahu ada hak sensitiviti agama/kepercayaan tidak boleh di persenda oleh sesiapa saja. Apabila kedua-dua daya ini bertembung maka pasti berlaku meletup yang orang bertanggungjawab tidak kena apa-apa tetapi orang lain jadi mangsa, macam siapa gerangan yang membocorkan ke internet sensitiviti agama tu selamat dan orang ramai termasuk polis, penjawat tinggi dan stafnya dibunuh.
ReplyDeleteHairan kenapa manusia terperangkap dengan perkara sebegini, tidakkah agama atau pendidikan mengajar kita supaya perkara begini tidak harus berlaku? Atau perkara sebegini harus diteruskan untuk mendapat sokongan /dukungan primordial?