Militant Islam's Assault on Freedom of Expression

Abstract


The hypothesis of this study seeks to link exposure to political violence, via the Internet and Transnational TV (cable/satellite TV), in response to perceived affronts to Islam, with the increased ability of militant Islamist actors to coerce citizens of democracies into restricting their freedom of expression. The results show that freedom of expression is under a sustained assault by militant Islamists within Western Europe and from outside Islamist actors-- threatening the bedrock of liberal democracy.

A search was conducted by reviewing news reporting that fit the criteria derived from the hypothesis--starting with the murder of Theo van Gogh on 2 Nov 2004 through the 13 Feb 2008 reprinting of the Mohammed cartoons. Lexus-Nexus revealed nine separate events involving eight European citizens that when exercising freedom of expression lead to violence or the threat of violence in reaction to perceived offenses to Islam. One of the eight European citizens was assassinated. Five out of the remaining seven live under police protection, excluding Pope Benedict XVI. Additionally, three cases of self-censorship are reported (many more exist but were not included because of time constraints).

Self-censorship is on the rise with many artists, writers and politicians etc. choosing silence over engagement. Satellite TV and the Internet play an important role forming a conduit that allows terror to travel almost instantaneously from point to point making anyone with a modem or a satellite dish a possible victim. This enables Islamists to amplify and use political violence as coercive instrument intended to silence its critics and restrict the freedom of movement of its opponents out of fear of death.

(Read the full research Paper)

BBC denies interference in al-Qaida coverage

Osama bin Laden, left, with his top lieutenant Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri, in one of al-Qaida's own propaganda videos. Photograph: AP

Oliver Luft and agencies
guardian.co.uk,
Wednesday August 27 2008 11:09 BST

The BBC has denied that its editorial independence was compromised after it emerged that a Radio 4 documentary about Islamic extremism bore similarities to a programme described in a leaked Whitehall document as one at which anti-al-Qaida propaganda was put forward.

Concerns were raised after it became apparent that extracts of the leaked document published yesterday in the Guardian had a likeness to a BBC Radio 4 Analysis programme by security correspondent Frank Gardner titled al-Qaida's Enemy Within, which was first broadcast on August 7, after the leaked propaganda dossier was compiled.

However, the BBC was quick to deny that the editorial content of the programme was influenced in any way by the Whitehall report or that it had been fed stories.

(Full Article)

Snop's Commentary:

Whether or not BBC is working with Whitehall to undermine Al Qaida is beside the point. The point being that countering Al Qaida by exploiting the connective power of Main Stream Media to its vast audiences is very difficult. It is difficult, because once a relationship between MSM and the Government is exposed it threatens to undermine the credibility of the MSM outlet as seen in this Guardian article.

Point to ponder...MSM outlets are happy to run Al Qaida's latest diatribe laced with propaganda and incitement, but they are loath to be seen supporting democratically elected governments in their effort to counter the ideological justifications of Al Qaida and others. Where does this leave us? How can we (the West) level the playing field?

One last thought... what about the fairness doctrine that we hear democrats talking about with regard to the influence of the conservative radio talk show hosts? Seems to me, MSM needs to reconsider its role in preserving Western Civilization by giving equal time to our own governments by producing factual TV documentaries. Doing so may help undermine militant Islam's goal of dominating the West and get MSM some higher ratings.