The Vocal (Christian) Minority

By Felicia Woodard

We all say the same thing. Not all Christians are alike. Not all religious people are alike. I believe it and I know it. There are wonderful people in my life that prescribe to various religions and they are kind and selfless - warm, giving, individuals, as well as progressive thinkers. Yet, why is it that rhetoric such as those in the image to the left are so prevalent when defining Christians and Christianity today?
 

Free Speech on Social Media: Anything Goes

By Saadia Faruqi

Source: Tikkun Daily

 

 

In continuation of my series on First Amendment rights as they impact religious minority groups, I address current controversy over social media posts maligning religious groups. My previous post in this series entitled Does Freedom of Speech Allow Stereotyping discussed a greeting card that stereotyped Muslims as terrorists in an unusually offensive and glaringly inaccurate way. This week I have chosen another unfortunate event, a Facebook post that ignited debate over the possible classification of certain types of content as threats instead of free speech. Tennessee County Commissioner Barry West posted a picture on his Facebook page showing a cowboy aiming a shotgun at the camera with the caption “How to Wink at a Muslim”.

Free Speech Should be Responsible Speech

By Saadia Faruqi

Freedom of Speech is such a uniquely American right. It's the foundation of this great country of ours, one of the mighty pillars keeping the United States strong and upright. Yet after the events of the last few days, when an offensive movie trailer "Innocence of Muslims" led to an uproar in the Muslim world, I am having serious doubts about whether the founding fathers meant the First Amendment to be taken as a free pass to offend, insult and hurt others.