Tackling prejudice, hatred, and discrimination, whatever the substance or source, is both laudable and necessary in Britain and elsewhere. However, this noble cause has spawned a much less worthy corollary – the widely-held assumption that little, if any, criticism of Muslims or Islam should be permitted. In recent years, dozens of high-profile legal and professional cases have rested upon this false premise. Several of those wrongly accused have been murdered or maimed. Others have been forced into hiding. Vilification, cancelation, ostracism, and the shredding of careers and reputations have been the experience of others. And rather than leaping to their defense, too often our public institutions have instead censured the victims. A blanket of intimidated self-censorship has further stifled lawful and legitimate debate. In Islamophobia and Free Speech, cancel culture survivor and internationally renowned human rights scholar Steven Greer considers the current trend in a trailblazing survey of the historical debate about the Islamic faith, the essentials of its mainstream interpretation, and the principal dissenting Muslim perspectives. Greer also examines relevant legal and human rights frameworks and the British government’s latest proposals about how to address “anti-Muslim hatred” and “Islamophobia.” Presenting a devastating critique of the intellectual and policy flaws in this deeply misguided campaign, Islamophobia and Free Speech should be required reading for everyone concerned about increasing intolerance and preventing the erosion of lawful expression in Britain and elsewhere.
