{"id":316,"date":"2009-07-13T12:31:48","date_gmt":"2009-07-13T12:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/windowsanddoors\/2009\/07\/islamophobia-and-free-speech.html"},"modified":"2009-07-13T12:31:48","modified_gmt":"2009-07-13T12:31:48","slug":"islamophobia-and-free-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/windowsanddoors\/2009\/07\/islamophobia-and-free-speech.html","title":{"rendered":"Islamophobia and Free Speech"},"content":{"rendered":"

In most cases, I truly believe that the response to bad speech is not restriction of speech, but more and better speech. But there are times when language becomes sufficiently dangerous and hateful that I think it really should be taken out of play. A comment to my post about New York City’s ongoing debate <\/a>over giving public schools two additional days off for the Muslim Eid holidays is right on the fence, so I am soliciting your advice. Here’s the comment from someone identified as “ABK”:<\/p>\n

bottom line is this: in many schools with high muslim attendance, those particular schools should get a day off. it makes no sense to close all schools, especially in staten island and manhattan. the reason schools are closed for jewish holidays is because many TEACHERS are jewish and at one point many students were as well.
\nthis is a practical solution to an impractical problem, that being too many muslims in our city schools <\/em>(<\/a>most of them here ILLEGALLY btw). <\/p><\/blockquote>\n


\nTo be clear, the italics were added by me. My first response in seeing that, mostly in light of the claim in italics, was to unpublish ABK’s comment. “Too many Muslims in our city schools”? How about “too many” Jews? Blacks? Christians? Whites? Boys? Girls? I think you get the point. Aren’t remarks like that the very essence of hate speech?
\nOn the other hand, if Windows and Doors really is the kind of ongoing conversation between us that I hope it is, then why not post the stuff that bothers me (as long as it doesn’t present or threaten an immediate threat to anyone) and invite wisdom from the rest of the readership? So have at it.
\nWithout succumbing to the same kind of logic or language, please respond to ABK.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In most cases, I truly believe that the response to bad speech is not restriction of speech, but more and better speech. But there are times when language becomes sufficiently dangerous and hateful that I think it really should be taken out of play. 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