Freedom start with freedom of speech

Without freedom of speech there is no freedom.
Freedom of Speech and freedom of media are very linked.
If there is no Freedom of media there is no freedom of speech.
You do not have Freedom of speech if you cannot promote it. 

If no one can hear your speech there is no use to have freedom of speech.

Control of information is power:
The first step to control people is to stop freedom of speech.

Majority and the powerful controlled the information and it was very hard to hear the voice the minority, the poor and the weak through the centuries.

Man always long for freedom as he is created to be free. Without freedom man is handicapped. His need for freedom is as his need for oxygen. Lack of freedom take life out of him. Knowing the truth set man free.
Speech and hearing are very crucial for development of the human being.

Through the the centuries man worked on developing ways of communication and expression.

Stories, poems,songs and then writing:
Writing promoted freedom of speech and circulation of information. but again it was limited to the ones who can afforded.

The printing press revolution:
Printing press helped to promote the freedom of speech. Your ideas, thoughts and views were printed and distributed . It was not controlled by the few who can afforded it. As it was more affordable for people to get information.

Before the powerful and the rich controlled the media
It was on the hand of the ones who are in power and had authority.

News papers and books where great help to loosen control on information. It gave more people the opportunity for their voices to be herd and for information to be circulate.

Radio and TV:
Radio and TV came and took over the media again and gave opportunity to cross borders and gave wider participation for free speech and circulation of information but as time went it was again more controlled by the powerful and the rich.

Man selfishness and pride and hunger for power and control leads always to control of the media and limiting freedom of speech.
The problem as time passed more and more The Media became controlled and with certain agenda to avoid accountability and to have absolute power. As freedom of speech brings accountability and protect people from being abused by authorities and governments.

Internet:

Internet came and it again it took away the monopoly and the control of the media from the powerful and the rich. It made information more accessible to all and gave the individual the platform and the power to implement his his right of freedom of speech. The internet made it possible for his voice to be herd internationally.

Without freedom of speech there is no equality. Freedom of speech imp-power the weak and the poor.
The internet gave power for the individual, gave power for the weak and the small and the poor to be in the same arena with the rest.

Today the powerful want to control the internet to limit again Freedom of Speech through the law and their political e power. As the Internet challenges their dominance.

What is legal out side the net should be legal in the net.

Out lawing what is lawful out side the Internet from being posted is striping the individual from his freedom of speech and fringing on his freedom.

When the Media is controlled people are controlled. Because when you feed them the information you want and stop them from questioning you control them.

Truth is never afraid of being challenged or questioned. 

Critical thinking and freedom of expression are crucial for development, growth and knowledge. It is key for accountability and the well beeing of the comunity.

By Kamal Fahmi 

There is about 1.3 billion Muslims  who do not have freedom to change religion

People of Stockholm, people of the world, people who are concerned about Human rights, people who are concerned about freedom.

. They do not have freedom of thought conscious and religion. They do not have the right to exist as former Muslims.

This issue was brought up by the UN repourter on freedom of religion to the UN assembly in NY 2 weeks ago that freedom to change religion is basic for religious freedom.

We are here to remember the victims if Islam Apostasy and Blasphemy  laws. We are here to see a change in their situation. We are here that they may have freedom. We are here that they may have equal rights.

Muslim People are killed for rejecting Islam

Muslim People are killed for rejecting Islam, Muslim people are imprisoned and tortured for leaving islam. It is not right that people get to lose their life, get imprisoned and get tourtured for their believe.

This contradict with Article 18 of the universal declaration of human rights which give freedom of thought conscious and religion and this freedom include the right to change their believe and practice their new faith.
How can we be quite about this?
In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
Marin Luther King jr.

Mahmoud Mohammad Taha he was executed at the age of 76 for Apostasy in Sudan.
Mahdi Debag the head of the Bible Society in Iran was arrested after the Islamic revolution in 79 and was tortured and imprisoned for 10 years. He said I am not just willing to suffer for Christ but to also die for him. After much International pressure he was released and 6 month later he was murdered.
Fatima was murdered by her family in Saudi Arabia for converting to Christianity 3 years ago after cutting her toung.
Frag  Fouda journalist and free thinker was shot and  killed in front of his office in Cairo because he was accused of Blasphemy in92.
Najeb Mafous the Literature Noble price winner was stabbed for the same reason.
Taiser the governor of Banjab was murdered by his body guard for trying to free Asia who was in prison for being accused for Blasphemy.
Shabaz the minister of Minority followed the same fate for trying to protect minorities in Pakistan. 400 christian families cannot return to their home since the teenager Rimasha was accused of blasphemy.
A number of pastors in Iran are serving prison sentences for their conversion from Islam to Christianity.
Metafi in Saudi Arabia has been in prison since he was 18 now he is 36 because he is Ismaili accused of blasphemy. Kashgari a journalist who tweeted that somethings Mohmad did I like something he did I do not like, was accused of blasphemy and 30000 tweeted he should be killed. He apologized and this didnot help. He tried to escape to New Zeland via Malaysia. He was arrested it there and extradited to Saudie Arabia. He has been in prison since then.
Around 10 countries hav death sentences for Apostates and Blasphemers.

How can we be quite about this?

“For evil men to triumph, it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.”
- Edmund Burke
How can be quite about this injustice? how can we be quite about this oppression?

Stand for freedom, Stand for Justice, stand for humanity.
Stand against Apostasy and blasphemy Codes in Islam which is chocking freedom world wide.

Stand for freedom from Fear;
 "Freedom from fear" could be said to sum up the whole philosophy of human rights.
Dag Hammarskjold

Stand for freedom of speech;
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. George Washington

Stand for justice ;

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Martin Luther King

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. (If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.) Desmond Tuto

Stand for freedom Stand for justice stand for equality.
Stand for Article 18 in the Universal declaration of Human right
Stand for freedom of thought conscience and religion and freedom to change believe.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.
Nelson Mandela

                                                                           Speech by Kamal Fahmi in Stockholm fall 2011

Quotes
 إن الإرهاب لا ينمو بصورة ذاتية، بل يتواجد بقدر ما نتيح له من مناخ، ويتوالد بقدر ما نتراجع أمامه، ويقوى بقدر ما نخاف، ويعلو صوته بقدر ما نخاف، ويعلو صوته بقدر خفوت أصواتنا، ويزداد رصيده بقدر ما نسحب منه حساب الشجاعة في بنك المستقبل.
فرج فوده. اغتيل عام ١٩٩٢ متهم بالكفر

 That terrorism does not grow by it self, but it  exist as far as we provide it with the right envoirment, and breed and flourish as far as we retreat in front of it, and get empowered as much as we fear it, and it's voice rises louder as much as we fear it, and it's voice gets louder as much as our voice fades, and increases it's tally as much as we withdraw from the courage account in the bank of the future.
Farag Fouda Egyption thinker murdered in June 1992

“Violence can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by violence. Any man who has once proclaimed violence as his method is inevitably forced to take the lie as his principle.”
Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Faith Without Work Is Dead and Human Rights

James 2:15-17; 26
If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
These are strong words. Comparing faith without work with sending a needy brother or sister back empty-handed without help. Faith and words without action loses credibility.
He goes to the extent to say it is a corpse. What use is there for corpse? The longer you have it - it starts to smell and it becomes a nuisance. The only right place for it is the grave.
I feel the same way about the Church. If it is not involved in the civil society and social justice, the Church will lose its credibility and becomes irrelevant and marginalized.
I believe if Dr. Martin Luther King was not involved in the civil rights of African Americans most of them would have become muslims.
What would have happened to the church in South Africa if it supported apartheid?
Through history the Church has been in the forefront of social justice issues; abolishing slave trade, starting orphanages, schools, hospitals e.t.c.
The church’s presence and actions must be felt everywhere in the society - in political, social and educational institutions. We have to be light and salt, not light under a bushel but like a village on a mountain.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor”. Desmond Tutu
Kamal Fahmi
Set My People Free 
International Executive Director 
www.freedom2worship.org 

There Is No Religious Freedom Without The Freedom To Change Religion.
I am concerned that 1.3 billion Muslims do not have the freedom to change religion. They do not have the freedom to leave Islam.
Freedom of believe and religion is a basic civil right of the individual.
Religious Freedom is given by God. We can chose between “the wide and the narrow way”. God will not accept our religious conviction if it does not come from our heart. As God wants us to love Him and without freedom we can not love. To love we need the freedom to love or not to love. Love can not be forced.
Article 18 of the UDHR spells out this right.
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance”.
Apostasy and Blasphemy laws in Islam are breaching article 18 and 19. As the Apostasy law doesn’t give the individual the right to change and Blasphemy law contradict with freedom of thought and speech.
If I say: “I do not believe that Muhammed is a prophet of God”. I would be accused of blasphemy. It is ridiculous, because if I had believed that, I would have been a muslim. Both accusations can lead to execution.
We need to stand up for the application of article 18 and 19 world wide. Dr. Martin Luther King said:
“Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere”.
Kamal Fahmi
Set My People Free 
International Executive Director 
www.freedom2worship.org 

The Importance Of Freedom Of Speech
The application of Article19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Freedom of thought, opinion and expression are essential for life and progress, for democracy and accountability.
In it’s presence diversity and equality flourish. There is no room for domination and monopoly.
Without free speech, without critical thinking and without a debate ignorance spread and corruption prevails. It nourishes narrow-mindedness and suffocate creativity and innovation.
Without free speech our thoughts are suppressed and we cannot express ourselves freely and we are bound by fear.
"Freedom from fear could be said to sum up the whole philosophy of human rights”.
Dag Hammarskjold
Freedom of speech, in spite the negative criticism against it, does not endanger my life. It is a place for me to freely live, think, speak, question and create.
A place where we can have different views and belief and make people accountable to one another without fear or intimidation.
Freedom of speech puts us all on a platform where we are equal without one superior over the other.
I do not want to be where there is no freedom of speech.
Where I can not speak my mind or question.
Where I cannot think different or be different.
Where I am criminalized for not conforming to the status quo of thought and punished when my words oppose the existing narrative.
We need to stand together against any restriction on freedom of speech. Without freedom of speech dictators and tyrants take over absolute power.
“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter”. George Washington
Kamal Fahmi
Set My People Free 
International Executive Director 
www.freedom2worship.org 

Secular State - Does It Mean It Is An Atheistic State?

How can we accommodate everybody in the state and give them equal space? How can we live together? Is it possible in the midst of diversity?
The reason for having a secular state was to have equal space for all, religious and non- religious.
Unfortunately the understanding of a secular state today is that it is an atheistic state. This led to discrimination against religious people in the state institutions like law and education. There is only place for religion in the privat life, but not in the state or the public space. Making the state atheistic does not give place for faith based communities.
The secular state should be neutral and give place for all equally.
Giving preference to one ideology over the other leads to injustice and inequality. The basic values of the state is the value of freedom, justice and equality.
We should have the golden rule of treating one another as we want them to treat us.
The state should provide security for the individual and participation and full citizenship in the state in spite of the background and provide freedom, justice and equality.
Freedom of thought, conscious and religion are basic for justice and freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and association are basic for equality.
We should not strip anyone from his or her civil rights.
The state values should be based on love not hate, faithfulness not corruption, truth not lies, equality not discrimination.
Laws based on freedom, justice and equality are key for living together.
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others”. Nelson Mandela
Kamal Fahmi
Set My People Free International 
Executive Director
www.freedom2worship.org