Germany Considers a Ban on Anti-Muslim Film

Angry atheists often say religious freedom is not about allowing parents to raise their children into a religion. That is wrong. Angry religious people often say religious freedom is about forcing others to adapt your religion, they are wrong, too. Religious freedom is in no conflict with free speech nor any other such civil liberty. Freedom of expression guarantees every citizen’s right to speak his mind in public. It doesn’t mean that everyone is allowed to speak his mind everywhere. If you’re in a private space, the owner of that space has the right to deny you from being their. The same thing goes with religious freedom. You are protected from government trying to inter fear with your religious practice and worship, but you have no right to behave as you wish in other people’s private space.

In other words, Muslims are entitled to protest an insulting film but no government has the right to ban the film from being shown.

The German chancellor is wrong to do this:

Der Spigel reports that a group called Pro Deutschland is planning to stage a public showing of the anti-Islam film, which has been the focus of huge protests and violent attacks on American and Western diplomatic missions across the Muslim world over the past week. Pro Deutschland, which only numbers a few hundred members, appears to be putting Chancellor Angela Merkel on the spot, having to choose between civil rights and public order.

Merkel was asked at a press conference on Monday what she thought about the plan to show the film publicly, and she answered that a ban could be justified for the sake of public security. “I can imagine that there are good reasons for this,” she said, referring to a proposed ban on the showing, adding that a ban was being considered by her government.

I hope Merkel has a rethink.