A BELFAST-BASED Free Speech advocate recently sent us an article from the Belfast Telegraph of 2nd January. The article – by Fionola Meredith – mirrors our view that, and as Salman Rushdie has noted, “What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.”

Fionola Meredith’s article was based on an interview given to the Times of London by Sir Alan Moses towards the end of last year. Here Sir Alan – a Former Lord Justice of Appeal and outgoing chairman of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) – defended freedom of speech, and insisted that the media should be allowed to discuss sensitive subjects, such as religion.

As advocates for free thought, free Free & free assembly for all, we welcome Sir Alan’s comments and Fionola Meredith’s article. This is particularly so when one thinks of the suffocating (yet powerful) woke and Politically Correct times in which we live.

We’d appreciate it if other supporters would keep an eye out for articles which especially appear in the mainstream media (MSM) that support the general idea of free thought, free speech and free assembly for all.

It goes without saying that there are no official links between Fionola Meredith, the Belfast Telegraph and Free Speech: How Do We Protect It?

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There is no right not to be offended: why we must heed the outgoing Ipso chief

Sir Alan Moses is correct, says Fionola Meredith. Freedom of speech is more important than hurt feelings

There is no right not to be offended: that’s according to Sir Alan Moses, the outgoing chairman of the UK’s main press regulator, Ipso. Moses stated that it was vital for democracy that the media be allowed to discuss sensitive subjects such as religion and gender without fear of being censored.

Hurray for Sir Alan! Somebody had to stand up and say it.

We live in a world where people act as if being offended is like kryptonite to Superman: deadly for their personal wellbeing.

Frequently this victim mentality is attributed to snowflakey millennials who have been brought up with an unprecedented level of privilege, entitlement and an overweening sense of their own importance.

There’s no doubt that this toxic seam of intolerance – for that is what it is – runs like a sore through many British and Irish universities, with absurd attempts to ‘no-platform’ speakers that certain students dislike.

However, I’ve seen many old geezers get just as exercised about repressing, shunning or otherwise obliterating stuff they don’t approve of.

If I don’t like it, ban it: that’s the prevailing message.

To be fair to Sir Alan, a former lord justice of appeal, he didn’t come out and say ‘suck it up, cry-babies’.

Admitting that dealing with complaints about offence was one of the most difficult aspects of the Ipso role, he said: “If you’re the victim of something that is deeply offensive, it is the most unpleasant, uncomfortable thing that you can imagine. But what we have to acknowledge is that, in striking the right balance in this country, there is no right not to be offended.”

This message cannot be repeated too often. The novelist Salman Rushdie has more reason than most to take a personal interest in it, given that a fatwa – or execution order – was declared on him in 1989 by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, after the publication of his book, The Satanic Verses.

Mass book burnings, bannings and death threats followed. It was nine years before the author came out of hiding, but Index on Censorship has noted that as recently as 2016, funds were being raised to add to the fatwa.

Rushdie said: “Nobody has the right to not be offended. That right doesn’t exist in any declaration I have ever read. If you are offended it is your problem and frankly lots of things offend lots of people. I can walk into a bookshop and point out a number of books that I find very unattractive in what they say. But it doesn’t occur to me to burn the bookshop down.”

Similarly, if somebody writes, says or tweets something that conflicts with your own beliefs, you don’t have to go into public meltdown and immediately try to organise a huge social media pile-on, where reason and balance gets trampled into the dirt by the howling mob.

You have options. You could express your disagreement. You could enter into a discussion. Or hey, here’s a radical idea, how about simply ignoring it and walking away?

True, Rushdie’s persecution is an extreme example. Here in Northern Ireland, where offence-taking is practically a national sport, there are numerous instances of self-indulgent huffing about them’uns on the other side. Most of this is low-level yapping and whataboutery.

But one of the most astounding examples that came to light last year was the case of Lee Hegarty.

According to the former Ulster Unionist MP Ken Maginnis, speaking in the House of Lords, Hegarty – previously a Northern Ireland Office (NIO) worker, who then took up a role with the Parades Commission – made a complaint under human rights legislation because he was so offended by portraits of the Queen adorning the walls of his workplace.

The alleged price of poor Mr Hegarty’s hurt feelings? Ten grand in compensation.

That’s a hell of a lot of money to salve Mr H’s wounded emotions. I really hope he didn’t get PTSD or anything from having to see pictures of HRH every day.

If I got a tenner for each time I’ve been insulated or offended as a result of the work I do, I’d be an extremely rich woman. Maybe not as rich as Mr Hegarty though.

I’m no royalist, but to me there’s something almost obscene – yet entirely typical of the way such things are done in la-la-land Northern Ireland – about pandering to outraged political sensibilities in such an extreme way.

There is no right not to be offended. As we enter not just a new year but a new decade, we must reaffirm this fundamental democratic truth.

• READ the original Belfast Telegraph article here: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/columnists/fionola-meredith/fionola-meredith-there-is-no-right-not-to-be-offended-why-we-must-heed-the-outgoing-ipso-chief-38829708.html

• READ the original interview with Sir Alan Moses in the Times here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sir-alan-moses-free-speech-means-freedom-to-offend-press-watchdog-insists-nzcsfzj6z?wgu=270525_73669_15797131443162_a22283a29e&wgexpiry=1587489144&utm_source=planit&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_content=30828

• CHECK OUT the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) here: https://www.ipso.co.uk/

• ALSO CHECK OUT Index on Censorship here: https://www.indexoncensorship.org/

• SUPPORT Free Speech: How Do We Protect It? here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1607711629485795/

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• ALSO check out Democratic Denial (Part 1) https://nationalliberal.org/democratic-denial-part-1

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NATIONS WITHOUT STATES – NwS – is a pressure group which seeks to highlight the plight of peoples who aspire to nationhood. Its raison d’être can be summed up in one simple slogan: Self-Determination For All!

Those who seek nationhood may be peoples or tribes based within a state or even across borders that may or may not have been independently organised in the past. They might have a linguistic or historical separateness from their neighbours or fellow citizens. All will aspire to recognition, autonomy or independence.

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As self-determinists, Nations without States supports the right of all such peoples to determine their future whatever they wish that to be.

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This includes for example the English, Flemish, Kurds, Sikhs and Tamils. A genuine self-determinist supports the right of self-determination globally where it is based upon a sound and just position and is supported by the majority of its ‘national’ community. The slogan ‘what is right for me is right for you’ simplifies why genuine nationalism is actually an inter-nationalist creed, quite separate to chauvinism which seeks advantage for one nation at the expense of others.

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For many years now, NwS has sought to unite various groups – some who would have previously operated in isolation from each other – in order to strengthen their claim to self-determination. As we noted in issue 1 of Nation – the Newsletter of Nations without States – ‘the only way forward is for self-determinists to unite and fight. We need to follow a strategy which will be conducted both on the streets and in the corridors of power.’

The call to operate ‘on the streets and in the corridors of power’ was followed up in issue 2 of Nation. It detailed several areas where NwS intended to build ‘counter power’ – a parallel system ‘that belongs to self-determinists and not our oppressors.’ This counter power would involve the following:

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• Build the infrastructure of an alternative mass media of news and entertainment. We’ve made a couple of small steps in the right direction here with the publication of Nation and our street paper Freedom, and the establishment of our Facebook site.

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• Build both a cultural and counter-cultural movement that’ll provide positive alternatives – especially for our youth – to globalism and modern consumer culture, which is designed to reduce everybody to the lowest common level by abolishing all inherited cultures and identities.

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• Build a social support network that can provide help, solidarity and humanitarian aid for our peoples both here and abroad.

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• Build a political movement that engages with various self-determinists with the aim of creating a whole new voting demographic.

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NwS intends to look at – and expand upon – all of these ideas in due course. But for the time being we’d like to concentrate on the idea of building a new voting demographic.

The reason for this is that later our friends & comrades from the National Liberal Party – NLP – will be standing candidates for the Greater London Assembly elections, scheduled for 7th May 2020 (1). The NLP will be standing under the slogan of Self-Determination For All!

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The NLP can field a total of 25 candidates. As of a couple of weeks ago nine candidates had been confirmed (2). Initially, the NLP would like to reflect the widespread number self-determinist communities living in the UK (and who would like to be represented, if elected, at the highest level in London).

With the above in mind, Nations without States would like to help the NLP locate potential candidates from the various diaspora communities living in London. We kick off with the Aborigines, the various indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands (excluding the Torres Strait Islands).

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We appreciate that it’s hard to know if there are any Aboriginal folks living in London. As far as we’re aware, the vast majority still live in Australia – indeed, almost two thirds of Aboriginal people live in urban areas of Australia’s eastern states (3). However, given that Greater London has an estimated population of 8.17 Million (4) it’s not inconceivable that some younger Aboriginal folks – particularly those from an artistic or sporting background – are living in the capital.

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Even if there are none, both ourselves and the NLP would be interested in making contact with any activists who know about – and support – the Aboriginal Australians.

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We’re particularly interested in what forms of self-determination are being mooted – such as greater recognition, autonomy or independence – as well as cultural issues. Nations without States are also very interested in bringing these issues to the attention of fellow activists (who’re interested in self-determination) via our Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/groups/184919468292372/

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However, with the May Greater London Assembly elections in mind, it’s vitally important that anyone who generally supports the cause of self-determination (and, if possible, the Aboriginal Australian cause) gets in touch with the National Liberal Party as soon as possible.

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As we noted earlier, the NLP wants to use this opportunity to bring the unique idea of Self-Determination For All! to the attention of London’s electorate. If you fit the bill, please contact natliberal@aol.com as soon as possible!

1. http://nationalliberal.org/self-determination-for-all-3
2. http://nationalliberal.org/gla-candidate-meeting
3. https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/aboriginal-population-in-australia
4. http://livepopulationof.com/population-of-london/

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• ALSO check out:

Representative Democracy Is No Longer Democracy! http://nationalliberal.org/swiss-model

Why Are The Swiss Happier Than The British? http://nationalliberal.org/why-are-the-swiss-happier-than-the-british

Our Political System Has Failed! https://nationalliberal.org/our-political-system-has-failed