Freedom of expression and its limits
In this seminar we explore two cases that help us reason and argue about where the limits of freedom of expression may lie.
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and integral to the functioning of a democratic political system and society. Nonetheless, like all other human rights it is not boundless, it has limits, and its execution can clash with other human rights.
Holocaust denial is both an ethical affront and a negation of established historical facts. In some countries, it is criminalised. Is Holocaust denial beyond the pale of what should be allowed to express as an opinion?
In the second case, we look at the recent rash of Quran burnings in Sweden. This is a clash of rights, between freedom of expression and the prohibition of discrimination in the context of Swedish domestic politics. How can we understand the strong counter-reactions to the burnings? What can we learn from international human rights law in understanding where the boundaries between the two rights lie in this context?
Speakers:
Frederic Brusi works for the Swedish Agency for Support for Faith Communities (SST), a Government agency under the Ministry of health and social affairs.
Raphael Cohen-Almagor completed his DPhil in Political Theory at the University of Oxford. He is Professor of Politics, the University of Hull in the UK, and the Olof Palme Visiting Professor, Lund University, Sweden.
Sally Longworth is a Researcher at the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) and Lecturer in public international law at Stockholm University.
This event will be moderated by Rouzbeh Parsi, Head of the Middle East and North Africa programme at UI.
This event will be organized in cooperation with Stockholm University. The event will be held at Stockholm University. Detailed information about venue at campus will be sent out to registered guests the day before the event.
Welcome!
This seminar is fully booked