Foreword

The tumultuous events unfolding across the globe serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing and urgent need to bridge the yawning chasm between cultural norms and attitudes towards free speech. Recent incidents involving Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark, resulting in fierce protests in Iraq and other Muslim nations, underline the profound disparities that exist between different cultures' views on freedom of speech and what constitutes respect or insult towards religious beliefs.

In July 2023, hundreds of demonstrators stormed the main gates of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad after police in Stockholm sanctioned another planned burning of the Muslim holy book, the Quran. Following the incident, the Iraqi government called on European countries to "reconsider" their laws on freedom of expression and right to protest. Such incidents highlight the cultural clash between a Western interpretation of freedom of speech, where even religious texts are not exempt from critique or desecration, and the vehement responses they evoke in societies where such acts are perceived as egregious affronts to faith and identity.

This cultural collision extends beyond just freedom of expression in religious matters. In February 2023, TikTokers in Iraq were jailed for publishing content deemed "decadent" by state standards. According to the Interior Ministry, this campaign aimed to purge social media platforms of content that breached Iraqi "mores and traditions," and such content was described as "no less dangerous than organized crime". This signifies the policing of individual expression in a way that most Western societies might find an affront to personal freedoms, further demonstrating the deep cultural divide in our understanding and application of free speech.

These incidents compelled us to write this essay and, more broadly, highlight the pressing need for dialogue on this topic. The impetus was not just the events themselves, but the reactions they provoked, and the underlying beliefs and attitudes they revealed. This essay is an attempt to explore the historical, cultural, and political dynamics that have shaped such attitudes in the Middle East, while also illustrating how these attitudes impact the region's aspirations for democratic reform, and freedom of speech and expression.

In the face of these tensions and contradictions, the path forward may seem uncertain. Yet, it is in traversing this challenging landscape that we hope to make our most significant contribution. As the UN Human Rights Council grapples with complex issues concerning religious hatred, freedom of speech, and cultural respect, we too must confront these issues head-on. It is through understanding, dialogue, and empathy that we can hope to bridge the cultural chasm that exists, creating a world where the coexistence of diverse beliefs and the right to express them freely becomes a shared global standard.