LET US LIVE WITHOUT HARMING! EXPRESS YOURSELF AND LET OTHERS EXPRESS THEMSELVES

Did you know that only 23% of the world’s population lives in a relatively open environment where there is considerable freedom of expression? In other countries innocent people are harmed or even subjected to great suffering for exercising their right to free expression. For example, in Iran, the religious police beat women simply for not dressing or wearing the veil as they believe is correct. To make matters worse, if they protest against this oppression, they are shot in the face and genitals, imprisoned, tortured, and raped.

In many places, people who spoke their minds were burned at the stake, and indeed in many countries they are still imprisoned, tortured, and murdered. Even among the most civilized countries (or least uncivilized, depending on how you look at it), showing oneself as one is can lead to beatings or job exclusion, as is the case with transvestites. Another example is that of fundamentalist Islamists who assault Jews wearing kippahs or harass women who do not dress modestly in European neighborhoods.

Read LIVE WITHOUT HARMING: Not even the LGBTQ+ community

Let us combat fundamentalist Islamist tyranny

Without going that far, other less intense forms of harm include stigmatizing, rejecting, pointing the finger, mocking, gossiping, despising, judging, or unfairly condemning people who express themselves outside a standard but without harming anyone.

This occurs mainly in environments traditionalist, authoritarian, gregarious, ultra-religious, of authoritarian far-right, of liberticidal far-left and sheep-like. It is typical of societies or groups governed by strict dogmas, invented doctrines, conventionalisms they call “good manners,” and taboos, some of which are absurd.

Let us oppose poisonous dogmatism

Let us think for ourselves and avoid harmful indoctrination

In Japan, there is a saying that if a nail sticks out, it must be hammered down. In other countries, there are other idioms, such as “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” The oppression of free self-expression can be of a  social, political (punishing anything said that deviates from the orthodoxy set by the government), religious or several of these at the same time.

However, as we are free, we have the right to be ourselves, authentic, to express our uniqueness and creativity, and to show ourselves as we are, always without harming anyone, except in legitimate self-defense.

Let’s respect the freedom of others

And we also have the freedom to express our opinions, even if some do not like them, always without defaming or maliciously lying, and without engaging in hate speech or harming innocents. In fact, Article 19 of  the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

Freedom of expression is not only a human right but a necessity that is healthy to satisfy and makes us feel good. Furthermore, it enriches society in multiple ways:

• It promotes individual freedom, which leads to an increase in happiness.

• It stimulates the dissemination of information, ideas, and debate, leading to continuous improvement and modernization in various aspects of society.

• According to various statistics, such as those from the World Economic Forum, countries with greater freedom of expression have more innovation and economic prosperity.

Let us learn from the Netherlands, one of the places with the most advanced mindset in the world, where everything can be discussed and everything is talked about, without taboos or mincing words, without subjection to any tyranny of political, social, and religious correctness. And let us also take the example of countries like Denmark, New Zealand, Switzerland, Finland, or Sweden, which are usually at the top of freedom of expression rankings, such as the GSDI, as well as press freedom and individual freedom.  

Freedom of expression includes speaking naturally about politics and religion and even criticizing ideologies and religious doctrines.

Let us talk about politics and religion 

A uniform environment (for example, in dress) is castrating, while a diverse one is nourishing, even allowing those who wish to go nude on any beach or, why not, in the street.

Let us appreciate diversity

Let us rather reserve social pressure as an effective tool to prevent anyone from harming innocents and be tolerant of other behaviors and expressions.

Let us be tolerant

Let us be ourselves, if we wish, and let others be themselves too!

What can an evolved, open-minded, and excellence-oriented person do to improve freedom of expression (always within the limit of not harming innocents)?

1. Sign this campaign for freedom and high-quality democracies… SIGN NOW!… 

2. Sign this campaign to ask all governments to repeal blasphemy and apostasy laws… SIGN NOW!…

3. Sign to ask Christian organizations to respect freedom of expression… SIGN NOW!…

4. Sign to ask Muslim religious leaders to respect freedom of expression… SIGN NOW!…

5. Sign for all governments to promote non-harmful versions of religions… SIGN NOW!…

6. Sign against harmful speech and hatred towards innocents… SIGN NOW!…

7. Share the previous signature campaigns and this article with as many people as possible.

Thank you for doing so to contribute to a more respectful and pleasant society to live in,