Instruction
the word "blog" is thrown about quite loosely, and people use it to refer to other kinds of web sites, too -- but in English class, we stick with the original and true meaning of the word.
BLOG TOPIC #1: Watch Submission: Part 1 (the link is below, and also in the post before this one, about Ayaan Hirsi Ali) and also read or watch any web content you choose about the history of this short film and the murder of the filmmaker. You can easily find a lot of information about this topic just by search terms: Submission Part 1, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Theo Van Gogh filmmaker
In a recent controversy involving threats of murder to someone in Europe insulting Islam, a 16-year old French girl on Instagram has now been forced to leave school and go into hiding because her life is at risk. Mila likes to sing and perform on Instagram. When she did not return the sexual advances of a Muslim fan, and he then insulted her, the conflict grew and at one point, she insulted his religion. Many people sent her rape and death threats for this, and say she was rude and wrong and deserved punishment, and these people are protesting against her with the hashtag #jesuispasmila ("I am not Mila"). But, many other people support her, argue for freedom of expression, and protest her treatment with the hashtag #jesuismila ("I am Mila"). This type of hashtag began with #jesuischarlie to show solidarity and support after the 2015 massacre of cartoonists and magazine staff, a killing spree that happened because the "Charlie Hebdo" magazine, which specializes in satire and often criticizes religions, published rude and insulting cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammed. The jihadi murderers killed 12 people and injured 11 more. I have attached information to introduce you to these events, as they are part of recent history and demonstrate the seriousness of this issue in our world today.
You may want to check out the arguments both for and against freedom of expression. Learn more about Islamic blasphemy and apostasy prohibitions, the scripture and traditions that lead many people across the planet to believe that it is a holy duty to silence and punish those who insult the Islamic religion. Also consider your own religious beliefs or lack of them, and consider your own understanding of freedom of belief and self-expression, and its importance in society. The "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" recognizes freedom of conscience (belief) and speech (expression), but Islamic nations do not use that document as the foundation for their laws, so obviously, there is a lack of "universality" to belief in these concepts, and this is this basis of major cultural and civilizational conflict in our world today. What is your perspective? How would you like to see this conflict resolved? Should freedom win? Or should western people learn to accept Islamic blasphemy laws within our societies and change our way of life to make new settles comfortable? Will adopting new Islamic blasphemy prohibitions make our society safer and more peaceful?
Once you feel you have a decent understanding of this topic, write a personal response about your learning experience and any connection you have with this topic and these ideas.
https://youtu.be/6rS8FJyX3gs