Category: Free Speech

Bizarre, Free Speech, International, Media, Society

Bank Of Canada: “Stop ‘Spocking’ Our Currency”

spock5-2

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

The Bank of Canada moved to protect its economy from a sudden spike spock in its currency.

The Canadian Dollar spocked in value following the death of Actor Leonard Nimoy a week ago. Currency traders marked the five dollar notes and in turn succeeded in initially increasing its value. This was then followed by a run on the bank notes prompting the Bank of Canada to intervene to protect the dollar’s value.

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Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Society

India Ministry Moves To Block Airing Of Documentary On Rape

tfi_a374ada7f4d26fb1c8aba2084f645c7aWhile China is moving to block the airing of a documentary on pollution, India is moving to block the airing of a documentary on the scourge of its country: rape. India has long been accused of having a rape culture where women are blamed for their own victimization and the caste system (and poor legal system) continues to frustrate efforts to hold rapists accountable. That dire situation for women led to the much acclaimed documentary by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, “India’s Daughter.” The Indian government is so opposed to letting its citizens hear about such abuses that it is now threatening the BBC for airing the banned documentary.
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Environment, Free Speech, International, Politics, Society

Clearing the Air: China Moves To Block Airing Of Documentary On Dangers Of Smog

Screen Shot 2015-03-05 at 7.56.54 AMChina has a different approach to clearing the air. We have discussed the record pollution measured in Beijing and the past efforts of the Chinese government to prevent people from talking about the shroud of pollution choking its population. Now the government censor have blocked the airing of a documentary on China’s smog — the 104-minute film Under the Dome by well-known former news anchor Chai Jing. While it has been viewed by more than 200 million times online, the censors are cracking down to prevent others from learning about the dangers of the smog levels in China.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, International, Society

American Posts Criticism Of His Company In United Arab Emirates On Facebook . . . Company Brings Criminal Charges And Has Him Arrested Upon His Return To The UAE

AR-150309877We have previously discussed the common criminalization of speech found in Muslim countries (and the increasing criminalization seen in the West). The most recent victim is Ryan Pate, a civilian helicopter mechanic who was arrested for a derogatory comments made on Facebook in the United States toward his employer in the United Arab Emirates, Global Aerospace Logistics. After he returned to the United Arab Emirates, he was promptly arrested at the request of the company. This again is one of our closest allies that denies the basic protections of free speech not only to its citizens but even to Americans speaking in the United States.

Continue reading “American Posts Criticism Of His Company In United Arab Emirates On Facebook . . . Company Brings Criminal Charges And Has Him Arrested Upon His Return To The UAE” →

Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

American Blogger in Bangladesh Hacked To Death By Islamic Extremists

Avijit_RoyAnother blogger has fallen victim to Islamic extremists. Avijit Roy, a Bangladesh-born U.S. citizen, was hacked to death during a walk with his wife in Dhaka as both were returning from a book fair at Dhaka University. How did he insult Islam? No, it wasn’t a cartoon or a satirical poem. He wrote about religious intolerance so they hacked him to death.

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Free Speech, International, Politics

Critic Of Vlad Putin Assasinated
Boris Nemtsov †
Boris Nemtsov †

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

In another setback for political change in Russia, opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was gunned down by several men who shot him four times in the back while he traversed a bridge along with a Ukrainian woman. Boris was to speak before a peace rally denouncing Russian involvement in the hostilities in the Ukraine, economic policies, and other issues.

Boris, a former deputy-prime minister, is an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The crime scene was within two hundred meters of the Kremlin.

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Constitutional Law, Free Speech, International, Politics, Society

Kuwait Sentences Opposition Politician To Five Years For Asking Ruler Not To Rule Autocratically

220px-Sheikh_Sabah_IVMusallam al-Barrak, an outspoken former member of the Kuwaiti parliament, appears to have his answer. Al-Barrak appealed to Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah (right) in a 2012 speech not to impose “autocratic rule.” He was later arrested and has now been sentenced to five years in jail.

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Academia, Free Speech, International, Politics, Religion, Society

Islamic Scholars Present An Open Letter To ISIS Leader Al-Baghdadi

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi
Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi

A consortium of one hundred and twenty Islamic Scholars have placed onto the internet an Open Letter to Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi denouncing the organization’s violent and extremist actions in the Middle East. The letter, in the form of an interactive website, provides the world with an opportunity to read a perspective of the Islamic State’s affront to civilization from an academic analysis by scholars. The letter addresses the fundamental and basis in canon for disputing the claims of Al-Baghdadi that his is the only pure and legitimate form of Islam–refuting his claims of divine assent.

The original, in the Arabic, is presently being translated into other languages. The English is presently available.

There has been unfortunately much misconception in the Western World that there lacks true dissent to the terrorist outrages in the Muslim World.  This letter can serve a secondary goal to educate those in other cultures having concerns.

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Academia, Constitutional Law, Courts, Free Speech, Justice, Politics, Society, Uncategorized

Gov. Bruce Rauner Declares War on Higher Education and the Poor in Illinois

Bruce_Rauner_August_2014

Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor

I have to give Governor Bruce Rauner credit for not taking long to show his hand and publicly attack the Higher Education system in Illinois.  It has only been a few weeks since he was inaugurated and he recently unveiled his budget.  A budget plan that slashes over $200 million just from the University of Illinois alone.

At the very time Gov. Rauner announced he wants to slash the Higher Education budget for all universities in the State of Illinois by almost a third, he claimed that his budget makes education a priority!  Continue reading “Gov. Bruce Rauner Declares War on Higher Education and the Poor in Illinois” →

Constitutional Law, Courts, Free Speech, Religion, Society, Supreme Court, Torts

Court Rules Against Washington State Florist Who Refused To Make Wedding Flower Arrangement For Gay Couple

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Baronelle Stutzman
Baronelle Stutzman

We previously wrote HERE of Richland, Washington Florist Baronelle Stutzman, the owner of Arlene’s Flowers, who caused a row when she refused to provide her floral services for a gay wedding. Now, a Benton County Superior Court Judge ruled that she violated the state’s consumer protection act that bars discrimination against a protected class.

The legal action was brought by customer Robert Ingersoll and the Washington Attorney General’s Office.

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Constitutional Law, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

Turkish Tweets: Leading Journalist Arrested For Tweet On Erdogan Corruption Scandal

582574_215472875248080_1866740398_n220px-Recep_Tayyip_ErdoganSedef Kabas, a leading Turkish journalist, has been arrested in another example of the rollback on civil liberties under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As part of his attack on secularism and his introduction of Islamic laws into Turkey’s government, Erdogan has been cracking down critics and journalists over the outcry of the international community. In the case of Kabas, a single tweet on Twitter was enough. The journalist had just sent her five-year-old to school when police came knocking to ask if she authored a tweet about how the government quashed a corruption investigation into his family and close associates of Erdogan. Erdogan previously promised to “eradicate” Twitter in Turkey and he appears to be now doing it one journalist and poster at a time.

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Academia, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

Did Harvard’s New Saudi Scholar Try To Have Women Flogged For Revealing Her Affair?

Drhayatsindi220px-Harvard_Wreath_Logo_1.svgDr. Hayat Sindi is a Saudi Arabian medical scientist and a woman who has earned respect for extraordinary accomplishments in a country that denies women basic liberties. She is not only an award-winning scientist but one of the first female members of the Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia. Ranked by Arabian Business as the 19th most influential Arab in the world and the ninth most influential Arab woman, it is not surprising that Harvard University has brought her to the country as a visiting scholar. However, a nasty lawsuit in King County has raised deeply disturbing allegations about Sindi’s efforts against women who she accuses of hacking her emails. According to counsel for one of those women, Sindi worked to have another woman flogged for writing on Facebook that she had had an affair with her husband. On the other side is Samia El-Moslimany, a women’s activist and photographer who lives in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, who is fighting to keep Sindi from forcing the disclosure of the women, who would face medieval Sharia justice in Saudi Arabia.

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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Free Speech, International, Justice, Lawyering, Media, Politics, Society

Will HSBC Be Too Big To Jail…Again?

220px-HK_HSBC_Main_Building_2008

Respectfully submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty, (rafflaw) Weekend Contributor

British banking giant, HSBC reached an agreement in 2012 with the Department of Justice that kept it from being hauled in to court on criminal charges due to its systemic assistance in laundering money for drug cartels and allegedly terrorists.  HSBC, with its Hong Kong headquarters shown above, is now in trouble again for alleged problems prior to the settlement agreement in 2012.

“The US Department of Justice is considering bringing criminal charges against HSBC and its executives as part of its investigation into whether the bank’s Swiss subsidiary helped US clients evade taxes.

Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren called on prosecutors to “come down hard” on HSBC if the bank is found to have colluded with tax evaders on Tuesday.

Her intervention came as US government officials with knowledge of the DoJ’s investigation provided the Guardian with new details about the inquiry.

Renewed focus has been placed on the long-running investigation into HSBC Switzerland by the department, after a huge leak of secret bank data – passed to the DOJ’s tax division almost five years ago – was obtained by the Guardian and other media.

It shows that HSBC Switzerland helped some clients conceal millions of undeclared assets, and has immediately raised questions on Capitol Hill about the response from prosecutors and tax authorities.  US government officials said the investigation is not merely looking at HSBC’s US clients, and could also result in criminal indictments against the bank itself. “That has not been ruled out,” one official said, when asked if HSBC or its executives could be criminally indicted. “It is certainly something that is under consideration.” ‘ Reader Supported News  Continue reading “Will HSBC Be Too Big To Jail…Again?” →

Criminal law, Free Speech, Media, Society

$130K Raised To Support Indian Man Injured By Police

By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

sureshbhai-patel-in-hospitalWe previously wrote HERE of the plight of Sureshbhai Patel who was left partially paralyzed after being thrown to the ground by Madison, Alabama police during an investigative detention. The officer accused in this matter has been charged with Third Degree Assault.

Thanks to a crowd sourced donation campaign seeking to help alleviate the financial costs of his injuries, in just over three days $130,000 dollars so far has been raised. The amounts continue to grow.

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Academia, Free Speech, Society

Michigan Launches Campaign To Stop Students From Using Words Such As “Gay,” “Ilegal Alien,” or “Crazy”

10406369_322412331277747_7680132564831969271_n225px-Umichigan_color_sealThe University of Michigan has spent $16,000 on a campaign to get students to use “inclusive language” and stop using certain words and phrases. Around campus, posters give examples of the now verboten words like “crazy,” “insane,” “retarded,” “gay,” “tranny,” “gypped,” “illegal alien,” “fag,” “ghetto” and “raghead.” In fairness to the school and students, there program is broader than just the listing of offensive terms and phrases. The campaign is also featured on Facebook.

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