Freedom from Religion
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Description
Although many books on terrorism and religious extremism have been published in the years since 9/11, none of them written by Western authors call for the curtailment of religious freedom and freedom of expression for the sake of greater security. Rather, those terror-related debates have addressed what other civil liberties should be honored. Issues like torture, domestic surveillance, and unlawful detentions have dominated the literature in this area, but few, if any, major scholars have questioned the vast allowances made by Western nations for the freedoms of religion and speech.Freedom from Religion challenges the almost sacrosanct inviolability of these two civil liberties. By drawing the connection between politically-correct tolerance of extremist speech and the rise of terrorist activity, this book sets the context for its unique proposal that governments should introduce new limits on religious practice within their borders. To demonstrate the wisdom of this course, the author presents the disparate policies and security circumstances of five countries: the U.S., the UK, the Netherlands, Turkey, and Israel. The book benefits not just from the author's own counter-terrorism experience in Israel and the U.S. but also from an international advisory group of leading scholars from all five of the countries under review.
Features
- Provides both the theory and historical background necessary for academic research and the concrete legal proposals useful to policymakers
- The country-by-country analysis grounds Guiora's proposals in a helpful real-world context
- The author maintains the book's objectivity by addressing not just Islamic extremism but Christian and Jewish varieties as well
Reviews
"Guiora's book distinguishes itself from much of what has been written in the field by a
realistic estimate of the threat which terrorism poses. It is also the first book that convincingly tackles the problem of how freedom of speech and terrorism are related. Guiora's expert knowledge makes him an ideal guide through this subject. He gives a vivid impression of the way many policy makers, politicians, and civil servants think about the problem of terrorism."
-Professor Paul Cliteur,
University of Leiden, Netherlands
"This book will provoke much debate in the legal community and far beyond. While I disagree with Amos Guiora's conclusions, I applaud his candid and compelling discussion of a challenging question that should certainly be forthrightly debated: whether legal protections for religious speech and conduct should be reduced in order to counter the threat posed by religiously motivated terrorists. Even for those of us who urge that the answer should be 'No,' Guiora's impassioned work must be reckoned with."
-Nadine Strossen,
Professor of Law, New York Law School
Former President, American Civil Liberties Union (1991-2008)
About the Author(s)
Amos N. Guiora
is professor of law at S. J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah where he teaches Criminal Law, Global Perspectives on Counter-terrorism, Religion and Terrorism, and National Security Law. In addition, Guiora incorporates innovative scenario-based instruction to address national and international security issues. At the S.J. Quinney College of Law, Guiora, in collaboration with other leading experts, helps lead the school's efforts to provide cutting-edge research, innovative training, and public service initiatives in the prevention and mitigation of global conflict.
Professor Guiora has also served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the Israel Defense Forces as a Lieutenant Colonel. His senior command postings in the IDF were Commandant of the IDF School of Military Law, Judge Advocate of the Navy and Home Front Command, and Legal Advisor to the IDF's Gaza Strip operations.
