Enlightenment Under Attack 💡 Armin Navabi’s Speech in Ottawa
https://youtu.be/PHKO5jsTuR8
In today’s polarized climate of discourse in the public square, a consistent target of attack has emerged: enlightenment values of free speech, reason, scientific inquiry, and the separation of church and state. Government-backed suppression and execution of non-believers — particularly in Muslim-majority countries — is at the nexus of attention by human rights organizations around the world. Meanwhile, hardliners from both the regressive left and alt-right political extremes have pursued aggressive stances, advocating violence, bigotry and censorship. Beyond voicing outrage about this overall situation, what can be done?
In today’s polarized climate of discourse in the public square, a consistent target of attack has emerged: enlightenment values of free speech, reason, scientific inquiry, and the separation of church and state. Government-backed suppression and execution of non-believers — particularly in Muslim-majority countries — is at the nexus of attention by human rights organizations around the world. Meanwhile, hardliners from both the regressive left and alt-right political extremes have pursued aggressive stances, advocating violence, bigotry and censorship. Beyond voicing outrage about this overall situation, what can be done?