Tag Archives: free speech

Rethinking Anti-Semitism

Posted by Dennis Hayes -

In our first Letter on Liberty discussion of 2023, author and campaigner, Daniel Ben-Ami, will introduces his new Letter, Rethinking Anti-Semitism, in which he argues that:

‘… a misunderstanding of the causes of modern anti-Semitism is stopping us from waging a serious battle to defeat it. He argues that a contemporary amalgam of far-right Jew-Hatred, far-Left anti-Semitism and Islamist genocidal influence has formed a new, hybrid ideology, and indeed hybrid anti-Semitism. A future of freedom from anti-Semitism and the hatred of Jews can only be achieved through a commitment to free and open debate, he argues. It may be difficult to stomach, but fighting it effectively means challenging it in the open, rather than forcing it to hide in the shadows’.

Buy, or download his Letter for free, here.

Date, Time and Venue: Thursday 23 February 2023 at 19.00 in the Brunswick Inn, Derby.

Tickets (£3 plus fee) available on Eventbrite.

About Daniel:

Daniel Ben-Ami is an author, journalist and creator of the website Radicalism of Fools. He has contributed to numerous national, specialist and international publications, and his books include Ferraris For All (2010) and Cowardly Capitalism (2001).

(Illustration/Design: Jan Bowman)

The future of free speech: will tackling ‘radicalisation’ mean the death of debate?

Posted by Dennis Hayes -

The government’s ‘Prevent’ strategy sees the sudden psychological ‘radicalisation’ of vulnerable children and young people as the cause of today’s apparently meaningless acts of terrorism. It has turned teachers and lecturers into spies looking out for signs of ‘radicalisation’ including signs of unusual behaviour and mental illness. ‘Prevent’ has many critics who often condemn it as ‘Islamophobic’ for targeting Muslims, while its supporters claim that the aim is to prevent terrorism in all its forms including that of extreme right or ‘Fascist’ groups and that of individual fanatics. Continue reading …