Freedom of Speech in the Middle East Compared to the West - Essay Example

The Middle-East community has experienced very tough authority in the past, where the leaders at the top of the hierarchy have to make all the rules and cannot be questioned or opposed (Dr. Kai Hafez, (2013). In the West, people have the right to express their views concerning any issue affecting them. This essay pictures freedom of speech of two completely different societies; the west and the Middle East. In the Middle East, religious matters are very sensitive to the people, but questions have been raised concerning the right to speech on the issue.

In the West, people are free to express their views concerning religious matters. In the past, several people have been punished for saying things that were considered abusive to the church, but as the years went by, the Western world embraced the idea of democracy and allowing people to speak their minds. The church decided to let people respect each other’s ideas instead of punishing them. On the other hand, the Middle East is still struggling with the idea of letting people say whatever they think about the Islam religion.

Even the press is not allowed to approach the religious issues (Henry Cohen (2009).Bearing in mind the fact that the Middle East has gone through some great changes, it is possible that in some years, the constitution of the Middle East will be able to respect and give complete freedom of speech in regard to religious matters. Freedom of speech is respected as a human right in the laws of all the nations of the world. The laws in the West dictate that any human being is allowed to hold, seek and share their thoughts without seeking guidance from anyone.