SINGAPORE - Freedom of Speech or Social Responsibility?

Freedom of speech basically refers to the freedom to say anything even if it may offensive or may not agree with the norm.
Social responsibility is the practice of intellectual thinking by the society itself i.e. the people do not deliberately offend others and are sensitive to and respect each other’s beliefs.

Singer, in the article “Free Speech, Muhammad, and the Holocaust”, takes on the view that in a democratic country, ‘everyone has the right to freedom of expression’. According to him, they can express their opinions openly without breaking any laws set by the public authority. However, Szilagyi claims in the article in International Herald Tribune that social responsibility should be practiced and that that is more important for ‘every new social and political development around the world’.

The cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad provoked much rage among the Muslims. Hence, it is apparent that freedom of speech may lead to religious issues; ‘societal and political tensions can be inflamed instantly’. Hence, in the context of Singapore’s multi-racial society, where there is cultural and religious pluralism, it is wiser to adopt social responsibility. This is because Singapore, as a multi-racial and religious country, is highly susceptible to racial and religious conflicts. Racial harmony is of great importance to Singapore and in order to sustain this harmony, it must ensure that there is no probability of a riot to start. Hence, each Singaporean should be responsible enough to be aware of other ethnic groups and their beliefs and act accordingly without offending them.