Are Muslims Implicitly Exempt From European Hate Speech Protections?
In sum, then, the United States allows a whole range of hate speech – from anti-Christian, to anti-Semitic, to anti-Islamic. And Europe purports to constrain a whole range of hate speech – but, it seems, not necessarily when that speech targets Muslims. A parallel issue can be seen when it comes to religious freedom. The United States would not limit the wearing of religious garb for any faith, for to do so would violate the First Amendment. But in Europe, generally, and in France more particularly, anti-veils law are justified by the ideal of keeping the public sphere secular, so that no one feels overly proselytized – even though they disproportionately impact Muslims. Ultimately, France ended up banning overt religious symbols including headscarves, skullcaps or outsize crosses from being worn in State primary and secondary schools. But tellingly, the ban’s original draft singled out the hijab for exclusion from public life. Europe Must Avoid Viewpoint-Discrimination Against Muslims
