"Freedom of speech is vital fundamental right of every citizen. It is the right to articulate one's opinions and ideas without fear of government retaliation or censorship, or societal sanction," he said, adding that the right to freedom of expression is recognised as a human right under article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognised in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). He also said Freedom of expression is the cornerstone of democracy.
While talking about his movement, Raja said, he gained motivation to begin this movement during his research work on LLM which was based on "WikiLeaks disclosure and implications for freedom of speech and right of privacy." The idea of a to form a movement that protects free speech free world without any discrimination all over the world was based on his research work.
He said that the FSFWM was a part of a protest held at the 10-Downing Street, London, against the discriminatory policies of the US President Donald Trump. He said this amazing experience gathered people from different cultures and religions, and they came out to express solidarity with Muslims. The protest was electrified with the chants of "Say it loud, say it clear-refugees are welcome here" and "No more Trump cards."
He believes that people must be aware of their rights and they should unite against any discrimination. He said, currently, hate crime incidents are reported in London to be 43% which means 3 incidents in one hour in London.
Raja said freedom of speech should be used within the legal provisions prescribed under the statutes where it must not come under the hate-speech. The right of privacy and the law of confidentiality should also be respected while using the right of freedom of speech or freedom of information.
"Now, the goal is to establish its branches all over the world as soon as we inaugurate its chalets in different countries such as Pakistan, USA, France, Canada, China, etc," he said. Raja Zeeshan said constitution of Pakistan clearly guarantees the protection of free speech under the limitation where it must not be a threat to the national security or national interest. He said, unfortunately, people misuse free speech due to the paucity of awareness. He said that the cyberspace law in Pakistan is another development which requires modification and practical implementation.
Expressing his ambition for the community, he said his aim is to make the entire global community aware of their rights and the consequences of hate speech. On his political activities in UK, Raja said, it was a great experience to be working with the London Mayor Sadiq Khan for his campaign. He also said that he is a great admirer of Labour Party due to its policies towards minorities as the Tories had never shown courage to give a prestigious post to any Black Asian Minority Member.
Despite his support to the Labour Party, he appreciated the gesture of the Prime Minister, Theresa May, by calling the general elections on 8th June. He said conservatives have been introducing some harsh immigration policies in the last 7 years, and after Brexit, the immigrants' first choice would be the Labour Party for sure. But this is going to be a tough competition.
He is optimistic that Pakistan would be a stable country soon. He said Pakistani institutions are independent and there is a proper check and balance in Pakistani system where all the pillars play their role within their domain. He said lifting of Trump's travel ban on specific Muslim countries by the US Supreme Court showed real independence of judiciary and rule of law.
He believes that overseas Pakistanis are assets for the country. They have a vital role in the economic growth of the country. He urged that overseas Pakistanis must be allowed to participate in the Pakistani politics and the lawmakers need to review the restrictions on contesting election by dual citizenship holders. He said he is also contributing for the betterment of Juvenile Justice System in Pakistan and have prepared some reports for it and sooner would establish a platform, in this regard.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017