In American society, freedom of speech guarantees our singular ingenuity and inventiveness at all levels of creative expression: technology, intellectual production, and art. While The Love Guru, and its mild mockery of the Hindu faith, cannot be considered to represent the best of our nation’s creative possibilities, the Constitutional protections that permit its production are critical.
Nevertheless, we must continue to ask ourselves, what are the limits of free speech? When does your freedom of expression sufficiently offend my beliefs to render it harmful to larger society? How do we then react?
People of faith consistently face this dilemma, as others intentionally or unintentionally offend our most sacred symbols, traditions and beliefs, whether for provocation, profit, art or humor. As Muslims, we deal with this perhaps more than other faith communities. Disparaging our religion has become routine, witnessed in the Danish cartoon crisis, the Geert Wilders film on the Qur’an, and the innumerable references to terrorism that conflate Islam with some Muslims’ actions.
We must respond to such offenses by both upholding others’ rights to freedom of speech – even to offend us – while also celebrating our own rights under a free society to react with calm yet righteous indignation. When our sacred traditions are misrepresented, denigrated, or mocked, we must actively put forward our voices, declaring that such attempts only serve to alienate, divide, and impede the development of prosperous and tolerant societies. Humor brings joy, but once again, there must be limits, and a healthy society is one that takes its freedom of speech seriously, not wantonly.
Of course, The Love Guru represents a relatively innocuous example of the above, an Orientalist depiction of the Hindu tradition that can hardly be taken seriously. However, as a Muslim who grew up in a Hindu society and personally experienced the intricacies and complexities of the Hinduism tradition – its profound spirituality, awareness of the Divine, and colorful expressions of faith in daily life – I reject reducing this tradition to a simple caricature.
I stand with many of my Hindu brothers and sisters. I will not watch this movie.
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