Professor Timothy Zick Offers Expert Opinion on Quran Burning and the First Amendment
by Ami Dodson
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September 16, 2010
Professor Timothy Zick, an expert on free speech, was quoted in multiple news stories concerning the Quran burning planned by a Florida minister on September 11, 2010. “The fundamental principle is that the government cannot restrict speech based on its content, even if an audience finds it offensive," Zick explained to BBC News. AOL News asked for Zick’s opinion on whether the Quran burning could be stopped before it starts. AdnKronos International also interviewed Zick, asking specifically about the difference between American and European hate speech standards. Zick commented, "People can say all sorts of hateful things free of government interference [in the U.S.].” He explained that U.S. free speech law protects speaker autonomy more robustly than does the speech law in European nations, which tends to place greater weight on values like dignity and equality.
