Fight for Freedom of Expression:

This is one of the most important human rights in the modern society but the fight for this right started in late 17th century by Voltaire, the French historian, philosopher famous for his wit and advocacies on civil liberties. The fight for the right caught up with the aesthetic movement, represented by the school of William Morris and Dante Gabriel Rosetti in 1860-1900. One of the most influential authors of this movement was Oscar Wilde. He was one of the flamboyant and witty playwright  who penned short stories, plays, poetry's and his only novel- The picture of Dorian Gray.

The novel first appeared as a lead story in Lippincots monthly magazine on June 20^th 1890. The Magazine’s editor changed some 500 words of the text without intimating Wilde, as he feared the story indecent to publish. Even then the story was greeted with outrage by British reviewers, some of whom suggested that Wilde should be prosecuted on moral grounds, leading Wilde to defend the novel aggressively in letters to the British press. Wilde later revised the story for book publication, making substantial alterations, deleting controversial passages, adding new chapters and including an aphoristic Preface which has since become famous in its own right. he was  In 1894, Wilde was imprisoned for two years for leading a very unconventional and unethical life style, which was not appreciated by British Church and its rein during Victorian era.

Now lets fast-forward the timeline to 20^th century where  some literary writers were fighting once more for this basic human right. The most noteworthy author was Salman Rushdie. Who carried a fatwa for writing Satanic Verses, published in 1988. The controversy in his book started with the title- Satanic Verses. The title refers to a legend of the Prophet Mohammad, when a few verses were supposedly spoken by him as part of the Qur'an, and then withdrawn on the grounds that the devil had sent them to deceive Mohammad into thinking they came from God. Rushdie's depiction of the Prophet in his novel, who was clearly intended to be in some sense an avatar of Muhammad, and several other elements of the work, were also considered blasphemous. In Islamic communities, the novel became instantly controversial, because of what some Muslims considered blasphemous references. Rushdie was accused of misusing freedom of speech. Several days after the fatwā was declared Iranian officials offered a bounty for the killing of Rushdie, who was thus forced to live under police protection for the next nine years. Rushdie issued "a carefully worded statement-“regretting, profoundly the distress the publication has occasioned to the sincere followers of Islam. Living as we do in a world of many faiths, this experience has served to remind us that we must all be conscious of the sensibilities of others.”
On 19 February Khomeini's office replied
The imperialist foreign media falsely alleged that the officials of the Islamic Republic have said the sentence of death on the author of The Satanic Verses will be retracted if he repents. Imam Khomeini has said:
This is denied 100%. Even if Salman Rushdie repents and become the most pious man of all time, it is incumbent on every Muslim to employ everything he has got, his life and wealth, to send him to Hell.
Thus Joseph Anton was born and this is how a memoir by Rushdie is penned during his hiding years.

Another person is Ayaan Hisri Ali, a Somali-Dutch activist and author of the book Infidel and screenplay writer for the movie Submission, led to death threats from the guardian’s of Islam religion.  A film produced by Theo van Gogh, which criticized the treatment of women in Islamic society. Juxtaposed with passages from the Qur'an were scenes of actresses portraying Muslim women suffering abuse. The film also features an actress dressed in a semi-transparent burqa who has texts from the Qur'an written on her skin. The texts are among those often interpreted as justifying the subjugation of women. The film's release sparked much furore, and Mohammed Bouyeri, a member of the Hofstad Group, murdered Van Gogh in an Amsterdam street on 2 November 2004. A letter pinned to Van Gogh's body with a knife was primarily a death threat to Hirsi Ali.

On similar agenda for women rights in Islamic society Taslima Nasreen, a Bangladeshi author was once again banned for her book Lajja, in 1993 ,Amar Meybela in 1999, and Uttal Hawa in 2002,by Government of Bangladesh. As she was stamped for writing against the Islamic principles.

The Malaysian court thankfully after due consideration has lifted the ban on Irshad Manji’s book "Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta".

Thus this fight for the freedom of expression continues even in a modern society of today’s times.