Christian Bishop Who Was Stabbed Speaks Out Against Online Censorship: Where Is Humanity?
“For us to say that free speech is dangerous, that free speech cannot be possible in a democratic country—I’m yet to fathom this.”
An Orthodox Christian bishop, who was attacked during a live-streamed sermon, has returned from the hospital and delivered a message to the Australian government.
Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who sustained eye injuries in the attack, argued that censorship goes against the principles of integrity, morality, and democracy. He stated that these values are what the “Western world, more-so, have been fighting for.”
His remarks come as eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant is involved in a legal battle with the social media platform X over blocking 65 posts containing videos of the attack.
In response, Australian political leaders have criticized X and pushed for stricter sanctions to combat online “misinformation.”
Standing on the altar of the Christ The Good Shepherd Church on April 28, where the attack occurred two weeks ago, the bishop began his speech addressing the Australian government and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Mr. Emmanuel expressed his disbelief at the notion that free speech is considered “dangerous” in a democratic country.
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“I believe in one thing, and that is the integrity and the identity of the human being,” Mr. Emmanuel stated.
“Every human being has the right to express their beliefs.
“The Hindus have the right to express their beliefs. The Muslims have the right to express their beliefs. The atheists have the right to express their beliefs. Also the Christians have the right to express their beliefs.
“And for us to say that free speech is dangerous, that free speech cannot be possible in a democratic country—I’m yet to fathom this.”
The bishop argued that the “civilized and intellectual way” to address the incident is to be “able to criticize, to speak, and sometimes, we may come across as offensive to some degree.”
“But for us to say that because of this freedom of speech, it is causing dramas and dilemmas, therefore, everything should be censored,” he added.
“Then where is democracy? Then where is humanity? Where is integrity? Where are morals? Where are ethics? What are the principles? What are the values that the Western world, more-so, have been fighting for?”
While the West has often prided itself on protecting human rights and giving value to everything, Mr. Emmanuel pointed out that it has “failed miserably in giving purpose to everything.”
“But until we find the purpose of the thing, we can never give it value.”
Mr. Emmanuel stressed the importance of finding the purpose of being human, loving and respecting every scientist, professor, and knowledgeable individual.
The bishop emphasized that society needs to rediscover “the origin of humans,” highlighting spirituality as the core of human purpose and values.
“Until we return to the true divine God, we will continue to abuse the human race. Because we have become fixated on the value of the human and completely disregarded the purpose of the human.”
