Freedom from Religion: Rights and National Security

Although many books on terrorism and religious extremism have been published in the years since 9/11, none of them written by Western authors call for the curtailment of religious freedom and freedom of expression for the sake of greater security. Rather, those terror-related debates have addressed what other civil liberties should be honored. Issues like torture, domestic surveillance, and unlawful detentions have dominated the literature in this area, but few, if any, major scholars have questioned the vast allowances made by Western nations for the freedoms of religion and speech.

Freedom from Religion challenges the almost sacrosanct inviolability of these two civil liberties. By drawing the connection between politically-correct tolerance of extremist speech and the rise of terrorist activity, this book sets the context for its unique proposal that governments should introduce new limits on religious practice within their borders. To demonstrate the wisdom of this course, the author presents the disparate policies and security circumstances of five countries: the U.S., the UK, the Netherlands, Turkey, and Israel. The book benefits not just from the author's own counter-terrorism experience in Israel and the U.S. but also from an international advisory group of leading scholars from all five of the countries under review.

Amos N. Guiora is professor of law at S. J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah where he teaches Criminal Law, Global Perspectives on Counter-terrorism, Religion and Terrorism, and National Security Law. In addition, Guiora incorporates innovative scenario-based instruction to address national and international security issues. At the S.J. Quinney College of Law, Guiora, in collaboration with other leading experts, helps lead the school's efforts to provide cutting-edge research, innovative training, and public service initiatives in the prevention and mitigation of global conflict.

Professor Guiora has also served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the Israel Defense Forces as a Lieutenant Colonel. His senior command postings in the IDF were Commandant of the IDF School of Military Law, Judge Advocate of the Navy and Home Front Command, and Legal Advisor to the IDF's Gaza Strip operations.