Freedom of Speech

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1293367/Outcry-British-ambassador-praises-Hezbollah-cleric-Mohammad-Hussein-Fadlallah.html
The article is about a British ambassador who praised Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, who died last week. He was one of the Shia Islams highest religious figures and had an anti-American stance. He also supported the Islamic revolution in Iran. Then again Fadlallah also condemned the 9/11 attacks and has relatively progressive views on women in society. Mrs. Guy (The ambassador) described him as the politician she enjoyed meeting the most. She continued commending him after his death, calling Lebanon a lesser place the day after. CNN had a similar incident in which they sacked an editor who mentioned in a tweet that Fadlallah was one of Hezbollah’s giants.

I find the sacking of the editor ridiculous, as she has been working there for 20 years. It is a journalist/editors job to be neutral in reporting, but that does not mean that at the end of the day they are not allowed their own opinion. The same goes for the British ambassador, she has met the man and even though he is regarded as somewhat of a “bad guy”, she still is entitled to her own opinion. Not everything Fadlallah has done, has been right (hostage-taking, bombings, etc.), but that does not mean that the ambassador and the editor are not allowed to have their own opinion.