Freedom of Opinion and Expression in the Ideas of Ayatullah Javadi Amoli with a View on Law of the West

The question of freedom and its interpretation has been always the subject of contemplation by scholars and thinkers throughout the history. According to the atheistic view, the freedom is to be released from religious constraints, but monotheistic thinking calls the preservation of religious beliefs freedom. This issue becomes significant for the difference in understanding the meaning of freedom has led to regarding instrumental abuse of right to freedom as a measure falling in the ambit of freedom of opinion and expression by some western scholars. Meanwhile, Ayatollah Javadi Amoli determines series of criteria for freedom and elaborates on the compatibility and incompatibility of freedom with Islamic components. Therefore, the authors have examined the aforementioned discussion from the perspective of Ayatullah Javadi Amoli. The main purpose of this research is to study the value, explanatory and normative dimensions of the right to freedom of opinion and expression in the structure of various epistemological systems. The method of this paper is a descriptive-analytic one. In addition, data of the research was collected by means of a library-based approach. Findings of the research demonstrate that freedom in the philosophical system of this sage theologist is one of the sensual qualities that due to its uncertainty never can be absolute and unlimited. In accordance with this point of view, the real freedom becomes factual when is based upon wisdom and revelation.