Say Anything Blog

Another proud accomplishment for the world body.

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations top human rights body condemned “defamation” of religion on Friday and, in an apparent reference to the storm over the Prophet cartoons, said press freedom had its limits.

With the support of China, Russia and Cuba, Moslem and Arab states comfortably won a vote on the 47-state Human Rights Council to express concern at “negative stereotyping” of religions and “attempts to identify Islam with terrorism.”

Right.  Wouldn’t want to associate jihadism with Islam or anything.  Because all those suicide bombers and aircraft hijackers could be Presbyterian or something.  And good thing we’ve got moral authorities like Cuba, China and Russia on the Human Rights Council to guide the rest of the world on how to respect human rights.

“The resolution is tabled in the expectation that it will compel the international community to acknowledge and address the disturbing phenomena of the defamation of religions, especially Islam,” said Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Something tells me that the “Moslem and Arab states” like Pakistan who signed on to this thing aren’t considering any laws to protect, say, Judaism from defamation in their countries.  Hypocrites.

The resolution urged countries to ensure their laws gave adequate protection against acts of “hatred, discrimination, intimidation and coercion resulting from defamation of religions.”

While everybody had the right to freedom of expression, this should be exercised according to limitations of the law and respect for others, including respect for religions and beliefs, it said.

Just to translate, the resolution is urging countries to pass laws that would punish people for criticizing Islam.  Or any religion, I suppose, but again I suspect these folks aren’t talking about Judaism or Christianity.  But regardless, that sort of limitation on free speech should be repugnant to anyone who values that right.  As a free citizen I don’t just value my ability to speak out on religion even if it offends the religious, I demand it.