UN Rights Panel Okays Measure to Give States Power to Combat "Religious Hostility"

[BurtWorm]

Meaning hostility to religion. Can't wait to see how the US votes on it. :eyes:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070330/un-islam

U.N. Panel OKs Measure on Islam

ELIANE ENGELER | AP | March 30, 2007 09:07 PM EST

GENEVA — Islamic countries pushed through a resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday urging a global prohibition on the public defamation of religion _ a response largely to the furor last year over caricatures published in a Danish newspaper of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.

The statement proposed by the Organization of Islamic Conference addressed what it called a "campaign" against Muslim minorities and the Islamic religion around the world since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

The resolution, which was opposed by a number of other non-Muslim countries, "expresses deep concern at attempts to identify Islam with terrorism, violence and human rights violations."

It makes no mention of any other religion besides Islam, but urges countries "to take resolute action to prohibit the dissemination of racist and xenophobic ideas and material aimed at any religion or its followers that constitute incitement and religious hatred, hostility, or violence."

The resolution was adopted by a 24-14 vote with nine abstentions. Canada, Japan and South Korea joined European countries in opposition, primarily citing its excessive focus on Islam and incompatibility with fundamental rights such as the freedoms of speech and thought.


...

[saltpoint]

1. Hmm. I think I'm for the Danish cartoonists on this one. Drawing

or writing or singing or filming on religious topics, including satire and parody and caricature, should be protected expressions.

It doesn't consititute "hostility" in and of itself.

[Warren Stupidity]

2. So much for that inalienable right.

Expressing hostility against a religion ought to be prohibited?

[moggie]

3. Look on the bright side

This presumably means that the Islamic countries proposing this will now do something to stamp out the anti-semitism which is prevalent in the Islamic world, right? And presumably Saudi Arabia will now decriminalise the public practice of religions other than Islam :sarcasm:

[Solo_in_MD]

4. What about religions like Islam that are a Human Rights Violation?

[JerseygirlCT]

9. The religion isn't a human rights violation

Many predominantly Muslim countries certainly rack them up, though.

[rug]

5. Hypocrites

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_religious_freedom_in_Saudi_Arabia

[varkam]

6. So we're not going to be allowed to criticize religion

because it might incite crazy people to kill? What a fucking joke.

[Igel]

7. But of course, you're still allowed to call religions "inferior".

As long as you're not talking about Islam.

Somehow a recent Arab News "editorial" (sermon, really) comes to mind. Dreadfully insulting to Xians and Jews, a traditional Xian would call it blasphemy. But to say the sermon was incorrect is itself improper and can get you lynched, or at least badly abused, by peaceful religionists.

Gotta love religious supremacists. Xians in that class are bad, and damned irritating; Muslims in that class are simply intolerable.

[Odin2005]

8. Looks like the same old BS at the so-called "Human Rights" council.

That council is STILL a fucking joke, I see.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Yes it is!

I can't wait to see what their yearly review will reveal. They are as big a joke as the Commission they replaced.

[JerseygirlCT]

10. I wonder how these Muslim countries see the rights of

non-Muslims in their own countries, and how that fits in with this?

[nemo137]

11. That's some bullshit. n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

13. FYI.

"Can't wait to see how the US votes on it. :eyes:"

The US doesn't sit on that council.

[BurtWorm]

14. I'm talking about when it comes up in the General Assembly.

Otherwise I would have known how the US voted on it.