Critics say UN resolution paves way for ‘blasphemy’ laws

FOR the first time in more than a decade, the UN General Assembly yesterday condemned religious intolerance without urging states to outlaw “defamation of religions”, an appeal critics said opened the door to abusive “blasphemy” laws.

The call on countries to prohibit “defamation” had been included in a non- binding resolution on combating religious intolerance passed annually by the 193-nation assembly.

The resolution approved yesterday declares that “discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief constitutes a violation of human rights”. It also expressed concern about incitement to religious hatred and the failure of some states “to combat this burgeoning trend”.

The General Assembly adopted the resolution by consensus without a vote.

The New York-based rights group Human Rights First welcomed the resolution prior to its adoption, describing it as “a decisive break from the polarising focus in the past on defamation of religions”.

“Governments should now focus on concrete measures to fight religiously motivated violence, discrimination and other forms of intolerance, while recognising the importance of freedom of expression,” Human Rights First’s Tad Stahnke said.

Earlier this year, Western countries and their Latin American allies joined Muslim and African states in backing a new approach that switched the focus from protecting beliefs to protecting believers. That approach led to yesterday’s resolution.

Since 1998, the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference had won UN approval for annual resolutions on “combating defamation of religions.”

Critics said the concept ran against international law and free speech and left the way open for tough “blasphemy” laws like those in Pakistan that were invoked this year by the killers of two moderate politicians there.

They argued that it also allowed states where one religion predominates to keep religious minorities under tight control or even leave them open to forced conversion or oppression.