UN anti-blasphemy measures have sinister goals

[ingwe]

I am not sure that this is the correct place to post this piece. I did so because this resolution by the UN was sponsored by the Organization of Islamic Conference.

UNITED NATIONS - Islamic countries Monday won United Nations backing for an anti-blasphemy measure Canada and other Western critics say risks being used to limit freedom of speech.

Combating Defamation of Religions passed 85–50 with 42 abstentions in a key UN General Assembly committee, and will enter into the international record after an expected rubber stamp by the plenary later in the year.

But while the draft’s sponsors say it and earlier similar measures are aimed at preventing violence against worshippers regardless of religion, religious tolerance advocates warn the resolutions are being accumulated for a more sinister goal.

“It provides international cover for domestic anti-blasphemy laws, and there are a number of people who are in prison today because they have been accused of committing blasphemy,” said Bennett Graham, international program director with the Becket Fund, a think tank aimed at promoting religious liberty.

“Those arrests are made legitimate by the UN body’s (effective) stamp of approval.”

Passage of the resolution is part of a 10-year action plan the 57-state Organization of Islamic Conference launched in 2005 to ensure “renaissance” of the “Muslim Ummah” or community.

read more here.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=9b8e3a6d-795d-440f-a5de-6ff6e78c78d5

Christopher Hitchins on he issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRb2OKPBswM&eurl=http://theswitchboard.net/index.php?action=post;topic=18000.0;num_replies=10

[Sentinel]

This is very dangerous and also extremely bad news for the free world.

As per Johann Hari's article in The Independant, the UN no longer allows religious discussions, even though it may be related to human rights violations. This is due to the following:

The UN's Rapporteur on Human Rights has always been tasked with exposing and shaming those who prevent free speech – including the religious. But the Pakistani delegate recently demanded that his job description be changed so he can seek out and condemn "abuses of free expression" including "defamation of religions and prophets". The council agreed – so the job has been turned on its head. Instead of condemning the people who wanted to murder Salman Rushdie, they will be condemning Salman Rushdie himself.

[ingwe]

Thank you for correctly placing this thread!!

The vote was on 11/24/08 and went 85 yes, 50 no, 42 abstain:

http://www.eyeontheun.org/assets/attachments/documents/DR_VR.pdf

A list of the 'yes' votes, truly a group of freedom loving nations.

Afghanistan
Algeria
Antigua-Barbuda
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia/Herzegovina
Brunei
Cambodia
Chad
China
Comoros
Congo
Cote D'Ivoire
Cuba
North Korea
Djibouti
Dominica
Egypt
El Salvador
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Fiji
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Honduras
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazhakstan
Kuwait
Kyrgystan
Lao PDR
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libyan AJ
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Oman
Pakistan
Philippines
Qatar
Russian Fed
St Vincent
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Singapore
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Syria
Tajikistan
Thailand
Togo
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zimbabwe

[Sentinel]

A list of the 'yes' votes, truly a group of freedom loving nations.

[...]
Afghanistan
Egypt
Nigeria
South Africa
[...]
[/quote]

I hope you meant that tongue in cheek! We're in big trouble, as pointed out in the article I posted in an earlier post.

A few examples of what happened since that meeting took place:

Here is a random smattering of events that have taken place in the past week in countries that demanded this change. In Nigeria, divorced women are routinely thrown out of their homes and left destitute, unable to see their children, so a large group of them wanted to stage a protest – but the Shariah police declared it was "un-Islamic" and the marchers would be beaten and whipped. In Saudi Arabia, the country's most senior government-approved cleric said it was perfectly acceptable for old men to marry 10-year-old girls, and those who disagree should be silenced. In Egypt, a 27-year-old Muslim blogger Abdel Rahman was seized, jailed and tortured for arguing for a reformed Islam that does not enforce shariah.

Welcome to the Islamification of the world!

[Spike]

See also this news http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/02/28/somalia.sharia/index.html on how the Somali President conditionally agreed to a rebel demand that he impose Sharia. 

We touched on the same topic here:  http://forum.skeptic.za.org/religion-and-philosophy/religulous/15/. 

Several of the nearly 150 political parties that registered for the upcoming elections are Muslim interest organizations. 

I don't want to publish an endless list of external links here on this forum to support my view, but I am certain that there is an increase in general “surliness” on the part of Muslims and a slow response on the side of Christians.

[Rigil Kent]

Pat always sums things up perfectly.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bzTA_D5NpU&feature=channel_page