Posted on 04/12/2005 10:50:54 AM PDT by ambrose
U.N. Calls for Combating 'Defamation' of Islam
Tue Apr 12, 2005 10:46 AM ET
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations Commission on Human Rights called on Tuesday for combating defamation of religions, especially Islam, and condemned discrimination against Muslims in the West's war on terrorism.
The 53-member state forum adopted a resolution, presented by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), deploring the intensification of a "campaign of defamation" against Muslims following the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.
Western countries, including the United States and European Union (EU), voted against the text, calling it unbalanced for failing to address problems suffered by other religious groups.
The OIC resolution was adopted by a vote of 31 countries in favor and 16 against, with five abstentions and one delegation absent, Indonesia's ambassador Makarim Wibisono, who chairs the annual six-week session, announced after the public vote.
"Stereotyping of any religion as propagating violence or its association with terrorism constitutes defamation of religion. It unfortunately breeds a culture of hatred, disharmony and discrimination," Pakistan's envoy, Masood Khan, said in a speech on behalf of the OIC, which links 57 Islamic nations.
There was "a growing trend of defamation of Islam and discrimination faced by Muslims and the people of Arab descent in many parts of the world," he said, citing attacks on places of worship and religious symbols.
In a recent report, the U.N. special investigator on racism, Doudou Diene, cited examples including "Islamophobic violence" after the murder last November of Dutch film director Theo Van Gogh, and an "alarming number of expulsions of imams" in Europe.
Delegations from Cuba and China, which has been accused by rights activists of repressing its own Muslim Uighur minority, were among the countries to take the floor during the debate to back the OIC resolution.
"Islam has been the subject of very deep campaign of defamation. All you have to do is look at the films which have come out of Hollywood the last few years," said Cuba's delegate, Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez.
But the United States, Canada and the EU rejected the resolution as focusing almost exclusively on Islam.
"This resolution is incomplete inasmuch as it fails to address the situation of all religions," Leonard Leo, a member of the U.S. delegation, said in a speech.
The Netherlands, speaking for the EU, said religious intolerance was a "matter of grave concern" within the bloc, adding that it regretted the EU had been unable to agree on a "more balanced" joint text with the OIC.
"Discrimination based on religion or belief is not confined to any one religion nor to any one part of the world," said Dutch ambassador Ian de Jong.
I think he meant "definition," not "defamation."
I'm sure the same effort is being made to overcome the defamation of judaism. Whhhhooooooops!
I'll step up and defame Islam. There! Nyah, nyah nyah!
This deserves a big OY VEY
What do they need our help for? They're defaming themselves just fine.
They'll get to that just as soon as they finish their latest resolution condemning Israel for existing.
I guess it wouldn't occur to them to stand up for the right to tell the truth about Islam...
Is there a difference? The two groups are virtually the same in terms of the fruit they bear.
*****"Stereotyping of any religion as propagating violence or its association with terrorism constitutes defamation of religion. It unfortunately breeds a culture of hatred, disharmony and discrimination," *****
As my dad would say, "Behind every stereotype there is some degree of truth. Otherwise, that stereotype could not have been formed in the first place."
Shouldn't the UN monitor the election of the next pope?;-)
Or after they've finished cleaning up the bloody mess from lopping someone's head off.
They already decreed that zionism is racism in some UN act IIRC. My favorite member of that particular culteral diversity group was a carpenter. Hate one, hate us all.
Muslims always tell me that I "defame" Islam. And I ask them, "How can I defame islam, by reading from the koran?"
Islam breeds violence against non Muslims, this is fact, not defamation, islam tells muslims too kill non muslims, this is fact, not defamation. Truth is truth, no matter how badly it offends some one, and I personally don't give a dam* who is offended, be it the UN or the Muslim population. The Muslims will reap what they have sewn, and that will be very bitter fruit.
No Islam, know PEACE.
NOTE TO ISLAMASCUM: go wallow in pig grease.
So these clowns would like us to believe that pointing out the TRUTH about what is written in the "holy" books of Islam is somehow defamation? No kidding!! And one wonders why it is that even muslims are not allowed to question their "faith"!! Maybe it's due to the fact that anyone with half a braincell and any sort of decency would run away from it screaming in horror - if they were to know the truth about what is written.
As for Hollywood films - which ones? Name them please! I can't seem to recall any Hollywood films which defame Islam in recent memory.
Ditto!!
I thought the U.N. was dead, Jim.
If the homocide bombers belt fits wear it.
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