Posted on 02/09/2006 11:55:20 AM PST by iPod Shuffle
Muslims want anti-blasphemy clause in rights body
09 February 2006
UNITED NATIONS: The president of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday took over fractious negotiations to establish a new UN human rights body, with Islamic nations wanting language against blasphemy because of the dispute over cartoons in a Danish newspaper.
Jan Eliasson of Sweden, this year's assembly president, is conducting "intensive" bilateral talks with key UN members in an effort to resolve severe splits on the new rights body aimed at replacing the discredited Geneva-based UN Human Rights Commission, his spokeswoman said.
The aim is to get adoption this month, so the new rights body can begin to function this summer. Some US Congressmen want to make a new rights body a condition for paying UN dues.
At the same time, some leading members of the 57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) have added conditions to the already heated debate over the rights body, diplomats and UN officials said.
The OIC, led by Turkey at the United Nations, told Secretary-General Kofi Annan that language against blasphemy should be written into the tenets for a human rights council, envoys reported. So far Western nations as well as UN officials object.
A Danish paper first published the cartoons last September, which included one of the Prophet Mohammad with a turban resembling a bomb. A Norwegian publication reproduced them, followed by newspapers in several other European countries.
The cartoons have sparked fury from Muslims and violent protests at Danish embassies and other European targets in the Middle East. Islam forbids images of the Prophet. Advertisement Advertisement
On Tuesday, the OIC Group at the United Nations issued a tougher statement than previous declarations. It said original cartoons and their reproductions "constituted an incitement to hatred and violence against Muslims" and called in European nations "to ensure such incidents do not recur."
With countries on all sides of the debate represented at the United Nations, the controversy was bound to seep through discussions on human rights and other issues.
World leaders agreed at a UN summit in September to create a new body to replace the 53-member Human Rights Commission, known for giving seats to countries such as Sudan and Zimbabwe and blocking criticism of rights abusers.
A draft resolution calls for rights criteria for candidates, geographic representation and 45 members.
Still undecided is whether a candidate would be elected by a two-thirds or a simple majority. The United States and the Europeans wanted a two-thirds vote, which would make it easier for them to stop a nation from getting a seat.
"The president intends now to hold intensive bilateral consultations through most of next week," said assembly spokeswoman Pragati Pascale.
"He doesn't want to put an artificial deadline on it, but is aware of the need to have a smooth transition before the (current) commission meets in March," she said.
Eliasson is hoping for a consensus resolution rather than calling a vote, although many envoys say that will be difficult. The landmark 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights was voted on paragraph by paragraph.
Simple litmus test.
Islamic law puts muslims above all other people. Jews and Christians have fewer rights by law and Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, etc. have the least rights of all.
Therefore the standard for blasphemy is whatever irritates our new muslim masters. And while muslims can actually depict Mohammed (in a positive light), we are not muslim and therefore even a postive depiction from us is wrong.
Blasphemy prosecutions conflict with free speech. The US delegation should push hard for a Right to be free from the threat of anti-blasphemy laws... but don't hold yer breath.
...are we talking blasphemy, or just blasphemy against Islam?
Well, that simplifies things!
Do ya think Annan et al will go for this move to flow shari'a law down to all UN member states?
If he did, I wonder what China would do. I know what ACLU and Ramsay Clark would want the USA to do.
Looks like Bolton was the correct guy to send to the UN.
Okay.....ONLY after all the Arab publications and broadcasts come under the SAME RESTRICTIONS for ALL RELIGIONS...
It will NEVER happen..
We should NEVER afford the bastards ANY considerations they are not willing to offer and INFORCE in return..
F'em.
Semper Fi
I believe child sacrifice (i.e. suicide bombings condoned and encouraged by parents), honor killings, beheadings, and female genital mutilation are blasphemous. Can we get those outlawed too?
Uh, I wasn't aware they had yet exited the 7th century.
Semper Fi
The United Nations is already well on its way.
So they want the U.N. to take our freedoms away? Figures...they can't win the WOT, they can't win in the war of ideas........so get the U.N. to cower to their demands. Sounds like their last shot at it.
Only if freedom of religeon is allowed in Moslem countries
Who gets to define "blasphemy"? Even Muslim clerics don't agree among themselves - let alone clerics from other religions. The only way for this resolution to have any force is to have a Caliph who rules the world under Sharia, who will define for everyone what constitutes blasphemy.
A good point. Doesn't the Roman Catholic Church have a list of books that Catholics are not supposed to read? Maybe the UN will include that too.
...and we all know how well UN demands are obeyed...
"Doesn't the Roman Catholic Church have a list of books that Catholics are not supposed to read? Maybe the UN will include that too."
I remember hearing about this list a very long time ago (it was called The Index). I don't know if it is still in existence.
I'm thinking about the ruptures that are occurring in various Protestant demoninations over Bishops who are in open homosexual relationships and over church-sanctioned gay marriage. Who will decide whether these are blasphemous?
Okay, Muslims, will do, as soon as your countries become signatories to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which includes FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE, something which you currently do not recognize. Until then, go F yourselves.
"does this mean the islam crowd will not be allowed to use cartoons of the evil "jooooze"? or Christians? "
No, they don't consider that blaspheme!
I got news for the islamofascists: people in hell want ice water (and virgins), but they don't usually get it!
"So they want the U.N. to take our freedoms away? Figures...they can't win the WOT, they can't win in the war of ideas........so get the U.N. to cower to their demands. Sounds like their last shot at it."
Hey, they sound like democrats and the supreme court! Can't win at the polls, so they have the judiciary take our rights!
oops, I was thinking 800 years ago. my bad.
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