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UN human rights body adopts resolution urging defamation of religion laws

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a resolution Thursday calling for laws against defamation of religion, in preparation for next month's Durban Review Conference on racism, discrimination, and xenophobia. The vote was 23-13 in favor of the resolution. Ahead of Thursday's vote, a number of critics of international defamation of religion legislation urged the Human Rights Council to reject the resolution, arguing that the concept has no validity under international law because only individuals, not concepts or beliefs, can be defamed. Several national delegates, including those from Muslim countries, called for passage of the resolution on Wednesday, saying that defamation of religion protection was needed due to rising Islamophobic incidents, persisting manifestations of racism and acts of intolerance including religious profiling. In December 2007, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution against defamation of religion, expressing concern about laws that have led to religious discrimination and profiling since 9/11 terrorist attacks. Then-Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf called for the resolution in the General Assembly in 2006, citing feelings in the Muslim world of "desperation and injustice" in the wake of the Danish publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The UNHRC passed a similar resolution opposing defamation of Islam in March 2007, with many western nations and advocacy groups standing in opposition.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 26, 2009 (boomark / email).