A United Nations body finally disregarded the “defamation of religions” concept March 24, but the assassination of two Pakistani leaders apparently was required to ensure it did so.
The Obama administration and religious freedom advocates applauded the U.N. Human Rights Council’s passage of a resolution on religious intolerance that — unlike “defamation of religions” measures approved since 1999 — protects individuals from discrimination or violence based on their beliefs. Those “defamation of religions” resolutions approved for the last 12 years by U.N. bodies have focused on protecting religion, primarily Islam.
The new resolution says the council deplores “any advocacy of discrimination or violence on the basis of religion or belief” and strongly deplores “all acts of violence against persons on the basis of their religion or belief, as well as any such acts directed against their homes, businesses, properties, schools, cultural [centers] or places of worship.”
Opponents have charged the “defamation of religions” resoslutions, which have been promoted by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), would harm global religious freedom and provide support for blasphemy laws like those in some Muslim states.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a written statement the resolution passed March 24 “represents a significant step forward in the global dialogue on countering intolerance, discrimination and violence against persons based upon religion or belief.”
The council’s vote in Geneva came barely three weeks after Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian in Pakistan’s government, was assassinated. Bhatti, Pakistan’s federal minister for minorities, had courageously worked for repeal of the country’s blasphemy laws, which call for death for those who leave or “insult” Islam. A radical Islamic organization identified with the Taliban took credit for the March 2 killing.
Two months before, Salman Taseer was killed by a bodyguard because the governor of the Punjab province opposed the Muslim-dominated country’s blasphemy laws.
Leonard Leo, chairman of the bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, commended the council’s decision but said, “Tragically it took the assassinations of two prominent Pakistani officials who opposed that country’s draconian blasphemy laws … to convince the OIC that the annual defamation of religions resolutions embolden extremists rather than bolster religious harmony.” (BP)
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