posted by: David S. 2 days ago
http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/muslim-countries-give-up-longstanding-anti-blasphemy-push/
I'm a little late on this one, but it seems a kind of multilateral peace is breaking out between the Organization of the Islamic Conference (the 56-member body of Muslim nations) and the broader international community.
Just weeks after endorsing the principle of humanitarian intervention with their call for a no-fly zone in Libya, news came last week of the OIC abandonment of their 12 year effort against the "defamation of religion."
Experts from Human Rights First, among others, viewed the defamation issue as a perverse norm with a history as a tool of repression. In the aftermath of the Danish cartoon controversy over the depiction of Muhammad, Islamic nations demanded that their religious tradition be protected against blasphemy.
The issue was never about freedom of religion -- i.e. people's ability to believe and practice faith (or not) in a manner of their choosing. The very idea of protecting a religious tradition, as opposed to individual persons, is quite strange and certainly hard to craft as a clear standard. Looking at it from a free speech and civil liberties perspective, which characterizations of Islam should be considered defamation, and which as valid critique?
Faith traditions and belief systems must either thrive or wane based on their success in the free spiritual marketplace; their orthodoxy cannot be protected by laws or the state. On the contrary, statutes against blasphemy around the world are often used to persecute religious minorities and punish dissidents.
And that is the major problem here. To get a sense of the stakes, just remember the recent assassinations of two moderate Pakistani political leaders, both murdered for their opposition to their country's anti-blasphemy law. In fact, Pakistan had been at the forefront of the OIC's long-lasting push in the UN Human Rights Council. Now that Muslim nations have backed off, the council is issuing its plan to promote religious tolerance.
Just weeks after endorsing the principle of humanitarian intervention with their call for a no-fly zone in Libya, news came last week of the OIC abandonment of their 12 year effort against the "defamation of religion."
Experts from Human Rights First, among others, viewed the defamation issue as a perverse norm with a history as a tool of repression. In the aftermath of the Danish cartoon controversy over the depiction of Muhammad, Islamic nations demanded that their religious tradition be protected against blasphemy.
The issue was never about freedom of religion -- i.e. people's ability to believe and practice faith (or not) in a manner of their choosing. The very idea of protecting a religious tradition, as opposed to individual persons, is quite strange and certainly hard to craft as a clear standard. Looking at it from a free speech and civil liberties perspective, which characterizations of Islam should be considered defamation, and which as valid critique?
Faith traditions and belief systems must either thrive or wane based on their success in the free spiritual marketplace; their orthodoxy cannot be protected by laws or the state. On the contrary, statutes against blasphemy around the world are often used to persecute religious minorities and punish dissidents.
And that is the major problem here. To get a sense of the stakes, just remember the recent assassinations of two moderate Pakistani political leaders, both murdered for their opposition to their country's anti-blasphemy law. In fact, Pakistan had been at the forefront of the OIC's long-lasting push in the UN Human Rights Council. Now that Muslim nations have backed off, the council is issuing its plan to promote religious tolerance.
Related Stories:
Pakistani Politician Killed Over Blasphemy Laws
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Musharraf Says Pakistani Blasphemy Law Cannot Be Changed
Read more: muslim, politics, pakistan, libya, anti-blasphemy, human rights first, defamation of religion, organization of the islamic conference
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