U.N attacks freedom

According to an article in Assist News Service the United Nations has passed a resolution threatening religious freedom. Excerpts of the article appear below:

On Friday, the United Nations passed a seemingly innocuous resolution combating
the “defamation of religions.” Further investigation reveals that this motion
has erroneously equated legitimate discussion of religious beliefs with the
incitement of religious intolerance. Under this resolution, when an individual’s
religious sensitivities are offended – no matter the intent or consequences of
the opinions expressed – the state must protect the religion from being defamed,
or blasphemed.

Lying at the heart of this resolution is an attempt by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to impose universal anti-blasphemy laws – an offence punishable by death in many countries – thereby stifling open discussion of religious beliefs.

This is a troubling development, especially since countries across the globe are increasingly using anti-blasphemy laws to punish religious minorities for questioning the beliefs of the majority religion. Such laws are no longer confined to Islamic countries; they are now being called for in democratic societies. Individuals who came to the West to escape persecution are once again in danger.

In an intervention before the Council, Heather Cayless of the Jubilee Campaign stated, “In a diverse society everyone’s personal beliefs will at some point be offended. The vague wording in this resolution leaves all adherents, both in minority and majority beliefs open to accusations of religious intolerance.”

The UN’s history of passing resolutions “combating the defamation of religions” is creating a new universal right – the right to not be offended. Moreover, objective criteria for evaluating “defamation” are now replaced by considerations of the feelings and emotions of the hearer irrespective of intent or effect.

Ultimately, this threatens the freedoms of expression and religion, which include the right to express views critical of or even hostile to the beliefs of others. The pursuit
of religious truth necessitates critical interpretation of religious texts and
doctrine. Anti-blasphemy and defamation laws suffocate this freedom.

This resolution poses a dire threat to the rights of individuals – both Muslims and
non-Muslims alike – to discover and live out their religious beliefs without
fear of prosecution.

True religious tolerance can only be protected in societies that respect the right of individuals to freedom of expression and religion, allowing unfettered dialogue on dissenting religious opinions as individuals search for truth.

Read the entire article at Assist News Service