The ongoing threat to international free speech
Regular visitors to this blog will (I hope) be aware of attempts by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to enshrine a special status for Islam into international law. There is also an ongoing controversy over efforts by the same group to ensure that “religious defamation” is banned during discussion at the United Nations’ Human Rights Council.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 60 in December and many Islamic countries are taking upon themselves to declare it unacceptable, preferring instead their own 1990 Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam which attempts to limit freedom of speech by insisting that opinions should be expressed in such a manner “as would not be contrary to the principles of the shari’ah.”
Every year since 1999 the OIC has succeeded in passing a resolution on “Combating the Defamation of Religions” in the Human Rights Council (HRC), and in March this year an amendment was passed which means the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression (an individual supposed to report instances where free speech is stifled in UN member states) to “report on instances in which the abuse of the right of freedom of expression constitutes an act of racial or religious discrimination.”
Over the past year, a number of non-religious organisations and Western governments have begun to wake up to what is happening, and concern has been expressed widely that the OIC are trying to introduce a prohibition against blasphemy sanctioned by international law. With this in mind, I’m thankful to the New Humanist for pointing me in the direction of a report which has been written by Austin Dacey and Colin Koproske.
Islam and Human Rights (pdf) has been produced for the Center for Inquiry and analyses the issue in detail, discusses the dangers posed for free speech and offers recommendations for the HRC.
The conclusion of the report is worth repeating:
It is clear that if the ideals of the Universal Declaration are to be realized, nations and peoples committed to human rights must take it upon themselves to reverse the present trends toward the compartmentalization of rights and censorship of free speech. Therefore, we join with many civil society organizations around the world in opposing the Islamic human rights movement and denouncing the unnecessary, unwise, and immoral developments at the United Nations Human Rights Council and the restrictions on freedom of expression being entertained by the General Assembly.
The noble purpose of the International Bill of Rights and the United Nations is not to close any one matter off from discussion within society, but to open all societies to free, public discussion of every matter. Liberal rights are not guaranteed; we must constantly defend them against those who would trade our liberties for security, order, control, or conformity. A common standard of achievement, and not special cultural or religion rights, is the best guarantor of equal freedom and mutual respect.
The full report is well worth reading and can be downloaded by clicking here.
Tuesday 23 Sep 2008 | Paul | UN
[...] laws For quite some time, various secular and free speech campaigners have been highlighting the attempts by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to enshrine a special status for Islam into [...]