World Muslim group demands laws against "Islamophobia"

[DJKeefy]

The world's largest Islamic body called on Tuesday for expressions of "Islamophobia" to be curbed by law, just as some countries restrict anti-Semitic speech or Holocaust denial.

Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the 56 countries that form the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), condemned a video made in the United States that defamed Islam and the Prophet Mohammad, igniting Muslim protests around the world this month.

"Incidents like this clearly demonstrate the urgent need on the part of states to introduce adequate protection against acts of hate crimes, hate speech, discrimination, intimidation and coercion resulting from defamation and negative stereotyping of religions, and incitement to religious hatred, as well as denigration of venerated personalities," Pakistan's ambassador Zamir Akram said in a speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

The Obama administration has condemned the film entitled "Innocence of Muslims" as "disgusting". But Western countries remain determined to resist restrictions on freedom of speech and have already voiced disquiet about the repressive effect of blasphemy laws in Muslim countries such as Pakistan.

Akram said the crudely made video, as well as the burning of the Koran and the publication of defamatory cartoons, amount to "deliberate attempts to discriminate, defame, denigrate and vilify Muslims and their beliefs".

Such acts constitute "flagrant incitement to violence" and are not protected by freedom of expression, Akram said. Rather, he said, Islamophobia must be acknowledged as a contemporary form of racism and be dealt with as such.

"Not to do so would be a clear example of double standards. Islamophobia has to be treated in law and practice equal to the treatment given to anti-Semitism, especially in legislations." It was urgent to "establish an internationally acceptable threshold between freedom of expression and incitement to violence and hatred," Akram added.

On Monday, the United States told the Council that it considered freedom of religion inseparable from free expression, countering calls from many Islamic countries for a treaty outlawing blasphemy.

Religious dignity is best protected where there is free speech, U.S. Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe said. "When these freedoms are restricted, we see violence, poverty, stagnation and feelings of frustration and even humiliation."

The OIC signalled last week that it would revive long-standing attempts to make insults against religions an international criminal offence.

A resolution submitted by African countries and backed by the OIC calls on states to introduce into domestic criminal law a provision ensuring that those responsible for crimes with racist or xenophobic motivation are prosecuted.

The text, which deplores "the targeting of religious symbols and venerated persons" is one of the most contentious of the 32 resolutions to be voted on by the 47-member forum this week.

Cyprus, speaking on behalf of the European Union in Tuesday's debate, said an existing international treaty for combating all forms of racism and intolerance was sufficient, and the main goal should be to implement it effectively. "...In several parts of the world, criminal penalties for hate speech may be used as a means to silence dissidence and suppress freedom of thought, conscience and expression," Cyprus Ambassador Leonidas Pantelides said.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/53810.aspx

[Horus]

Will that same call for the banning Islamaphobia also apply to banning the rants of their own religious fanatics against the Western world or other religions in general? I very much doubt it, just another example of the double standards applied by these Islamic countries when it comes to religion or politics.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I'm waiting for all the "moderate" Muslims to start policing their own and decrying the acts of radicals. I never hear of moderate Muslims taking a stand against their own and trying to silence the crazies. They need to get their own house in order before they dare start making demand of the rest of us and impinging on our hard fought for and won freedoms AND maybe if they didn't go starkers raving mad and act out like spoiled little children we wouldn't NOTICE them OR CARE enough to comment.

Obama spoke denouncing this film. He never mentioned any of the other bizillion films that are made ridiculing other gods and faiths. Kinda hypocritical of him 'eh'?

It is amazing to me how 'tolerant' those ascribing to Islam want us to be yet they feel totally ok with decimating us. They didn't care too much about the US Ambassador to Libya's life or that mans life or his family as they tortured him to death.

When Islam recognized MY RELIGION as equal to their own and as valid as their own and gets on the same page as the rest of the world then maybe they can start politely asking for considerations but only AFTER they are willing to make similar considerations to us.