Defaming religion is a freedom of expression

The reason why the UN doesn't work: the Defamation of Religion resolution, which was allowed to pass by a vote of 86 in favour, 53 against and 42 abstentions. This nice piece of smoldering crap came courtesy of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, with support from Venezuela and Belarus, and basically urges UN members to change their legal and constitutional systems to prevent the "defamation of religions," asserting that "Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism." Yes, irony completely lost on these assholes.

You may recall that the resolution on freedom of expression, initiated by Canada, was vastly watered down last spring, at the behest of Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the Islamic states, with support from Belarus and China.

Mindful also that article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Politicial Rights provides that the exercise of the right to freedom of expression carries with it special duties and responsibilities and may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but that these shall be only such as are provided by law and are necessary for respect of the rights or reputations of others, or for the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health and morals, and that article 20 provides that any propaganda for war or advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law,

These bozos, while supporting freedom of expression, also didn't support it, and wanted to ensure that if they needed to, they could restrict free speech. In this resolution, as with the defamation of religion resolution, there was no protection offered for freedom of religion -- freedom to choose a religion and freedom to change religion.

Rather ironic, when you think about it, that these idiots are calling for the protection of Islam, while they continue to persecute those that choose to worship other gods -- even other flavours of the state sponsored Islam -- or changing religion from Islam. Allowing crap like this to come spewing out of the UN just give critics of the world body more ammunition. When the UN can be used as a tool to take away human rights and freedoms, it loses credibility. The world stage is no place for dictatorships and religious states. You can't have a democracy that is a religious state -- one respects the freedoms of everyone, the other doesn't.

Here's how the voting went late last year:

In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
Against: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States.
Abstain: Argentina, Armenia, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Zambia.
Absent: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kiribati, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Solomon Islands.

Interesting read: Combating defamation of religions -- Report of the Secretary-General, Oct. 21, 2008