Support drops for UN resolution on religious defamation

by James Reinl
The National
November 14, 2009

http://www.legal-project.org/558/support-drops-for-un-resolution-on-religious

Excerpt:

NEW YORK // A UN resolution advanced by Muslim countries that seeks to outlaw criticism of religion has seen a decline in support since last year.

The number of countries continuing to support the resolution proposed by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to promote the concept of "defamation of religions" dropped to 81. Eighty-five countries in the UN's Third Committee on Human Rights voted for the resolution last year, which itself marked a reduction in support from 95, in 2007.

Likewise, the number of countries voting against the resolution increased to 55 this year from 50 last year, while the number of abstentions rose from 42 to 43.

The concept of religious defamation has divided western and Muslim countries since before September 2005, when a Danish newspaper published a dozen cartoons satirising the Prophet Mohammed and sparked violent protests across the Islamic world.

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