The OIC vs. Freedom of Expression

by Jacob Mchangama
National Review Online
April 7, 2011

https://www.legal-project.org/1298/the-oic-vs-freedom-of-expression

Excerpt:

On March 24, the U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a resolution aimed at combating "negative stereotyping" and "intolerance" against persons based on religion or belief. For the first time since 1999, this resolution does not include a condemnation of "defamation of religion," by which the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has repeatedly sought passage of a global blasphemy law to protect Islam from criticism. This development has been heralded as a major victory for the West and human-rights organizations that have long campaigned against this attack on free speech.

The threat to freedom of expression is however, far from over, and the wording of the adopted resolution includes several worrying elements. That threats to the freedom of expression remain is also confirmed by a new OIC initiative. In a March 30 press release, the OIC promised to present a new draft resolution on the issue of "Islamophobia" at the General Assembly in September. The press release also insisted that the OIC "did not back down from its position" in the Human Rights Council. According to the OIC, it was in fact Western countries that "made a major concession by accepting the new version of the resolution."

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