What is 'Defamation of Religion'?

by NGO Common Statement
CIP and other NGOs
November 11, 2009

http://www.islamicpluralism.org/1412/what-is-defamation-of-religion

The Center for Islamic Pluralism has joined a substantial roster of non-governmental organizations in signing the Declaration titled "What is 'Defamation of Religion'?" The Declaration protests the United Nations' adoption of resolutions that, on the pretext of prohibiting discrimination, would interfere with the free criticism of religion and encourage member states to pass laws against blasphemy. CIP has taken the position that free criticism is an essential element of all normal religious life.

Common Statement

The organizations listed below have come to an agreement on the following statement and call upon UN member-states to heed civil society's experience and expertise:

United Nations resolutions on the 'defamation of religions' are incompatible with the fundamental freedoms of individuals to freely exercise and peacefully express their thoughts, ideas, and beliefs.

Unlike traditional defamation laws, which punish false statements of fact that harm individual persons, measures prohibiting the 'defamation of religions' punish the peaceful criticism of ideas. Additionally, the concept of 'defamation of religions' is fundamentally inconsistent with the universal principles outlined in the United Nations' founding documents, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which affirms the protection of the rights of individuals, rather than ideas.

Such resolutions provide international support for domestic laws against blasphemy and "injury to religious feelings", which are often abused by governments to punish the peaceful expression of disfavored political or religious beliefs and ideas. Moreover, existing international legal instruments already address discrimination, personal defamation, and incitement in ways that are more carefully focused to confront those specific problems without unduly threatening the rights of freedom of expression and the freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

It is vitally important for governments to combat violence motivated by bias and hatred and to encourage respectful speech and civil dialogue, while at the same time affirming that freedom of expression and freedom of thought, conscience and religion are integral to the health of free societies and the dignity of the human person.

Finally, legal efforts alone cannot foster an environment of respect and religious freedom. Education and public diplomacy are vital tools in the protection of a peaceful and robust exchange of ideas and beliefs.

Signed by:

ACT! for America

American Center for Law and Justice

American Congress for Truth

American Ethical Union

American Humanist Association

American Textbook Council

Advocates International

American Islamic Congress

American Islamic Forum for Democracy

American Jewish Congress

Anti-Defamation League

The Association of Christian Schools

Bahá'í International Community

Baptist World Alliance

Barnabas Aid

BCV Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths, Australia

Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

B'nai B'rith International

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the U.S.

British Humanist Association

Bund Freireligiöser Gemeinden Deutschlands, Germany

Bürgerbewegung Pax Europa, Germany and Austria

Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia

The Center for Economic and Social Justice

Center for Inquiry

Center for Islamic Pluralism, Washington D.C./London/Koln

Center for Political Studies, Denmark

Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute

Center for Security Policy

Centre d'Action Laïque, Belgium

ChinaAid

Christian Copts of California

Christian Solidarity Worldwide

Church of Scientology of Amsterdam

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, South Africa

CNP Action, Inc.

Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights

Committee for the Freedom of Prisoners of Conscience in Uzbekistan

Concerned Women for America

Dachverband Freier Weltanschauungsgemeinschaften Deutschlands, Germany

Dalit Freedom Network

David Horowitz Freedom Center

Democracy Coalition Project

Dutch Platform on International Freedom of Religion or Belief

Endowment for Middle East Truth

Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention

European Humanist Federation

Forum for Civic Responsibility

Freedom House

Foundation for the Defense of Democracies

GeoStrategic Analysis of Potomac, Maryland

Higgins Counterterrorism Research Center

Human Rights Without Frontiers

Humanist Academy, Scotland

Humanist Association of Ireland

The Humanist Society of Scotland, Scotland

Humanistisch-Vrijzinnige Vereniging, Belgium

Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands, Germany

Indonesia Legal Resource Center, Indonesia

Institute for Global Engagement

International Al Hewar Almasry Center for Copts Human Rights in Egypt

International Center for Religion & Diplomacy

International Christian Concern

International Civil Liberties Alliance

International Humanist and Ethical Union, United Kingdom

International Quranic Center

International Religious Liberty Association

International Society for Krishna Consciousness

The Investigative Project on Terrorism

Islam and Civil Society Project of the Witherspoon Institute

Jubilee Campaign

The Legal Project of the Middle East Forum

LibForAll Foundation

Media Rights Agenda, Nigeria

Mission Europa, Austria

National Secular Society, UK

Open Doors International

Open Doors USA

Os Guinness, Author

Oxford Center for Religion and Public Life

The Phyllis Chesler Organization

Polish Humanist Association, Poland

Prometheus Society, Slovakia

Rapid Response Group, Uzbekistan

Rationalist Association, UK

Religious Freedom Coalition

The Rutherford Institute

Sidmennt, the Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association

Simon Wiesenthal Center

SOVA Center for Information and Analysis, Russia

Stichting Magenta/Magenta Foundation

TIFA Foundation, Indonesia

Traditional Values Coalition

Unione degli Atei e degli Agnositici Razionalisti, (UAAR), Italy

United Sikhs

UN Watch

U.S. Copts Association

UVV Unie Vrijzinnige Verenigingen, Belgium

Vapaa-ajattelijain Liitto ry/The Union of Freethinkers of Finland, Finland

Vienna Akademikerbund, Austria

Vigilance, Inc.

The Westminster Institute

Women's Rights Organization Against Discrimination (AKDER), Turkey

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