U.N. Calls for Combating 'Defamation' of Islam
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5679301&cKey=1113318334000
April 12, 2005 5:05 PM
April 12, 2005 5:05 PM
U.N. Calls for Combating 'Defamation' of Islam
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations Commission on HumanRights called on Tuesday for combating defamation of religions,especially Islam, and condemned discrimination against Muslimsin the West's war on terrorism.
The 53-member state forum adopted a resolution, presentedby Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the IslamicConference (OIC), deploring the intensification of a "campaignof defamation" against Muslims following the Sept. 11 attacksin the United States.
Western countries, including the United States and EuropeanUnion (EU), voted against the text, calling it unbalanced forfailing to address problems suffered by other religious groups.
The OIC resolution was adopted by a vote of 31 countries infavor and 16 against, with five abstentions and one delegationabsent, Indonesia's ambassador Makarim Wibisono, who chairs theannual six-week session, announced after the public vote.
"Stereotyping of any religion as propagating violence orits association with terrorism constitutes defamation ofreligion. It unfortunately breeds a culture of hatred,disharmony and discrimination," Pakistan's envoy, Masood Khan,said in a speech on behalf of the OIC, which links 57 Islamicnations.
There was "a growing trend of defamation of Islam anddiscrimination faced by Muslims and the people of Arab descentin many parts of the world," he said, citing attacks on placesof worship and religious symbols.
In a recent report, the U.N. special investigator onracism, Doudou Diene, cited examples including "Islamophobicviolence" after the murder last November of Dutch film directorTheo Van Gogh, and an "alarming number of expulsions of imams"in Europe.
Delegations from Cuba and China, which has been accused byrights activists of repressing its own Muslim Uighur minority,were among the countries to take the floor during the debate toback the OIC resolution.
"Islam has been the subject of very deep campaign ofdefamation. All you have to do is look at the films which havecome out of Hollywood the last few years," said Cuba'sdelegate, Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez.
But the United States, Canada and the EU rejected theresolution as focusing almost exclusively on Islam.
"This resolution is incomplete inasmuch as it fails toaddress the situation of all religions," Leonard Leo, a memberof the U.S. delegation, said in a speech.
The Netherlands, speaking for the EU, said religiousintolerance was a "matter of grave concern" within the bloc,adding that it regretted the EU had been unable to agree on a"more balanced" joint text with the OIC.
"Discrimination based on religion or belief is not confinedto any one religion nor to any one part of the world," saidDutch ambassador Ian de Jong.
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations Commission on HumanRights called on Tuesday for combating defamation of religions,especially Islam, and condemned discrimination against Muslimsin the West's war on terrorism.
The 53-member state forum adopted a resolution, presentedby Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the IslamicConference (OIC), deploring the intensification of a "campaignof defamation" against Muslims following the Sept. 11 attacksin the United States.
Western countries, including the United States and EuropeanUnion (EU), voted against the text, calling it unbalanced forfailing to address problems suffered by other religious groups.
The OIC resolution was adopted by a vote of 31 countries infavor and 16 against, with five abstentions and one delegationabsent, Indonesia's ambassador Makarim Wibisono, who chairs theannual six-week session, announced after the public vote.
"Stereotyping of any religion as propagating violence orits association with terrorism constitutes defamation ofreligion. It unfortunately breeds a culture of hatred,disharmony and discrimination," Pakistan's envoy, Masood Khan,said in a speech on behalf of the OIC, which links 57 Islamicnations.
There was "a growing trend of defamation of Islam anddiscrimination faced by Muslims and the people of Arab descentin many parts of the world," he said, citing attacks on placesof worship and religious symbols.
In a recent report, the U.N. special investigator onracism, Doudou Diene, cited examples including "Islamophobicviolence" after the murder last November of Dutch film directorTheo Van Gogh, and an "alarming number of expulsions of imams"in Europe.
Delegations from Cuba and China, which has been accused byrights activists of repressing its own Muslim Uighur minority,were among the countries to take the floor during the debate toback the OIC resolution.
"Islam has been the subject of very deep campaign ofdefamation. All you have to do is look at the films which havecome out of Hollywood the last few years," said Cuba'sdelegate, Rodolfo Reyes Rodriguez.
But the United States, Canada and the EU rejected theresolution as focusing almost exclusively on Islam.
"This resolution is incomplete inasmuch as it fails toaddress the situation of all religions," Leonard Leo, a memberof the U.S. delegation, said in a speech.
The Netherlands, speaking for the EU, said religiousintolerance was a "matter of grave concern" within the bloc,adding that it regretted the EU had been unable to agree on a"more balanced" joint text with the OIC.
"Discrimination based on religion or belief is not confinedto any one religion nor to any one part of the world," saidDutch ambassador Ian de Jong.
Reuters
No comments:
Post a Comment