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Stormdog Profile
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the insanity of the UN.


The United Nations Human Rights Council has once again passed a resolution proposed by Islamic countries which urges the creation of laws in member states to prevent criticism of religion, namely, Islam.

story

Personally, I strongly believe I'm doing the human race a service by pointing out the idiocy of religion and it's undefendable tennants (just check out the destruction of intercessory prayer on this forum for an example - you're welcome)

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Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.
4/1/2009, 10:16 pm Link to this post Send Email to Stormdog   Send PM to Stormdog
 
Tim Callahan Profile
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Re: the insanity of the UN.


Stormdog, my browser won't open the link you left. It says Safari can't find it. Really annoying. Howver, I think this is one of the times we can be happy the U.N. is such a paper tiger. Do you know what the stated rationale is behind people supposedly for human rights arguing for such an outrageous limitation of human rights?
4/1/2009, 10:26 pm Link to this post Send Email to Tim Callahan   Send PM to Tim Callahan
 
Stormdog Profile
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here's the full article:


(I can sort of understand the spirit of the resolution, but the result will be the protection of idiocy, which does a massive disservice to humanity in general.)


On March 26, members of the Human Rights Council voted 23 in favor with 11 nations, mainly from the West, opposing, a resolution to combat "defamation of religion." Thirteen countries abstained.

Ahead of the vote, nearly 200 secular, religious and media groups from around the world (including the NSS) appealed to the Council in Geneva to reject the proposals, which were introduced by the 56-nation Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

In a statement, the coalition of NGOs said the "defamation of religion" resolution "may be used in certain countries to silence and intimidate human rights activists, religious dissenters and other independent voices," and to restrict freedom of religion and of speech. The resolution, its critics said, would also restrict free speech and even academic study in open societies in the West and elsewhere.

The OIC argued that criticizing or satirizing religions is a violation of the rights of believers and leads to discrimination and violence against them. The resolution, proposed by Pakistan on behalf of the OIC, says "Defamation of religion is a serious affront to human dignity leading to a restriction on the freedom of their adherents and incitement to religious violence. Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism."

It called on states to ensure that religious places, sites, shrines and symbols are protected, to reinforce laws "to deny impunity" for those exhibiting intolerance of ethnic and religious minorities, and "to take all possible measures to promote tolerance and respect for all religions and beliefs".

The resolution is not binding, but versions of it have been passed repeatedly by the Council, at which Muslim countries and their supporters have a built-in majority. It is thought that the resolution will have a chilling effect on free speech and help justify suppression of dissent in many of the despotic countries that voted for it.

The Canadian representative said: "It is individuals who have rights, not religions. Canada believes that to extend (the notion of) defamation beyond its proper scope would jeopardize the fundamental right to freedom of expression, which includes freedom of expression on religious subjects."

The German representative, speaking for the European Union, said that while instances of Islamophobia, Christianophobia , anti-Semitism and other forms of religious discrimination should be taken seriously, it was "problematic to reconcile the notion of defamation (of religion) with the concept of discrimination."

"The European Union does not see the concept of defamation of religion as a valid one in a human rights discourse," the German rep said. "The European Union believes that a broader, more balanced and thoroughly rights-based text would be best suited to address the issues underlying this draft resolution."

Activist groups say this new resolution is part of a growing offensive by the Islamic countries to impose their concepts of rights and religion on the rest of the world. They argue that the concept of "defamation of religions" is so vague that it can be used against any challenge to a religious tenet and bolster laws against blasphemy in authoritarian regimes where one religion holds sway.

Condemnation of "defamation" was originally included in a draft of a declaration to be issued by a U.N. anti-racism conference, dubbed Durban II, in Geneva next month, but was withdrawn after Western countries said it was unacceptable.

However, critics say they fear OIC states and their allies are working to insert it in an existing U.N. convention against racial discrimination. They say "defamation of religion" has no validity in international law because only individuals, and not concepts or beliefs, can be defamed.

Among the groups signing Wednesday's statement were the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), the Geneva-based U.N. Watch, the Muslim Council of Canada, the American Islamic Congress, the World Jewish Congress, the U.S. Freedom House, and the Paris-based International Press Institute. It was also backed by organizations representing believers, agnostics and atheists in India, Australia, Europe, Africa and Latin America.

Roy Brown of the IHEU (with which the NSS is affiliated), and the moving force behind the NGO protest, said: "The resolution is part of a wider campaign by the Islamic States to impose values on the rest of the international community which are largely unacceptable in liberal democracies. Freedom of Expression is protected in international law in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Article 19 states that everyone has the right "to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression." ... if the beliefs of one religion are to be deemed 'defamation' of another, society is on a very slippery slope."

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There' s probably no God.
Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.
4/1/2009, 10:41 pm Link to this post Send Email to Stormdog   Send PM to Stormdog
 
Morwen Oronor Profile
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Re: the insanity of the UN.


On my Political Forum we discuss this kind of topic (and I've reposted it there) under a heading about religion being all about politics.

People who believe in religion of any sort actually are too stupid to see just how political religion is. It actually has very little to do with the actual religious beliefs of the leader, who don't truly believe in the crap they spout to their followers but everything to do with their political ambitions.

The concept of religion was based on two premises, the one that it was a way for people to explain things they didn't understand (Why does lightning kill? Because the gods wanted that person dead so they sent a lightning bold) and secondly to gain control over the idiots following strong charismatic leaders (if you get people to believe that you have a direct link to the being who controls the lightning, you get to be the leader). It's as simple as that. It always has been and it always will and that's the reason why removal of religion from politics is so dangerous. If the people who see you as their leader also see that you don't subscribe to religion, they become afraid and if you want them to keep following you the only way to do that is to instill further fear in them so you appoint bully-boys (the SS, or the old communist secret police) and threats of extreme physical pain to keep them in line.
Without religion in a peaceful, fear-free society, people will want to rule themselves, so you have to protect religion at all costs, especially when the people in the society become educated enough to ask questions.

These Islamic fascists are not intent on doing anything other than gaining control of the whole world and its wealth.
4/2/2009, 12:39 am Link to this post Send PM to Morwen Oronor Blog
 


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