Muslim countries seek blasphemy ban

Muslim countries seek blasphemy ban

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By FRANK JORDANS (AP) – 16 hours ago

GENEVA — Four years after cartoons of the prophet Muhammad set off violent protests across the Muslim world, Islamic nations are mounting a campaign for an international treaty to protect religious symbols and beliefs from mockery — essentially a ban on blasphemy that would put them on a collision course with free speech laws in the West.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Algeria and Pakistan have taken the lead in lobbying to eventually bring the proposal to a vote in the U.N. General Assembly.

If ratified in countries that enshrine freedom of expression as a fundamental right, such a treaty would require them to limit free speech if it risks seriously offending religious believers. The process, though, will take years and no showdown is imminent.

Would like to hear your thoughts.

Does it have a chance ?

Some experts say it does stand some chance of passing, whoever the experts are.

The proposal may have some support in the General Assembly. For several years the Islamic Conference has successfully passed a nonbinding resolution at the General Assembly condemning "defamation of religions."

The far-reaching implications.

It would, in essence, advance a global blasphemy law," said Felice Gaer, a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The independent, congressionally mandated panel issued a report last week warning that existing laws against blasphemy, including in Pakistan, "often have resulted in gross human rights violations."

In Egypt, blasphemy laws have been used to suppress dissidents, said Moataz el-Fegiery, executive director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies. Abdel Kareem Nabil, a blogger, was sentenced in February 2007 to four years in prison for insulting Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

He said reformists who reinterpret traditional Islamic texts have also become the target of blasphemy accusations.

Failure to agree on a treaty would boost extremists in the Arab world,

Sounds already extreme to me.

Epic Fail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't care what the Muslium countries want.

They are free to abuse their citizens...

They, however, are NOT free to tell me what I can or can't say.

If that passes I will personally purchase a Koran and pee on it and post it on youtube.

The US has freedom of speech and no damn muslium's are going to change that.

reply to post by mrmonsoon

They, however, are NOT free to tell me what I can or can't say.

True,

And how would they intend to enforce such a law world wide?

I expect the 56 OIC countries will support it in a general assembly vote. A majority of the 192 countries need to approve for the recommendation to be passed to the security council, so another 40 or so third world countries and they're laughing. No more "offensive" cartoons of Mohammed, Baby Jesus or Moses.

Who's going to enforce it?

Will we see persecution of song writers, authors, commentators who criticise political Islam? Websites closing down?

One thing I'm sure about - this will not be used to prosecute people that criticise Christianity, Judaism or any other faith. Only Islam.

Interesting times...

[edit on 20-11-2009 by mattpryor]

reply to post by mattpryor

Will we see persecution of song writers, authors, commentators who criticise political Islam? Websites closing down?

I do believe we have already seen this persecution through intimidation.

One thing's I'm sure about - this will not be used to prosecute people that criticise Christianity, Judaism or any other faith. Only Islam.

I am pretty sure you are correct.

In Egypt, blasphemy laws have been used to suppress dissidents, said Moataz el-Fegiery, executive director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies. Abdel Kareem Nabil, a blogger, was sentenced in February 2007 to four years in prison for insulting Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

He said reformists who reinterpret traditional Islamic texts have also become the target of blasphemy accusations.

Failure to agree on a treaty would boost extremists in the Arab world,

Sounds already extreme to me.

Extreme? Well let me be the first to say these peoples aren't known for their moderation.

What a joke, even if they do pass something like that - so what? You might get time in middle eastern countries for griefing the president, but in the Uk I don't know anyone who doesn't grief our politicians and the way things are run!

What could they honestly do? Lock up the whole country?

If politicians here in the Uk want riots on their hands, then you keep letting middle easterner's walk all over us. But I can near enough guarantee that we'll have the last laugh on our soil when all hell breaks loose.

What could they honestly do? Lock up the whole country?

LOL, I don't know, but as we have seen, world leaders fear them, and do cave to their wishes.

They'll probably set up their own kangaroo court in Somalia, offenders will be extradited from their home countries via UN resolution, where they'll be buried up to their neck and pelted with stones until they repent and promise never to take the mickey out of Mohammed (PBAH) again.

But it's okay because we have strong capable political leaders who will stand up for our rights to free speech and refuse to cave in to such demands. Assuming there's no oil deal to be made out of it. Or, maybe not.

Another problem - where is the line between criticising a religion and criticising religious figures?

Ayatollahs for example? Anyone?

[edit on 20-11-2009 by mattpryor]

Originally posted by mattpryor
They'll probably set up their own kangaroo court in Somalia, offenders will be extradited from their home countries via UN resolution, where they'll be buried up to their neck and pelted with stones until they repent and promise never to take the mickey out of Mohammed (PBAH) again.

But it's okay because we have strong capable political leaders who will stand up for our rights to free speech and refuse to cave in to such demands. Assuming there's no oil deal to be made out of it. Or, maybe not.

Another problem - where is the line between criticising a religion and criticising religious figures?

Ayatollahs for example? Anyone?

[edit on 20-11-2009 by mattpryor]

I don't have any answers Matt, however this does lend credence to,

"Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah.
Sahih Muslim 4294

[edit on 103030p://bFriday2009 by Stormdancer777]

Another thing to consider is that Mahmoud Amadinejad is lobbying for a shakeup of the UN Security Council, which entails the OIC being given a permanent seat with veto powers.

The reason this hasn't happened thus far is that we (US, UK, France, Russia, China) have nukes and Iran doesn't.

Give it another 5 years though

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
Muslim countries seek blasphemy ban


Does it have a chance ?

Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: It would probably be defeated the first round but Islam will win in the end. Christianity will support the blasphemy law because they think there is a lot in it for them. They salivate at the prospect to again be able to burn anyone who even misspells the name of the Savior.
Did you know that the office of the Inquisition never closed? That's right. They renamed it in 1908 to the Office of the Doctrine of the Faith. 1908! It took them that long to rename it?!
Then Islam and Christianity will fight each other at the hills of Har Mediggo. I do not know who will win nor do I care at that point.
Democracy, universal human rights, science, freedom and anything that the unbelievers, or the non-insane as I call them, have worked towards for the past 200 years will be long gone. There you have it.

This is the beginning of the end of the Enlightenment that started in the eighteen century in Europe. Europe has already been overtaken by Islam and in a few generations the take over will be complete without them firing a shot. No need to storm the Gates of Vienna this time.
Did you know that the Muslim hordes were defeated on September 11 1683 at the Gates of Vienna that effectively stopped the Ottoman Empire?

There's a September 11th no one in the West has ever heard of.

Since its conception Islam hasn't changed. It's goals hasn't changed and it's book hasn't changed.

Here is a video that explains the problem the West has, for some reason it won't embed.

The only hope I have is that the takeover will be slow enough so I don't live to see it. That, or the aliens take me off this planet, already!






[edit on 20-11-2009 by tungus]

reply to post by tungus

This is the beginning of the end of the Enlightenment

Yes sir, we are going to enter another dark age in the history of mankind, that has been on my mind for quite a while.


[edit on 113030p://bFriday2009 by Stormdancer777]

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
reply to post by tungus

 

This is the beginning of the end of the Enlightenment

Yes sir, we are going to enter another dark age in the history of mankind, that has been on my mind for quite a while.

We all feel it, it's all around us and no one knows what to do about it. We are in the "Cassandra predicament"- just like the Greek mortal Cassandra, who despite being able to predict the future was condemned to live around people who wouldn't believe her - the punishment was to live and see her predictions come true and suffer the knowledge that she couldn't change anything.



[edit on 20-11-2009 by tungus]

reply to post by tungus

who despite being able to predict the future was condemned to live around people who wouldn't believe her - the punishment was to live and see her predictions come true suffer the knowledge that she couldn't change anything.

WOW goose bumps.

It is like the voice of the prophet being despised.

I say they are barking up the wrong tree. If Christians can deal with the likes of South Park with a weenie Jesus hosting a low budget cable show, they can deal with a little cartoon humor themselves.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
I say they are barking up the wrong tree. If Christians can deal with the likes of South Park with a weenie Jesus hosting a low budget cable show, they can deal with a little cartoon humor themselves.

I wish it was that easy. Christianity has been declawed. Islam is just sharpening its teeth and they have absolutely no sense of humor.
I say we are in a pretty sad state of affairs when the top brass didn't do anything about that psycho major for fear of Islam and now that he shot 13 and wounded 30 they still won't name the culprit R-E-L-I-G-I-O-N.

Religion is known for persecution, killings and enslavement. Not comedy routines, per se.


[edit on 20-11-2009 by tungus]

meh, what are they going to do, invade countries they know nothing about in order to force their values on them?

sounds like a load of crap to me. no civilised country would dream of doing something like that.

[edit on 20/11/09 by pieman]

reply to post by pieman


You are correct about it being a load of horse poo.

You are also correct that no civilized country would do so...

That is why it came from muslim counties in the M.E.

This idea they have -- that they have the right to encroach and infringe on the U.S. Constitution and those of other countries is downright chilling. Our constitution would have to be amended to accommodate this "law". These ME countries would have harmless citizens extradicted to their countries left and right to "exact punishment". Imagine being killed brutally and inhumanely (don't they behead, and execute?) for something you said, even off the cuff.

As someone said in the article "Individuals have rights. Religions don't have rights". At first glance this seems like a rather nebulous statement, but think about. It's really true.

Creepy, creepy stuff.

Even if the UN were to back this, it means nothing to america. The American constitution supersedes all other treaties signed by the country. A UN resolution on this would be irrelevant.