US opposes OIC effort to ban religious defamation

WASHINGTON - The United States opposes an effort by Islamic nations at the United Nations to ban religious "defamation", because the proposal would conflict with freedom of speech, said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"Based on our own experience, we are convinced that the best antidote to intolerance is not the defamation of religions' approach of banning and punishing offensive speech, but rather a combination of robust legal protections against discrimination and hate crimes, proactive government outreach to minority religious groups and the vigorous defence of both freedom of religion and expression," Hillary said Tuesday.
She made her comments while unveiling the State Department's annual report on international religious freedom.
A pending resolution before the UN General Assembly sponsored by the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is to be voted on in mid-November.
The effort has gained momentum since the 2005 publication by a Danish newspaper of irreverent cartoons of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the campaign against Islam.
Hillary said: "Religion provides a cornerstone for every healthy society. It empowers faith-based service. It fosters tolerance and respect among different communities, and allows nations that uphold it to become more stable, secure and prosperous."
The United States and many European nations insist the anti-defamation resolution will protect religion at the expense of freedom of speech and worship, which are guaranteed by the UN Charter.
The latest anti-defamation text is expected to closely follow a similar resolution introduced last year. The earlier resolution said: "We are concerned about the instances of intolerance, discrimination and acts of violence against followers of certain faiths occurring in many parts of the world."
It also criticised what it called "the negative projection of certain religions in the media" and it cited as victims people of "certain ethnic and religious backgrounds, particularly Muslim."
This year's State Department report placed China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan among the worst violators of religious liberties.