|
Dear All,
We just wanted to send out a quick update on where things stand with the civil society sign-on statement regarding "defamation of religions." Thus far we've had almost 80 organizations from 13 different countries sign-on, so thanks to those who have already signed on.
We decided to delay the public release of the statement for a few reasons:
1. Numbers of sign-ons continue to grow, and we wanted to be sure as many groups as possible could sign on.
2. The draft of the "defamation of religions" resolution at the General Assembly was released just last week. It is available here in case you are interested in seeing it.
3. Last week in Geneva, the Ad Hoc Committee on complementary international standards, established by the Durban racism review process, discussed the first binding treaty on "defamation of religions," which has added gravity to the situation.
Given these developments, we have decided to extend our deadline for sign-ons to this Friday, November 6 by close of business. Please look at the list of NGOs below and forward this on to any organization you believe is missing from that list.
On Monday, we will send all organizations a final copy of the letter and would encourage all organizations to send your own press releases on Tuesday, November 10. The strategic timing of this release should work well alongside informal discussions that will be occurring in New York on the General Assembly resolution and further deliberations around the world about the future of a binding international treaty on this concept.
The Becket Fund
A COMMON STATEMENT from CIVIL SOCIETY on the concept of “Defamation of Religions”:
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:
ACT! for America
American Congress for Truth
American Center for Law and Justice
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
Bahá'í International Community
Barnabus Aid BCV Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths, Australia
B’nai B’rith International
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the U.S.
Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Baptist World Alliance
Bürgerbewegung Pax Europa, Germany and Austria
European Humanist Federation
Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia
The Center for Economic and Social Justice
Center for Inquiry, UK
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
China Aid Association
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
Dalit Freedom Network
David Horowitz Freedom Center
Democracy Coalition Project
Dutch Platform on International Freedom of Religion or Belief
Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
Endowment for Middle East Truth
Forum for Civic Responsibility
Freedom House
Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
GeoStrategic Analysis of Potomac, Maryland
Higgins Counterterrorism Research Center
Humanistisch-Vrijzinnige Vereniging, Belgium
Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands, Germany
Indonesia Legal Resource Center, Indonesia
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 Society for Krishna Consciousness
The Investigative Project on Terrorism
Jubilee Campaign
The Legal Project of the Middle East Forum
LibForAll Foundation
Mission Europa, Austria
Open Doors International
Open Doors USA
Os Guinness, Author
Oxford Center for Religion and Public Life
The Phyllis Chesler Organization
Rapid Response Group, Uzbekistan
Religious Freedom Coalition
SOVA Center for Information and Analysis, Russia
TIFA Foundation, Indonesia
Traditional Values Coalition
UN Watch
U.S. Copts Association
Vienna Akademikerbund, Austria
Vigilance, Inc.
The Westminster Institute
|
Copyrights (c) 2006 MAH